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<br />(a) Zonin~, evacuation, and flood proofi~. Urban <br />development is expanding southward from Denver into the Cherry <br />Creek basin. Between Franktown and the upper reaches of Cherry <br />Creek Reservoir, however, the flood plain of Cherry Creek is used <br />primarily for agricultural purposes. Portions of the flood plain <br />have topographic features which are desirable for real estate <br />improvements, but the area is relatively free of extensive <br />development at the present time. Because the flood plain is <br />being used for agricultural purposes, evacuation would be an <br />inefficient and impractical method of reducing flood damages <br />between Franktown and Cherry Creek Reservoir. However, zoning <br />of the high-risk areas of the flood plain would be an effective <br />method of reducing future flood damages. Flood proofing would <br />also be a fairly effective method but would cost about $100,000 <br />for current development, and for future development the flood <br />proofing measures are estimated to cost in excess of $10 million. <br /> <br />(b) Channel improvements. Cherry Creek between <br />Franktown and the Cherry Creek Reservoir is an alluvial stream, <br />and during flood periods the channel is subject to considerable <br />erosion and shifting. To avoid aggravating bank erosion prob- <br />lems, channel improvement works would require extensive use of <br />costly stabilization structures. A channel project may tend to <br />induce development into an area which would be provided with <br />only limited flood protection by the project. Therefore, without <br />other more efficient means of providing a high degree of protec- <br />tion, channel improvement works would not be a desirable solution. <br /> <br />(c) Levees. The results of studies indicate that <br />a reasonably high degree of protection could be provided to the <br />areas along Cherry Creek between Franktown and the existing <br />reservoir by construction of levees. The costs of such a <br />proposal, however, are estimated at more than $15 million and <br />flood control benefits in this reach are insufficient to justify <br />expenditures of this magnitude. <br /> <br />(d) Reservoir stora~e. A plan incorporating <br />reservoir storage would provide hydrologic control of the runoff <br />fran Cherry Creek basin, would reduce flood damages along Cherry <br />Creek between Franktown and the existing reservoir, and would <br />reduce the amount of flood control storage required at the <br />Cherry Creek Reservoir. The Castlewood Dam and Reservoir 'project, <br />already authorized by the Congress, is so situated and has suffi- <br />cient capacity that it offers the best opportunity to provide <br />this control. <br /> <br />3085 <br /> <br />28 <br />