Mitigation Strategy
This section describes the mitigation strategy process and mitigation action plan for the Jefferson County Hazard Mitigation Plan. This section describes how the County accomplished Phase 3 of FEMA’s 4- phase guidance - Develop the Mitigation Plan - and includes the following from the 10-step planning process:
Planning Step 6: Set Goals
Planning Step 7: Review Possible Activities
Planning Step 8: Draft an Action Plan
The results of the planning process, the risk assessment, the goal setting, the identification of mitigation actions, and the hard work of the HMPC led to the mitigation strategy and mitigation action plan for this LHMP update. As part of the plan update process, a comprehensive review and update of the mitigation strategy portion of the plan was conducted by the HMPC. As part of this process, the goals and objectives from the 2016 Plan were reviewed and reaffirmed. While the goals were not changed, some objectives were modified to better reflect current priorities. The mitigation actions from the 2016 Plan were also reviewed, assessed for progress, and evaluated for their inclusion in this plan update. Section below identifies the updated goals and objectives of this plan; Section details the progress on 2016 mitigation actions; Section describes how new actions were identified and prioritized; and Section
summarizes the updated mitigation action plan.
Goals and Objectives
Section titled “Goals and Objectives”Up to this point in the planning process, the Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee (HMPC) has organized resources, assessed natural hazards and risks, and documented mitigation capabilities. A profile of the County’s vulnerability to natural hazards resulted from this effort, which is documented in the preceding section. The resulting goals, objectives, and mitigation actions were originally developed based on this profile in 2010 and updated in 2016 and have again been updated for 2021. The HMPC developed the updated mitigation strategy based on a series of meetings and worksheets designed to achieve a collaborative mitigation planning effort, as described further in this section.
Goals were defined for the purpose of this mitigation plan as broad-based public policy statements that:
Represent basic desires of the community;
Encompass all aspects of community, public and private;
Are nonspecific, in that they refer to the quality (not the quantity) of the outcome;
Are future-oriented, in that they are achievable in the future; and
Are time-independent, in that they are not scheduled events.
Goals are stated without regard for implementation, that is, implementation cost, schedule, and means are not considered. Goals are defined before considering how to accomplish them so that the goals are not dependent on the means of achievement. Goal statements form the basis for objectives and actions that will be used as means to achieve the goals. Objectives define strategies to attain the goals and are more specific and measurable. Mitigation Actions are specific actions that help achieve goals and objectives.
To facilitate the goals update of this plan HMPC members were provided a breakdown of the list of goals from the 2016 Jefferson County Multi Hazard Multi Jurisdiction plan, along with goals and objectives from a number of related plans, including the 2018 State of Colorado Hazard Mitigation Plan. This review was
conducted to ensure the plan’s mitigation strategy reflected current policies and priorities, updated risk assessment information, and was integrated with existing plans and policies. They were told that they could use, combine, or revise the statements provided or develop new ones, keeping the risk assessment in mind.
The team reaffirmed the three goals from the 2016 plan, however, the language was revised slightly to include human-caused hazards. Several objectives were revised as well. These were compiled into a document which was discussed and accepted with minor revisions and consensus of the HMPC at a follow-up mitigation planning meeting.
Based upon the risk assessment review and goal setting process, the HMPC approved these goals and objectives for the 2021 plan.
Goal 1: Increase public education and awareness about natural and human-caused hazards and how to mitigate against them.
Section titled “Goal 1: Increase public education and awareness about natural and human-caused hazards and how to mitigate against them.”Continue public outreach efforts on the hazards identified in this plan.
Improve plans, procedures, and systems for public notification and warning.
Provide education on hazard resistant construction techniques and create incentives for the public to mitigate hazards on their own property.
Engage constituency to take personal responsibility for their own exposure and mitigation.
Increase public awareness of the need for funding for disaster mitigation & preparedness.
Understand the impacts of climate change on severity and frequency of hazards.
Goal 2: Reduce impacts of hazards on life, property, and the environment.
Section titled “Goal 2: Reduce impacts of hazards on life, property, and the environment.”Continue to manage development and placement of structures in hazard-prone areas.
Protect existing property to the extent possible.
Utilize the risk assessment as the basis for jurisdictional response and evacuation plans.
Protect critical facilities and infrastructure to minimize loss of critical services following an event.
