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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Purpose of the Report The report and recommendations of the team are intended to pro- vide the framework for flood hazard mitigation during the recon- struction process as a means of reducing the potential for future flood losses. Description of the Disaster In the early morning of July 15, 1982, Lawn Lake Dam failed send- ing an estimated flow rate of 8,000 cfs down the Roaring River and then into the Fall River and the Town of Estes Park. The flooding was brief, lasting only a few hours, but was of unprece- dented severity. It washed away bridges, destroyed road systems, inundated 177 businesses, and 108 residences. It also destroyed a hydroelectric plant, fish hatchery and caused two confirmed deaths with two others still missing. On July 19, 1982, the Governor of Colorado requested that a major disaster be declared for the Lawn Lake Dam failure and Fall River flood in Larimer County. On July 22, 1982, the President of the United states determined that the flooding was of sufficient se- verity and magnitude to warrant a Major Disaster Declaration under Public Law 93-288. Larimer County and the Town of Estes Park were declared eligible for federal assistance. Recommendations The major recommendations of this report address the need to clear, as much as possible, any obstructions, constrictions or threatened properties from the floodplain upstream from where the Fall River intersects Elkhorn Avenue. Many of the recommendations are in- vestigative, and require a comprehensive analysis of alternatives. Implementation A lead agency (or agencies), sources of funding, and a time frame ~~ been identified for each recommendation. The Federal Emer- gency Management Agency will be responsible for monitoring the im- plementation of the recommendations and for completing the 90 day post-flood recovery report.