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<br />EXECUTIVE SUMMAR I: <br /> <br />::he Mani tou Springs Flood Hazard Mitigation Pr'oject was funded by the <br />Fede)'al Emergency Management Agency. This swnma.l'Y prov:Ldes background on <br />the project, discusses four of the most inter,"st:lng issues I~aised during <br />the <}our'se of the project, presents the repor': reeommendations, and" <br />perhaps most importantly, sets the stage for :lml'lHmentat:lon of the <br />recommendations in Manitou Springs. <br /> <br />Hani tou Springs is located at the base of P:i k:es Peak" immediately '.est <br />of Color'a,io Springs. The year-round population is appro:c1mately 4~500 <br />peop;.e. During the summer thousands of touri:,t,' come ane! stay in 11ani tou <br />Springs to enjoy its amenities and proximity to Pikes Peak and, other <br />attractions of the Rocky Mountain region. <br /> <br />Land use in Manitou Sp:rings is constrainecj 1::y the geography. TCcle town <br />is located along the channels of Fountain, Ruxton, Walda" Beckers Lane, <br />WilL.ams, and Sutherland Creeks. Much of the )'emainder of the town sits on <br />steep slopes above the floodplain. There is Yel"]! little land available for <br />development that does not :face one of these hazar cis. Consequen tly . <br />downtown Manitou Springs is built along the c)'eel,s and the :floodplain is <br />nearly fully developed. Shops, hotels, homes. ,me! restaurants ,sit astrIde <br />or ar'e built partially in the floodway. <br /> <br />The community has had l1mi ted experience wi. t:l"l flooding :In l~ecent memory <br />although serious floods have occurred in the paf:it 75 year's. Manitou <br />Springs has a floodplain Ol"dinance and is a mE~mt:.'r' of the regular phase of <br />the National Flood Insurance program but t.nly 32 pol1cie~' are maintaineel. <br /> <br />A large portion of Manitou Springs is l~ecogn.i.zed as a national :1istoric <br />distr'ict. There are 850 buildings located in the main hi.stori,~ dis~r.i.ct <br />and, over 150 of these are in the floodplain. <br /> <br />This. research effort rl~presents a j oint process developed between the <br />Feder'al Emergency Management Agency, Mani tou Spri.ngs 10coIl gov<~I"nment, the <br />Colorado Division of Disaster Emergency Sel'v.lc:e~,i, the Centel" fOI~ Ca:nmuni.ty <br />Development and Design, an,i the Department of G€Iography omd En-vironmental <br />Studies research team. . Manitou Springs offici.als recognIze the nee,j to <br />effect i vely enforce floodplain regulations ancl Clevelop a plan to reduce <br />flooel ha.zard vulnerability" State and federal agencies olre an,i have been <br />aware of t.he constraints facing Mani tau Spl'ings Including topogJ'apl1y, low <br />level of public awareness, economic dependence (HI tourism, historic nature <br />of the to,Tn, and the need for economic devE!lop:lll'int. <br /> <br />p, proposal was prepared in la.te 1984. The Federal Emergeney Management <br />Agency funded the effort based on three pal'tic:uJ ar goals: <br />1) to develop contingency planning for Mani to'J SprIngs "hieh e,m \)8 <br />implemented now, before a flood; <br />2) to establish gui.delines for Manitou Spl'ing,s to have on han,i for <br />planning following a flood to insure that futui:'E! damage potE!nt.ial is <br />reduced; and, <br />3) to design a methodology for possible appli.cation elsewh.!re :In tl1e <br />UnitE'd States for pre and pre/post flood hazar'';l mitigation. <br /> <br />v <br />