FLOOD09852

• County: Alamosa
• Community: Alamosa
• Stream Name: Rio Grande River
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Title: Report on Governor's Emergency Funding 1987 Rio Grande Flooding
• Date: 7/15/1987
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: CWCB
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Documentation Report

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the Rio Grande Water Conservation District in coordination with
the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) requested emergency
assistance from the Division of Disaster Emergency Services
(DODES). The assistance request was in the form of a $25,000
grant request to cOlltinue a team of back hoes and men working
long hours in advance of an approaching flood peak.

The CWCB then coordinated the District's efforts in obtaining
funding through the Division of Disaster Emergency Services and
the Governor's Emergency Fund. As a follow-up to the emergency
program to resolve drainage problems in the San Luis Valley the
State has authorized a loan of $250,000 to the Rio Grande Water
Conservation District. These funds should be adequate for the
District to complete the repair and rehabilitation of the drains
in the Valley so that the farmers will not have to be worried
about high water tables and the towns in the valley will
continue to receive flood protection benefits by diverting peak
flows into these drainage ditches,

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3.4 COLORADO DIVISION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY SERVICES (DODES)

On 11 May DODES received a request on behalf of the Rio Grande
Water Conservation District for State financial assistance to
sustain efforts underway to repair and rehabilitate irrigation
drainage systems leading east from the irrigated areas into the
Closed Basin (EXhibit A). Commissioner Pat Herrera of Alamosa
County contacted the Division Director of DODES to support the
District's request for financial assistance. commissioner
Herrera stated that the Alamosa Board of Commissioners would
declare a state of emergency that date (Exhibit B), DODES then
advised Governor Romer to declare a State of Emergency based on
the imminent threat of flooding along the Rio Grande,

On June 4, 1987, Governor Romer declared a State of Emergency
for Alamosa County based on the imminent threat of flooding on
the Rio Grande River and authorized $25,000 in State assistance
to permit the continuation of work by the irrigation district
with coordination of all funds through Alamosa County
(Exhibits C, D, E).

The Governor's Emergency Declaration authorized $25,000 in State
assistance to permit the continuation of work on the outflow
channels with Alamosa County acting as the sponsoring agency,

3,5 REOPENING OF IRRIGATION DITCHES; FLOOD CONTROL ACHIEVED

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The cleaning of the ditches by the District and others continued
until the Rio Grande reached its final peak flow on June 16,
1987. By this time over 20 miles of irrigation drains had been
reopened. Peak flows at Alamosa were 5,200 on May 16 and 5,150

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