FLOOD03286

• County: Adams
• Community: Wheat Ridge, Arvada
• Stream Name: Lower Clear Creek
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Major Drainageway Planning
• Date: 10/1/1981
• Prepared For: Adams County
• Prepared By: UDFCD
• Contract/PO #: &&
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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A-3

Mr. Ben Urbonas. P.E.
Page Four

Mr. Ben Urbonas, P.E.
Page Five

Reach IIA (Huron Street west to l400 feet upstream of the
Denver & Rio Grande Railroad). This reach includes the Pecos
Street bridge. Federal Boulevard bridge, and Denver & Rio Grande
Railroad bridge, all of which have been identified as inadequate
to pass the lOO-year flood. .

The recommended alternative is to install a new bridge with
channel improvements 800 feet upstream of the bridge to l.OOO feet
downstream of the bridge. There is no conclusion stated as to the
effect on Problems 22. 23, 24, 25 and 27.

1here~s _ question.s to whether the proposed channelization
wolk1.d ~.use ~ore -barm ~han ~ormerly" ~o Problems 22. 23, 24.end 25.

The engineer recommends new bridges for Federal Boulevard and
at the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad crossing. In addition, 3,500
feet of major channelization upstream and downstream from Federal
Boulevard has been recommended. I see no problem with the channel-
ization so long as "water is not sent down in a manner or quantity
to do more harm than formerly". Hankins vs. Borland. l63 Colo. 575,
431 P.2d 1007 (1967).

CONCLUSION:

This Basin has the potential for causing substantial damages.
The Report points this out but the proposed alternatives leave some
of the questions (problems) raised unanswered. In view of your
comments that local governments want specific recommendations, the
Report should state whether:

I do not know who constructed the Pecos Street bridge. If the
laO-year flood passes over the top of it (IV-23), I see no potential
liability. However. if it backs up the water and thereby causes
property damage, there may be a problem. See Andresen, et al., v.
Colorado Department of Highways, Arap. Dist. Court. C.A. 34202. May
17. 1979.

a) something additional should be done in those stretches
of Clear Creek where the Highway Department has constructed 1-76;

b) something additional should be done in those stretches
of Clear Creek where 1-76 has had no impact;

Reach lIB (l.400 feet upstream of Denver & Rio Grande Railroad
west to Wadsworth Boulevard). The recommended alternative here is
to incorporate the Highway Department channel improvements. Pre-
ferable language would be to simply take note of what the Highway
Department has already done and is planning to do. For the present
time. no additional improvements are recommended by the engineer.
The engineer does recommend "floodplain preservation". If this
means the old floodplain (prior to the channelization), this could
be difficult to enforce if the channel is represented to carry the
100-year flood.

c) the proposed improvements suggested for the local
governments will alleviate the specific problems raised as to
mobile home parks (15 and l8) or as to other structures (22,
23, 24, 25, 27).

If you should have any questions or comments in regards to the
above. please do not hesitate to call.

Sincere ly.

Problems l5 and l8 indicate existing mobile home parks will
be "inundated" by the lOO-year flood. The recommendations at X-3
do not relate to these problems in terms of alleviating or not
alleviating the problems.

Reach IlIA (Wadsworth Boulevard to upstream of Kipling Street).
Problems 22. 23. 24. 25 and 27 relate to structures being inundated
by the lOO-year flood. Problem 26 relates to the inadequacy of the
Kipling Street bridge to pass the lOO-year flood.

Joseph Shoemaker

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