FLOOD04322

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Stream Name: All
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Benefit-Cost Analysis for Urban Drainage Planning
• Date: 3/1/1974
• Prepared For: UDFCD
• Prepared By: CSU
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

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BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS

Introduction

The primary objective of any urban drainage project is

to protect flood-prone areas in urban centers. In broad

terms, two alternatives are available: leave the flood-hazard

areas relatively vacant and undeveloped, or to use hard-lined

channels and underground conduits to carry off flood waters

safely. In many cases, property values in urbanized areas

are high, creating strong pressures for the channel-conduit

solution. At the same time, there is a growing appreciation

of the esthetic values of open space for its own sake and of

multiple uses of such space for recreation purposes.

Thus, those who must make the decisions between alterna-

tives face conflicting factors, economic and social, and

decisions often are based on largely emotional and intuitive

arguments, or on immediate economic pressures. Since the

choice may profoundly affect -- indeed may determine -- not

only the life styles but the economic status, in terms of prop-

erty values, of the present generation but of future genera-

tions as well, the decision-makers should have available facts

and reasonable assumptions to assist them. The benefit-cost

analysis is a tool providing such information.

~ Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engineers. Inc.