Historic Rains Redirected Waterways across Front Range
Work Needs to Move Forward Before Spring Snow Melts
Washington, DC – Members of the Colorado Congressional delegation today urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize work to stabilize riverbanks and rechannel rivers and streams that were redirected following historic floods that swept through Colorado’s Front Range. With winter quickly approaching, local Colorado municipalities affected by flooding urgently need to move ahead with this work. Some communities are at risk of more flooding when the snows melt this spring if local waterways are not adequately restored.
In a letter to the heads of the three agencies, the delegation wrote, “Rechanneling these river and stream diversions will be a multi-agency endeavor. We know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along with state agencies and local counties are jointly reviewing the damage to determine which sections need to be restored and what is eligible for reimbursement.
“We urge you to prioritize this project with renewed focus, and continue to ensure joint coordination across multiple agencies and departments to address this critical issue,” the delegation added, asking the three departments to “work with state and local officials to provide funding commitments for this work as quickly as possible.”
The delegation further warned that “if the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, municipal and agricultural water supplies will be impacted and some areas and homes will be vulnerable to new rounds of flooding this spring.”
The letter was signed by Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall and Representatives Diana DeGette, Jared Polis, Cory Gardner, Doug Lamborn, and Ed Perlmutter.
Members of the delegation have worked since flooding began to ensure that Colorado communities and agencies have every federal resource they need to save lives, protect homes, and start the recovery process. The delegation urged the President to quickly declare an emergency to make emergency funding available for response and recovery efforts. They also urged the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to make disaster recovery funds available and have asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support Governor Hickenlooper’s request to add additional counties to those eligible for individual and public assistance. They also worked together to successfully lift the cap on the amount of emergency transportation funds Colorado could receive to repair infrastructure damaged from last year’s floods. Raising the cap was included in legislation that reopened the government earlier this month.
The lawmakers will continue to work together with federal agencies to advocate for critical federal resources to aid in recovery efforts.
Full Text of the Letter:
October 29, 2013
Dear Secretary Vilsack, Administrator Fugate, and Commanding General Bostick:
We write to urge your continued focus on rechanneling and restoring a number of rivers and streams across the Front Range that have been redirected following last month’s devastating floods in Colorado.
As you know, historic rains poured down on Colorado in early September, leading to 500-year floods in a number of areas. These floods forced over 18,000 Coloradans to leave their homes, damaging thousands of structures and hundreds of local businesses. Nine Coloradans tragically died.
The task of stabilizing riverbanks and rechanneling these rivers as communities recover has become an especially urgent focus of the recovery effort. For example, when the St. Vrain River flooded, it redrew its own course. The new riverway damaged pipelines, cut off irrigation ditches, and placed several neighborhoods in a new floodplain. If the issue is not addressed in a timely manner, municipal and agricultural water supplies will be impacted and some areas and homes will be vulnerable to new rounds of flooding in the spring. A number of other communities across the Front Range face similar challenges.
Rechanneling these river and stream diversions will be a multi-agency endeavor. We know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along with state agencies and local counties are jointly reviewing the damage to determine which sections need to be restored and what is eligible for reimbursement.
We urge you to prioritize this project with renewed focus, and continue to ensure joint coordination across multiple agencies and departments to address this critical issue. In particular, local officials are looking for clarification on how the reimbursements for stream rechanneling on private lands will be accomplished.
With colder weather expected in Colorado communities in a matter of weeks, time is of the essence. We ask that you work with state and local officials to provide funding commitments for this work as quickly as possible, utilizing FEMA public assistance, any available funds from the USDA’s Emergency Watershed Protection program, and any other federal funding sources that could help finance this urgent work.
Thank you for your consideration. We appreciate your ongoing efforts to help Colorado rebuild and recover from this disaster.