FLOOD04440

• County: Statewide
• Community: All
• Stream Name: All
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Colorado Flood Map Modernization Business Case Plan - March 2004
• Date: 3/1/2004
• Prepared For: FEMA
• Prepared By: CWCB
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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SEellONONE

Current Program

experience with preparation of digital FIRMs in the Denver metropolitan area were applied to the
stream miles and numbers of panels requested by local officials.

The costs for each community in a given county were combined to arrive at a countywide cost
estimate for map updates. The costs for each of the 64 counties were then added up to develop a
cost for the entire state. Finally, the MMIP report used a prioritization methodology to rank the
64 counties into four priority groups, each consisting of 16 counties. The first priority group
consisted of the 16 counties deemed to be the most important to have their floodplain maps
updated first, at least according to MMIP assumptions. The MMIP priorities were developed by
CWCB in 2002, at a time when it was not yet clear whether Congress would provide any funding
for Map Modernization. The presumption of CWCB was that if no funding were provided by
Congress, the MMIP effort would still be a valuable guide for the ongoing CWCB Floodplain
Mapping Program. From the beginning, therefore, the CWCB has viewed the Map
Modernization effort in Colorado as component of the Colorado Floodplain Mapping Program.
It must be noted, however, that the scale of funding anticipated for Map Modernization activities
makes FEMA a maior partner for the state's program.

In 2003, the CWCB, in coordination with the UDFCD for areas within their jurisdiction,
performed a pilot project for DFIRM production, as well as evaluated a need for a Mapping
Coordinator by contracting a Temporary Mapping Coordinator. For the pilot project, existing
floodplain data was converted to digital format in several locations within Douglas and Teller
Counties. Through this exercise the CWCB was able to become familiar with the types of issues
and technical requirements associated with DFIRM production. In addition to performing these
pilot studies the Temporary Mapping Coordinator conducted certain project management duties
and evaluated the additional project management burden that would be assumed by the CWCB if
additional funding was made available for Map Modernization throughout Colorado. The results
of the Temporary Mapping Coordinator effort are available in the draft report Colorado's Map
Modernization Program - Updating Colorado's Flood Maps.

This Business Case Plan builds on the valuable work of the aforementioned efforts. It revises the
MMIP cost estimates by updating the list of local stream mile and map panel needs and by
updating, to the extent possible, the unit costs for mapping activity. In addition, this new Plan
revises the MMIP priorities to better reflect needs as they are in 2004. One thing that has not
changed, however, is that the CWCB still views Map Modernization as a part of its on-going
Colorado Floodplain Mapping Program, with many new opportunities and benefits associated
with a substantial increase in funding.

1.4 MAP MODERNIZATION WORK ALREADY COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY IN
COLORADO

Prior to the official start of Map Modernization in Colorado (i.e. prior to CWCB's submittal of
the 2002 MMIP report to FEMA in August 2002), there was work underway on five countywide
DFIRMs. CWCB has labeled that work as "pre-FY 2003" work. FEMA has chosen to view that
pre-FY 2003 work as Map Modernization work, even though it was completed without any Map
Modernization funding. In addition to the pre- FY 2003 mapping work, D FIRM preparation has
been conducted in three more counties with FEMA funds from FY 2003. This subsection will
provide a summary of the DFIRM work in those eight counties.

Colorado Business Case Plan - March 2004

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