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<br />Aggravating Circumstances <br /> <br />The frequency, extent, and the degree of damage of flooding <br />are directly related to land use. Natural features such as <br />open land, trees and grasses are replaced with paving, <br />bui Idings, and other improvements which instead of absorbing <br />or holding back water and slowing down its movement Increase <br />the amount and rata of runoff. Dralnageways are fl lied with <br />trash, channels are narrowed with landfi lis for construction, <br />streams are stra I ghtened and the i r rough bottoms covered with <br />concrete. A variety of structures from billboards to homes <br />erected in flood plaIns are not designed to withstand floods <br />and not anI yare damaged or destroyed, but otten become <br />debr is and an aggravat 109 factor 'n I ncreas I n9 damage to <br />other property. <br /> <br />The mere failure to keep dralnageways and stream channels <br />free from development and trash results in the rising waters <br />lodging debris against culverts and bridges, effectively <br />damming a watercourse and forcing flood waters into the areas <br />that might not be affected otherwise. <br /> <br />The greatest cause of flood damage Is man's choice to bui Id <br />on flood plains. Flooding Is a natural process which has <br />on I y become a hazard to man s I nee he has bu II t and deve loped <br /> <br />'t. f <br /> <br /> <br />Little Ory Creek flooded a wide area In south metropolitan <br />Denver during May, 1973. <br /> <br />6 <br /> <br />In flood-prone areas. Man a I so creates new and en I arged <br />floodplains. As communities grow, storm runoff from new <br />development often Is channelled through 01 der areas. The <br />additional water that Is generated cannot be handled in the <br />historic manner and flooding of previously flood-free areas <br />results. <br /> <br />Mitigation <br /> <br />Land use controls and minimizing of flood damage are <br />interdependent. One serves the other. The least costly way <br />of minimizing flood damage is to avoid Intense development on <br />flood plains. Essential Improvements such as highways, <br />bridges, and utility lines can be designed to withstand <br />floods. <br /> <br />Preservation of <br />developed areas <br />beneficial use. <br /> <br />natural <br />permits <br /> <br />dralnageways as open <br />land to serve more <br /> <br />space In <br />than one <br /> <br />In developing areas, detention basins can effectively store <br />and slow down the velocity of high water, lessening the <br />likelihood of flood damage. Detention basins are bowl shaped <br />holding areas where runoff waters can accumulate and drain <br /> <br /> <br />Br I dge washouts near Cast I e Rock were caused by severe <br />flooding in 1965_ <br />