FLOOD10167

• Designation Number: 299
• County: Costilla
• Community: Unincorporated Costilla County
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Title: Floodplain Information Report - for the Rio Grande, Trinchera Creek, Culebra Creek, Colstilla Creek, and Selected Tributaries in Costilla County
• Date: 3/1/1989
• Designation Date: 11/1/1989
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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Any changes to the floodplain delineations in this report
must be approved by the Colorado Water Conservation Board and
the Costilla County Board of Commissioners. Similarly,
additional delineations for currently unstudied areas must
receive such approvals.

5.3 Structural Measures

Structural measures to reduce flood damages include land
treatment, flood control reservoirs. levees, dikes, floodwalls,
channel modifications, channel diversions. detention ponds,
floodproofing, last minute flood emergency operations. or any
other method that tries to control the flow of water.

Structural measures can be expensive and have been known to
cause more damage if subjected to floods larger than the design
flood. Structural measures also require annual maintenance.
However, a structural solution may be the only viable
alternative to solve an existing flood problem.

As was mentioned earlier. several water supply reservoirs
in Costilla County provide "incidental" flood control benefits
by inadvertently reducing peak discharges. There is also a
levee on the east side of San Luis protecting the town from
flooding on the East Basin of Rito Seco. That levee will be
upgraded to meet Federal standards during the summer and fall
of 1989.

5.4 Measures that Reduce VUlnerability

Measures that reduce vulnerability to flooding include
development pOlicies; floodplain regulation through zoning,
subdivision regulations, and building codes; flood warning
systems; disaster planning (evacuation); or any such method
that tries to encourage people to avoid a known hazard area.

Model floodplain regulations have been promulgated by the
Colorado Water Conservation Board. with the purpose of
promoting pUblic health, safety, and general welfare, and
minimizing flood hazards and losses. The model includes
provisions designed to:

1. Promote sound planning and land use, and permit only
such uses within floodplains that will not endanger
life, health, and pUblic safety or property in times of
flooding;

2. Protect the pUblic from avoidable financial
expenditures for flood control projects, flood relief
measures. and the repair and restoration of damaged
pUblic facilities;

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