It has become a high priority for several states including Colorado to identify fluvial hazard zones (FHZ) as a part of their long-term river corridor planning. During the 2013 Colorado flood, about half of the private structure damages occurred outside the FEMA designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) partly due to river fluvial processes such as channel erosion, deposition and lateral migration.
Therefore, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) is currently performing a pilot FHZ study based on Colorado Senate Bill 15-245 to identify fluvial hazard zones for the pilot study areas and develop regulatory methodology, criteria and guidelines for FHZ mapping. Information about CWCB fluvial hazard mapping could be obtained from http://coloradohazardmapping.com/hazardMapping/fluvialMapping. Additional information is provided in the FHZ fact sheet.