Strongly communicate wildfire mitigation with all land use proposals and existing land uses.
Continue CWPP efforts including periodic updates and implementation of wildfire mitigation including wildfire fuel breaks, wildfire safe zones and defensible space, fuels reduction and biomass use.
Increase wildfire mitigation efforts specifically on public lands and open space.
Reduce the economic impact to public and private entities from hazards.
Enhance ability of businesses to mitigate and recover from disasters.
Continue to reduce flood losses through compliance with National Flood Insurance Program, and continue to participate with Community Rating System, where applicable.
Encourage measures to enable the County and jurisdictions to better withstand a multi-year drought.
Improve wildfire education and training for dispatchers and emergency responders.
Improve the ability of local government and the private sector to defend against and recover from cyber attacks.
More systemic preparation/adaptation to reduce more chronic but widespread impacts, such as strain on the power grid and premature aging of infrastructure.
Maintain and strengthen existing natural systems/ecosystems/biodiversity to improve disaster resilience.
Goal 3: Strengthen and develop partnerships in regard to mitigating hazard impacts.
Section titled “Goal 3: Strengthen and develop partnerships in regard to mitigating hazard impacts.”Promote planning efforts that foster cooperation and coordination among jurisdictions, agencies, and community aide organizations involved in hazard mitigation and response.
Maximize the use of shared resources and community resilience projects to leverage funding for hazard mitigation projects between all levels of government and the private sector.
Encourage coordination between mitigation efforts on public land and adjacent private properties.
Develop links between emergency planning and land and water use planning.
Strengthen community partnerships to enhance the ability of local government to adapt to changing climate conditions and mitigate and respond to hazard events.
Create a standing multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation committee to provide mitigation fund governance, track plan implementation, and coordinate mitigation activities throughout the County.
Implement the recommendations of the Wildfire Risk Reduction Task Force 2020 report.
Progress on Previous Mitigation Actions
Section titled “Progress on Previous Mitigation Actions”Jefferson County and the majority of the participating jurisdictions have been successful in implementing actions identified in the 2016 Plan. The 2016 mitigation strategy contained a total of 74 mitigation actions, 12 of which were identified as having been completed. Seven actions were deleted as being no longer relevant. These completed and deleted actions are shown in
Table 5-1 2016 Mitigation Actions Completed or Deleted
Section titled “Table 5-1 2016 Mitigation Actions Completed or Deleted”| Jurisdiction | Mitigation Action Title | Hazard | 2020 Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | Massey Draw Floodplain Improvements | Flood | Completed |
| Jefferson County | Beer Sisters Reservoir Rehabilitation | Dam Failure and Flood | Completed |
| Arvada | Multi-Jurisdictional Storm Ready Program Participation | Hail, Extreme Heat, Winter Storms, Lightning, Tornado, Severe Wind | Completed |
| Lakewood | Revise Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) for Maple Grove Reservoir | Dam Failure | Completed |
| Lakewood | Lakewood Energy Assurance Plan Update | All | Completed |
| Lakewood | Multi-Jurisdictional Storm Ready Program Participation | Hail, Extreme Heat, Winter Storms, Lightning, Tornado, Severe Wind | Completed |
| Wheat Ridge | Maple Grove Dam operations plan | Flood | Completed |
| Wheat Ridge | NFIP/CRS/CIP/Stormwater Utility. | Dam Failure, Flood | Completed |
| Denver Water | Flood inundation maps. | Flood | Completed |
| Denver Water | Training/exercising at Foothills Treatment Plant | Wildfire | Completed |
| Jefferson Conservation District | Last Resort Creek and Kennedy Gulch Fuels Reduction | Wildfire | Completed |
| Lookout Mountain Water | Expand storage capacity at upper Beaver Brook reservoir | Drought | Completed |
| Jefferson County | Drake outfall | Flood | Deleted |
| Jefferson County | Fairmount drainage improvement program | Flood | Deleted |
| Edgewater | Continued Validation of Flood Response Protocol Identified in 2007 EOP through Practical Training and Exercises Design. | Flood | Deleted (not participating for 2021) |
| Lakewood | Burying Power Lines to Green Mountain Repeater Site | Severe Wind, Winter Storm, Tornadoes, Lightning | Deleted |
| Mountain View | Storm Water Drainage | Flood | Deleted (not participating for 2021) |
| Denver Water | Sediment removal from Strontia Springs Dam. | Dam Failure | Deleted |
| Jefferson Conservation District | Educate Homeowners on Wildfire Hazards and Mitigation | Wildfire | Deleted |
| Jefferson Conservation District | Doubleheader Ranch Hazardous Fuels Reduction | Wildfire | Deleted |
| Pleasant View Metro District | Flood mitigation of Lena Gulch through West Blade Park located at 16780 Mt Vernon Road. | Flood | Deleted (not participating for 2021) |
Source: HMPC
While only 12 actions were reported as having been fully completed, considerable progress has been made on other actions. Many others were reported as being in progress or are already being implemented on an annual basis. Furthermore, some mitigation actions included multiple related projects. For example, while Jefferson Conservation District is shown as only having completed one action, that action actually reflects two to five wildfire projects per year, averaging 300 acres per year treated.
