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<br />The North Walsenburg Flood Control Project was designed and construc- <br />ted under the supervision of the Soil Conservation Service, U.S. <br />Department of Agriculture. The flood control dam and diversion facil- <br />ities were constructed to prevent flood damage to north Walsenburg. <br />It controls runoff from 0.62 square mile and is located directly <br />northwest of Walsenburg. <br />Walsenburg has adopted flood plain management standards <br />that are necessary to qualify for the emergency flood insurance <br />program. <br /> <br />Flood Warning and Forecasting Services. The National <br /> <br /> <br />Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather <br /> <br /> <br />Service, provides no specific flood forecasts for the area. The <br /> <br /> <br />technology of accurate river and flood forecasting is dependent on <br /> <br /> <br />adequate and timely rainfall and river stage data, and it is even <br /> <br /> <br />more essential that such basic data be available, particularly <br /> <br /> <br />rainfall reports for areas subject to flash flooding. Current <br /> <br /> <br />funding restraints prevent the National Weather Service operation <br /> <br /> <br />of the tentatively dense networks required for specific stage fore- <br /> <br /> <br />casts for the multitude of small streams, However, this problem <br /> <br /> <br />has been resolved as follows: <br /> <br /> <br />The National Weather service Forecast Office located at <br /> <br /> <br />Denver, Colorado, supplies weather forecasts four times daily for <br /> <br /> <br />the area. In addition to the routine forecasts and special fore- <br /> <br /> <br />casts of severe storms, general flash flood warnings are issued on <br /> <br /> <br />a county-wide basis to Walsenburg, which lies within Huerfano <br /> <br /> <br />County, as required. The county is under the umbrella of the <br /> <br /> <br />National Weather Service WSR-57 radar at Limon, Colorado, which is <br /> <br /> <br />capable of detecting areas of intense precipitation and their <br /> <br /> <br />movement. Radar observation of intense precipitation and projec- <br /> <br /> <br />tion of storm movement gives some lead time for flash flood warn- <br /> <br /> <br />ings which are promptly disseminated to all news media and local <br /> <br /> <br />officials by the best communications available, including telephone <br /> <br /> <br />and teletype. <br /> <br />9 <br /> <br /> <br />