BOARD01600

• Board Meeting Date: 9/24/2001
• Description: Flood Section - Inspection of South Platte River - Chatfield Downstream Channel Improvement Project
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.lls

~

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:

Greg E. Walcher
Executive
Director

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

FROM:

Dan McAuliffe
Acting Director

Larry Lang, Chief, Flood Protection Program
Tom Browning, P.E., Flood Protection Program

DATE:

September 14, 200 I

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 15, September 24-25, 2001 Board Meeting --
Inspection of South Platte River - Chatfield Downstream Channel hnprovement
Proj ect.

INTRODUCTION
The Chatfield Downstream Channel hnprovement Project encompasses approximately a 7 mile
reach of the South Platte River below Chatfield Reservoir. The flood control project was
constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and completed on April 25, 1988. Owner8hip
of the project was turned over to the Colorado Water Conservation Board via a Memorandum of
Agreement between the State of Colorado and the Federal Government.

The CWCB is responsible for mainlenance of the floodway and project areas. In past years, the
CWCB has relied heavily on the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (District) to provide
maintenance services on behalf of the State. A joint team consisting of Corps, CWCB and
District personnel performs annual and post-flood inspections. The Corps' Inspection Report
conlains project deficiencies and maintenance needs for review and response by the CWCB.

BACKGROUND
Annually, the Corps completes a thorough inspection of the project to ensure thal the proper
maintenance items are being completed. CWCB and District staff members regularly participate
in the inspections. Following each inspeclion, the Corps provides an inspection report to the
CWCB noting satisfactory, marginal, or unsatisfactory project features. The CWCB has relied on
assistance from the District to perform the necessary maintenance activities on behalf of the State
of Colorado. At this time, there is no established funding mechanism for the CWCB to perform
the required tasks. The Colorado State Legislature has not provided the CWCB with an on-going
or annually funded program to meet the maintenance needs for the project.

For several years, the Corps' Tri-Lakes office has given an "unacceptable" rating to several
project features, most of which have been rectified by District maintenance activities. The one