Friends of the Poudre Summer 2000 Newsletter

How Friends of the Poudre stands on the floodplain issue

Revising the existing floodplain regulations along the downtown river corridor is one of the more important issues to be considered by the City of Fort Collins in several years. The outcome could literally impact buildings and lives, depending upon how the proposed regulations are approved.

The board of directors for Friends Of The Poudre believes Option C is the best proposal because, quite frankly, it is the most stringent of all the proposed regulations.

This does not mean that the nonprofit organization has taken a stand one way or another on the overall development of the downtown river corridor (this is another pending city issue), but it does mean the board is aware of the natural value of the river and can vividly recall the fatal impacts of the Spring Creek flood.

The board of directors submitted a letter of recommendation in April to the city council. The letter endorsed Option C and offered recommendations for how the floodplain area should be managed.

Here are excerpts:

"Friends of the Poudre has the primary mission of monitoring, protecting and advocating for the Cache la Poudre River and its watershed. We envision the river as a biologically functioning, vital entity that changes from season to season and era to era.

"The river corridor is a lifeline for ourselves and a wide variety of life, much of which almost completely depends upon a healthy, unimpeded river. The preservation and protection of that corridor is of the highest importance. Thus, any proposed changes related to cleanup, restoration, development or redevelopment must be accomplished in a way that preserves and protects the natural river corridor...

"1. The river should be allowed to define its own course within the 100-year floodplain mapped by the city. We recognize two exceptions: Buckingham and East Mulberry, both in the 100-year flood fringe, that will be protected by pending storm water projects subject to your approval this summer.

"2. As this city was reminded in 1997 by the Spring Creek flood, the danger zone must take into account the flood way for larger events, such as a 500-year storm.

"3. The total number of acres in riparian wildlife habitat should be increased.

"4. A continuous riparian wildlife migration corridor should be preserved and enhanced throughout the river corridor.

"5. Native vegetation (plains cottonwoods, chokecherry, coyote willow, etc.) should be given a chance to reestablish themselves where aggressive exotics (Russian olive, Canada thistle, leafy spurge, etc.) are taking over.

"6. Existing natural features and man-made structures should remain unaffected by any redevelopment or new development.

"7. Armoring or stabilization of stream banks or adjacent ponds should be allowed only where absolutely needed to protect infrastructure. Bank stabilization projects do not allow the river to define its own course. These projects often lead to channelization and project damage downstream in floods that otherwise would not happen.

"8. To the extend possible, the city should develop and execute a plan for an orderly retreat to higher ground of threatened floodplain infrastructure. All infrastructure has a finite lifetime of use. The orderly infrastructure retreat plan should take into account the replacement time schedule and have plans in place for relocation of the replaced infrastructure in the retreat zone.

"9. Riparian habitats within the 100-year flash floodplain should be allowed to renew or restore as a result of flood events."