HomeMy WebLinkAbout20130343.tiffSTATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1580 Logan Street, Suite 600
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: (303) 866-3441
Fax: (303) 894-2578
www.cwcb.state.co.us
January 16, 2013
Dear Chief Elected Official,
RECEIVED
JAN 30 23+3
WELD COUNTY
COMMISSIONEFIS
John W. Hickenlooper
Governor
Mike King
DNR Executive Director
Jennifer L. Gimbel
CWCB Director
The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) would like for you to be aware of some very important
information related to your community's floodplain ordinance and related National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP) issues. In late 2010, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) adopted revised
Rules and Regulations for Floodplains in Colorado (Rules), effective January 14, 2011. The Rules
provide higher floodplain management standards that will help your community to reduce the risks to
people and property caused by flooding. A three-year transition period was provided and all Colorado
communities have until January 14, 2014 to adopt floodplain regulations consistent with the Rules.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is already aware of this requirement and will work
closely with the CWCB on this matter as appropriate. It is essential for you to know that a community's
failure to adopt updated floodplain regulations consistent with the Rules„ as well as any updates necessary
to bring local regulations into compliance with minimum National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
criteria, will lead to serious sanctions. I assure you that CWCB staff is eager to assist your community as
needed to help with compliance questions and a smooth adoption process. There is no cost to you for
technical assistance.
For clarification purposes, and depending on your community's current floodplain regulations and status
in the NFIP, non-compliance with the Rules may result in either NFIP suspension or probation and a
reclassification under the Community Rating System (CRS) if applicable. Availability of certain CWCB
flood and watershed grant funding would be at risk as well.
In the interest of framing the issue and providing enough detail for your consideration and decision
making purposes, some specific examples might be helpful. If a community is placed on NFIP probation,
a $50 surcharge would be placed on flood insurance policies. The community would then need to correct
the identified deficiencies, including adopting the Rules, or be subject to NFIP suspension. In addition, a
community participating in the CRS, which provides flood insurance premium discounts for communities
exceeding the NFIP minimum standards, would lose any discounts. If a community is suspended from the
NFIP, federally -backed flood insurance policies would no longer be available and existing policies will
lapse at renewal. Federally -backed loans, grants and other financial assistance for activities within the
floodplain would not be available. If a Presidential Disaster Declaration caused by flooding is made,
property owners would be ineligible for most forms of disaster assistance.
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Interstate Compact Compliance • Watershed Protection • Flood Planning & Mitigation • Stream & Lake Protection
Water Project Loans & Grants • Water Modeling • Conservation & Drought Planning • Water Supply Planning
2013-0343
In order for your community to remain in good standing in the NFIP and eligible for certain grant funding
through the CWCB, the Rules should be enacted in a legally enforceable document by January 14, 2014.
If your community already has updated floodplain regulations, then it would be greatly appreciated if you
would send me a copy of the adopted regulations for review. Again, feel free to contact me anytime by
phone or email if you have questions or if your staff would like assistance in updating floodplain
management regulations.
Sincerely,
Jamie Prbchno, NFIP Coordinator
Colorado Water Conservation Board
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Phone: (303) 866-3441 ext. 3215
jamie.prochno@state.co.us
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