FLOOD07447

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Proposed Distribution List Flood Hazrd Mitigation List
• Date: 1/1/1983
• Prepared By: CWCB
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

3,1,1 Aging Dams

The increasing age of many dams in Colorado is becoming a
major problem, Many dams were built around the turn of the
century to capture surplus streamflow during snowmelt runoff,
This water is used to supplement irrigation water requirements in
the late summer for ditch systems with junior direct flow water
rights, As a result, these dams are in need of additional main-
tenance and repairs as the aging and erosion forces continue to
wear on a dam and its related appurtenances,

The State Engineer's list of certain dams in need of
rehabilitation was made available to the CWCB late in 1981. The
dams on this list were those capable of storing water on streams
with interstate compacts where Colorado was not using its full
entitlement or where additional storage was needed. In the last
two years, 26 projects were authorized for construction under the
CWCB construction fund program, 20 in Senate Bill 439 (1981), and
6 in Senate Bill 87 (1982).

From the 20 projects on SB 439, two involved new dam con-
struction at a State cost of $400,000; one involved repair of a
dam not included on the State Engineer's list at a State cost of
$112,000

From the six projects on SB 87, two involved new dam con-
struction at a State cost of $4,795,000; two involved repairs of
dams not included on the State Engineer's list at a State cost of
$2,182,000; and the Rio Grande Reservoir was on the State Engi-
neer's list (State cost was $1,134,500--out of which $619,500 is
non~reimbursable).

A letter was sent to 27 of the 34 project owners on the
State Engineer's list (because the CWCB was already working with
4 owners and the State owned the other 3 dams) informing them
about the CWCB program. Some telephone inquiries were made and
three written responses were received to the letter, but no
project application form was submitted to the CWCB for a project.

From the responses received to the CWCB program, it is
apparent that owners of dams in need of rehabilitation have the
following difficulties:

(1) They cannot afford the matching funds required, which
in most cases may have to be borrowed at interest rates
that often may exceed 15%;

(2) Members of entities are reluctant to contribute more
for their water project and think that a grant program
through the State or Federal governments should be
available; and

(3) In general, where water is used for strictly agricul-
tural purposes, an entity cannot afford to pay for a
rehabilitated project.