BOARD01633

• Board Meeting Date: 11/19/2001
• Description: Flood Section - Non-Reimbursable Investments - Fountain Creek Watershed Project, US Army Corps of Engineers
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

.

e

.

e

.

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.us

~

Bill Owens
Governor

MEMORANDUM

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

Rod Kuharich
eWeB Director

TO:

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

FROM:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members /'-./
...-/
Larry Lang, P.E., Chief, Flood Protection Section

DATE:

October 29,2001

RE:

Agenda Item 24.c, November 19-20, 2001 CWCB Meeting
Water Supply Planning and Finance, Non-reimbursable Investments
Fountain Creek Watershed Project, US Army Corps of Engineers

Introduction
On behalf of the 3 counties and 8 municipalities within the Fountain Creek Watershed, the City
of Colorado Springs is requesting a non-reimbursable investment to assist in meeting the .
local/state share for a Corps of Engineers watershed study for Fountain Creek. The Corps of
Engineers, Albuquerque District, has authorized the 3 - 4 year Fountain Creek Watershed Project
General Investigation (GI) Feasibility Study for a total cost of $3,350,000. The Corps of
Engineers will provide 50% funding, with the remaining funding to be provided by local and
state government. Of three installments, the first installment of the local/state share is $675,000.
The City of Colorado Springs is requesting a CWCB reimbursable investment of $300,000
toward that $675,000.

Discussion

Background
The April-May 1999 floods on Fountain Creek and farther downstream on the Arkansas River in
the La Junta area resulted in a Presidential Disaster Declaration. After that flood, various parties
within the Fountain Creek watershed increased efforts to address the issues of flooding and
erosion in the watershed. State financial support for development of a Watershed Master Plan
was obtained from the State Soil Conservation Board and the CWCR Federal support took the
form of Congressional approval of funding for the Corps of Engineers to perform the GI
Feasibility Study. The purpose of the Corps' detailed analysis of the watershed is to determine

"