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A-2 Wright-McLaughlin Engineers Page 2 October 27, 1972 These two reservoirs have suJ:ficient capacity so thai: the run- off from a hundred year flood can be stored r,o.adily. Accord- ingly, no major flood hazard is thought to exist to i:he west of the reservoirs, and the s1:udy area for Big Dry Creek is the portion of the basin lying t:o the northeast of S1:andley Lake. Except for the City of Broomfield, the land in l:he basin is largely undeveloped. The basin is within t.he projected growth area of metropolitan Denv'er, however, and if crrowth projections are accurate, it will be developed in the forseeable future. Accordingly, the study inclu(1eS both the anticipated runoff from a hundred year flood and t:he increased runoff which will be caused by urban development. The channel of Big Dry Creek to t:he northeast of Standley Lake is a natural, meandering, well-d,,:fined channel. In addi- tion to natural flows, the channel carries irrigation releas- es from Standley Lake from time t:o time, 'which do not: exceed 400 cubic feet per second. As the ar",a develops, channel en- croachment, deterioration and encroachment in1:0 the flood plain can create very significani: drainag,e problems. The study, as presented to us, d,,,als with a series of complex problems in a very tb,orough fashion, and the alter- natives are presented with unusual clarity. The quality of the study, and its manner of presentation, have been of signifi-' cant help to us in the preparation of this opinion. For purposes of clarity, this opinion will deal first with the general law applicable 1:0 th:~ entire project:, There- after we will deal with each of 1:he alternatives sepa,rately, GENl~RAL LEGAL PRINCIPLES: c~he study deals with two kinds of water, surface water and viater flo,/V'ing in a, wa.ter course. The distinction is important.