FLOOD07306

• County: Weld
• Community: Greeley
• Stream Name: Cache La Poudre River
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Cache La Poudre River General Investigation Study, Greeley, CO
• Date: 5/1/2005
• Prepared For: Greeley
• Prepared By: USACE, Omaha, NE
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Project

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1,0 Step 1 - Specifv Problems and OpPOrtunities

Staff Biologists will review existing literature, studies, and other material that will
highlight specific problems and opportunities that exist in the study area to establish a
necessary base of knowledge prior to proceeding with the study, Staff biologists will
also attend initial public and agency scoping meetings to unearth constraints and
opportunities to be pursued by the study, Significant resources will be identified in order
that the objectives of the study are properly focused, Specific, flexible, measurable,
realistic, attainable, and acceptable objectives will be developed and refined throughout
the planning process,

2,0 Step 2 - Inventorv and Forecast without Proiect Conditions

This task is a description of the without-project condition; the baseline from which
alternative plans' benefits are measured and impacts are assessed. The function of this
task is to establish a relationship between the problems that exist in the study area with
significant resources currently being affected, Staff Biologists will work with City Staff to
perform a comprehensive, qualitative analysis that will identify environmental
opportunities within the study area including but not limited to orthophotography, GIS
mapping, and ground surveys, Areas identified as having potential for varying levels of
restoration success will be recorded and given a qualitative score based on hydrology,
soils, current vegetative cover, urban impacts, and other environmental attributes,
Areas having potential for impacts from flood control measures will also be recorded
and given a qualitative baseline score,

A trends analysis and a forecast of the most likely scenario to occur in the future without
a federal project will be made, Appropriate coordination, literature review, site visits,
and studies will be conducted throughout the planning process to determine this
information. The existing and future water quality will be related to the existing and
expected future fishery,

3,0 Step 3 - Formulate Alternative Plans

The purpose of this task will be to identify alternative plans that will likely help alleviate
the adverse conditions with respect to the significant resources of the area, Alternative
Plans will focus on maximizing benefits to both economic development and ecosystem
restoration features,

Ecosystem restoration alternatives will be formulated from different mixes of
environmental restoration measures, Measures are expected to include restoration of
river meanders, side channels, oxbows, wetlands, and riparian vegetation and habitat.
Some iterative reformulation will also likely be performed to better achieve a planning
objective or stay within the limits of a constraint.

Fish and wildlife impact avoidance and conservation will be given consideration in the
formulation of flood damage reduction alternatives,

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