Some of the challenges of implementation of projects included:
Lack of funding, including ability to provide matching funds.
Difficulty passing benefit cost analysis required for certain FEMA grants.
Public opposition to fire mitigation in JeffCo Open Space – specifically in Apex Open Space where there was public opposition to reducing fuel loads.
Conflicting priorities, and intervention of major hazard events
Continued Compliance with NFIP
Section titled “Continued Compliance with NFIP”Recognizing the importance of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in mitigating flood losses, an emphasis will be placed on continued compliance with the NFIP by Jefferson County and all participating communities have been mapped for flood hazards: Arvada, Edgewater, Golden, Lakewood, Morrison, and Wheat Ridge. As NFIP participants, these communities have and will continue to make every effort to remain in good standing with NFIP. This includes continuing to comply with the NFIP’s standards for updating and adopting floodplain maps and maintaining and updating the floodplain zoning ordinance.
Jefferson County and the communities of Arvada, Golden, Lakewood, Morrison, and Wheat Ridge will also continue to participate in the Community Rating System (CRS) to go above and beyond the requirements of the NFIP, and have continued to improve their CRS ratings as described in Section 2.7.4.
Identification of Mitigation Actions
Section titled “Identification of Mitigation Actions”In order to identify and select mitigation measures to support the mitigation goals, each hazard identified in Section 4.1: Identifying Hazards was evaluated in regard to the various options for mitigation. Hazards that pose a significant threat to the community were considered the priority in the development of hazard specific mitigation measures.
The Planning Team considered the following categories of mitigation actions, as defined in FEMA’s 2013
Local Mitigation Planning Handbook:
Plans and regulations: These actions include government authorities, policies, or codes that influence the way land and buildings are developed and built.
Structure and infrastructure projects: These actions involve modifying existing structures and infrastructure to protect them from a hazard or remove them from a hazard area. This could apply to public or private structures as well as critical facilities and infrastructure. This type of action also involves projects to construct manmade structures to reduce the impact of hazards.
Natural systems protection: These are actions that minimize damage and losses and also preserve or restore the functions of natural systems.
Education and awareness: These are actions to inform and educate citizens, elected officials, and property owners about hazards and potential ways to mitigate them. These actions may also include participation in national programs, such as StormReady or Firewise Communities. Although this type of mitigation reduces risk less directly than structural projects or regulation, it is an important foundation. A greater understanding and awareness of hazards and risk among local officials, stakeholders, and the public is more likely to lead to direct actions.
The Planning Team also considered the following categories as defined in the Community Rating System:
Prevention: Administrative or regulatory actions or processes that influence the way land and buildings are developed and built.
Property protection: Actions that involve the modification of existing buildings or structures to protect them from a hazard or remove them from the hazard area.
Structural: Actions that involve the construction of structures to reduce the impact of a hazard.
Natural resource protection: Actions that, in addition to minimizing hazard losses, also preserve or restore the functions of natural systems.
Emergency services: Actions that protect people and property during and immediately after a disaster or hazard event.
Public information/education and awareness: Actions to inform and educate citizens, elected officials, and property owners about the hazards and potential ways to mitigate them.
At planning meeting #3, the Planning Team was provided with handouts describing the categories and listing examples of potential mitigation actions for each category, as well as for the identified hazards. FEMA’s 2013 document Mitigation Ideas: A Resource for Reducing Risk to Natural Hazards was referenced and made available for reference, along with FEMA’s 2020 Mitigation Action Portfolio.
