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1898 . Colondo F/tJod HBZ1InI Mitigatios Plas (409) e The state's first Flood Task Force was formed in 1993 to disseminate real time data regarding streamflow, snowpack and p9tential for flooding and to provide coordination among federal, state, local and private entities involved in flood preparedness and response. Involvement by the COlorado Natural Hazards Mitiga- tion Council (CNHMC) came to the forefront, as ex- perts from across COlorado offered technical and engi- neering assistance to mitigate the impacts of flooding. Several mountain counties throughout the state were impacted to one degree or another. Pre-disaster miti- gation activities served to lessen impact in those communities that had taken action. e In 1995, snowpack development came very late in the season (April through early June). However, in many locations it was equal to or exceeded the recorded snowpack of 1993. The State's Flood Task Force was convened again and provided valuable data for flood preparedness and mitigation. Many of the permanent mitigation measures, which were enacted during the 1993 flood event, prevented damages. Many other mitigation measures put into place just prior to the flood event worked admirably, as well. In 1996, the Flood Task Force was called into action again because of a high snowpack. In the end, much, of the snow melted without causing substantial prob- lems, but the task force was able to provide assistance to local officials concemed about flooding in their jurisdictions. Prior to the 1997 flooding, mitigation activities were undertaken by the City of Fort COllins, which reduced flood damages on 'Spring Creek. Some buildings in the 100-year floodplain had been previously acquired and the land converted to parks or open space. Several bridges and culverts had been enlarged to increase flow capacity. The result was that substantially fewer buildings remained in the 100-yearfloodplain of Spring Creel<. During these two decades, state agencies have worked actively with local governments that have requested assistance with their specific problems, Mapping of floodplain areas has identified the mitiga- lion needs of some communities. Planning and engi- neering assistance have been provided for developing or designing structural and non-structural projects to address flood problems. State funding has assisted many communities to implement projects. Two slide shows the Colorado Water Conservation Board has developed documenting mitigation efforts statewide and encouraging more mitigation and have been shown to various audiences. In response to the 1997 floods, the Water Conservation Board, in cooperation with local agencies, is preparing Flood Documentation Reports for all the 13 counties included in the Presi- dential Declaration. Also, the Water Conservation . ~-3.pu/> ChapfBr 3 - 25 Governor Roy Romer'$ Smart Growth and Development Initiative Several of the recommendations deal di- rectly with land use planning, and hazard mitigation planning is emphasized. Techni- cal assistance is available directly to local governments, via planning commission workshops, land use planning workshops, publications and other means of information dissem ination. Several projects that specifi- cally involve hazard mitigation planning have been awarded the Governor's Smart Growth and Development Award, Board is preparing Flood Mitigation Feasibility Reports for selected communities to include with their Hazard Mitigation Grant applications, to provide technical sup- port for those grant applications. The state is continu- ing to work cooperatively with as many entities as possible to reduce Colorado's flood hazard wlnerabil- ity. 3.3.2.2 Governor's Smart Growth & Development Initiative Governor Roy Romer's Smart Growth and Develop- ment Initiative began in the fall of 1994 as a response to unprecedented population growth and the challenge of preserving Colorado's unique natural beauty and quality of life. Much of the .neN development occurring in the state is located in the urbanlwildland interface. This poses a serious threat since many new residents ' are unaware of potential hazards such as flooding, wildfire and geologic hazards. The Smart Growth pro- cess provides local govemments with vital assistance to help address this growing concern effectively and thoughtfully. This initiative provides a forum in which public dis- course has progressed beyond the simplistic notions of "pro-growth" and "no-growth" by developing part- nerships among state and local governments, key stakeholder groups and citizens. Smart Growth is a bottom-up approach to local and regional visioning and strategy building process that relies on broad- based participation from all sectors of the community. Two statewide summits, several regional summits, specific topic-based task forces and an Interregional Council developed an action agenda of 74 recommendations that deal directly with growth related problems, and an agency was designated responsible for implementation of each recommendation. Many of these recommendations have already been completed 112B198 10:51 PM