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<br />~ '\I;" -~.. '> <br /> <br />[olorado & The West <br /> <br />lveGamJ>be~I, ~tate/Region:_Edltor _ 892~_~~!3r=-=~ <br /> <br />Romer begins plans for possible <br />flooding <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />tributaries comparable to that of <br />1983 and 1984, when serious <br />flooding occurred. <br />"What happens here depends <br />upon how warm it gets, how <br />quickly that warm comes and how <br />long it lasts. There's more snow <br />up there than we've seen in a long <br />while. The seriousness depends <br />on how fast the temperature rises <br />and whether or not we get any <br />ram. <br />"It could be serious, but we do <br />not think we have to evacuate val. <br />leys, for example. We think there <br />is going to be some damage, and <br />that's why we initiated this proce. <br />dure." <br />Romer said he plans to tour the <br />Western Slope on Sunday to <br /> <br />Western Slope threat <br />leads governor to seek <br />federal help and free <br />state emergency funds <br /> <br />assess the situation, particularly <br />dams in the area. Early warm <br />weather and the high snowpack <br />have several communities <br />alarmed and on the watch. <br />]n issuing the warning, Romer <br />told tourists thinking of vacation. <br />ing here they have nothing to fear. <br />"j want to say to all tourists out <br />there, we do not have a condition <br />that threatens life that we know <br />01." Romer said. <br />Romer freed $68,000 from his <br />disaster emergency fund and <br />transferred an additional $200,000 <br />into it. <br />He asked the Army Corps of <br />Engineers for emergency assis. <br />tance to shore up flood control <br />structures in Mesa and Montezu. <br /> <br />By John Sanko <br /> <br />R(l(ky MOImlam News Capitol Bu.reau <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Concerned about runoff from <br />record-breaking mountain snow- <br />packs, Gov. Roy Romer Friday <br />activated a state emergency oper. <br />ations plan and sought federal help <br />to prepare for possible flooding in <br />western Colorado. <br />"We feel it's time to act," said <br />Romer, who called the flood threat <br />along the Colorado River and its <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />lOa counties, including a Colorado <br />River dike that protects the 11 o. <br />home Riverside subdivision in <br />Grand Junction. <br />Len Boulas, chief of the Office <br />of Emergency Management, said <br />he has been in contact with offi. <br />cials in flood.threatened areas for <br />the past several weeks in anticipa. <br />tion of possible problems. <br />Snowpack averages include <br />448% in the Crystal River Basin <br />(Redstone), 239% in the Dolores <br />River Basin (Dolores), 220% in <br />the Gunnison River Basin (Gunni- <br />son), 2057c in the East River <br />Basin (Crested Butte and Coal <br />Creek! and 194% in the Roaring <br />Fork 1<I\'er Basin (Basalt). <br />." have ne\'cr seen a figure that <br /> <br />high in my time 10 Colorado," <br />Romer said of the Crystal River <br />Basin mark. - <br /> <br />In the letter to Col. Laurence R. <br />Sadoff 01 the Army Corps of Engi. <br />neers in Sacramento, Calif., <br />Romer also expressed concern <br />about the Redlands Parkway rock <br />jetties on the Colorado River west <br />01 Grand Junction. <br /> <br />Romer also lIsted as trouble <br />spots a dike designed to protect <br />downtown Grand JunctIon from a <br />50. year flood, and the Dolores <br />River levee system in Montezuma <br />County. The levee is not continu- <br />ous, and storage In McPhee <br />Reservoir at the downstream end <br />of town IS high. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />