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HOLLY, COLORADO FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT DETAILED PROJECT REPORT TilE STUDY & REPORT SETTING The agricultural areas of Southeastern Colorado are characterized by the fertile Arkansas Riyer yalley of gentle topography, highly pro- ductiye farms of both large and small holdings, and a sprinkling of towns and yillages which depend upon the agricultural nature of the yalley for their economy. Some of the communities are quite stable and date their founding well back into the nineteenth century. Vio- lent thunderstorms ~nd the accompanying flooding up and down the yalley frequently are the cause of much human misery and property damage in these communities. Such is the case of Holly, Colorado, which has suffered ,numerous floods down through the years, including a deyastating flood in June 1965. PURPOSE AND AUTIlORI'lY Following the flood of June 1965 and because of the seyeral smaller floods occurring since that time, the Holly Flood Control, Drainage and Sanitation District requested that the Corps of Engineers investigate the problem and recommend a course of action which the local interests could take to alleyiate the problem. At a puhlic meeting in Holly on 21 October 1971, the citizens of Holly and local farmers and landowners described their problems and asked Corps officials for guidance on ac- tion which could be taken. In a letter dated 2 November 1971 to the Albuquerque District Engineer, the Holly Flood Control, Drainage and Sanitation District requested that the Corps initiate studies to pro- vide flood protection for the community under Section 205 of the Flood Control Act of 1948, as amended, which reads as follows: "The Secretary of the Army is authorized to allot from any appro- priations heretofore and hearafter made for flood control, not to exceed $30,000 for anyone fiscal year, for the construction of small projects for flood control and related pUI:poses not specifically author- ized by Congress, which come within the provisions of Section I of the Flood Control Act of June 22, 1936, when in the opinion of the Chief of Engineers such work is advisable. The amount allotted for a project shall be sufficient to complete Federal participation in the project. Not more than $2,000,000 shall be allotted under this section for u project at any single locality, except that not more than $3,000,000 shall be allotted under this section for a proj~ct at s single locality if such project protects an area which has heen declar~d to be a major disaster area pursuant to the Disaster Relief Act of 1966 or the Disaster Relief Act of 1970 in the five-year period immediately preceding the date the Chief of Engineers deems such work advisable. The provisions