Attendees were then asked to submit mitigation action ideas via an online poll. Action submissions included details describing how the actions will be implemented and administered, to include cost estimates, potential funding sources, and estimated timeline for completion. Each action was required to be tied to one or more of the goals and objectives.
It was not always feasible or realistic for every jurisdiction to develop mitigation actions against every identified hazard. However, actions were compared against identified hazards to ensure that the plan contains a comprehensive range of mitigation actions and projects for each of the most high risk hazards. An emphasis on new and existing buildings and infrastructure was stressed. While the Planning Team focused primarily on those hazards identified as posing the highest risk to the jurisdiction, mitigation actions were also suggested for some low priority hazards.
Similarly, while the primary focus was on developing mitigation actions in the categories described above, some jurisdictions identified actions that do not fall into one of the above categories and which may be better defined as planning or preparedness actions. Some of these actions were nonetheless included in the plan, as the jurisdiction felt they were important actions to reduce losses from future disasters even if they do not meet the strict definition of mitigation.
HMPC members considered actions that would mitigate impacts to both new and existing buildings and infrastructure. The HMPC noted that the Hazard section of the Jefferson County Comprehensive Land Use Plan and related Land Use Code is oriented towards reducing impacts to future development and will be used as the primary implementation mechanism for ongoing land use planning related to hazards. This plan works in tandem with the Land Use Plan and puts forth recommendations that will reduce losses to both new and existing infrastructure but can be viewed as having a primary focus on reducing impacts to existing buildings, populations, and infrastructure.
Prioritization Process
Section titled “Prioritization Process”Once the new mitigation actions were identified, the HMPC members were provided with several sets of decision-making tools, including FEMA’s recommended criteria, STAPLE/E (which considers social, technical, administrative, political, legal, economic, and environmental constraints and benefits).
Social: Does the measure treat people fairly?
Technical: Will it work? (Does it solve the problem? Is it feasible?)
Administrative: Is there capacity to implement and manage the project?
Political: Who are the stakeholders? Did they get to participate? Is there public support? Is political leadership willing to support the project?
Legal: Does your organization have the authority to implement? Is it legal? Are there liability implications?
Economic: Is it cost-beneficial? Is there funding? Does it contribute to the local economy or economic development? Does it reduce direct property losses or indirect economic losses?
Environmental: Does it comply with environmental regulations or have adverse environmental impacts?
In accordance with the DMA requirements, an emphasis was placed on the importance of a benefit-cost analysis in determining project priority (the ‘economic’ factor of STAPLE/E). Other criteria used to recommend what actions might be more important, more effective, or more likely to be implemented than another included:
Does the action protect lives?
Does the action address hazards or areas with the highest risk?
Does the action protect critical facilities, infrastructure or community assets?
Does the action meet multiple objectives (Multiple Objective Management)?
The above criteria were used to prioritize actions in an iterative process over the course of the plan update process. At the start of the process, participating jurisdictions were asked to validate or update the priorities of their continuing actions from the 2016 Plan. When submitting new mitigation actions, planning team members were asked to prioritize those as well. Finally, once all new and continuing actions had been collated into a draft mitigation strategy, jurisdictions were asked to verify or update the priorities of each action compared to their other actions.
Mitigation Action Plan
Section titled “Mitigation Action Plan”This section outlines the development of the final updated mitigation action plan. The action plan consists of the specific projects, or actions, designed to meet the plan’s goals. Over time the implementation of these projects will be tracked as a measure of demonstrated progress on meeting the plan’s goals.
The total number of actions identified by each jurisdiction is summarized in including those actions completed, deleted, or continued from the 2016 HMP.
Table 5-2 Mitigation Actions Summary by Jurisdiction
Section titled “Table 5-2 Mitigation Actions Summary by Jurisdiction”| Jurisdiction | # of Actions in 2016 HMP | # of Actions Completed | # of Actions Deleted | # of Actions Continued | New Actions Added | # of Actions in 2021 HMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 20 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 22 | 38 |
| City of Arvada | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| City of Edgewater | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| City of Golden | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| City of Lakewood | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Town of Morrison | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| City of Wheat Ridge | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Arvada Fire Protection District | NA | NA | NA | NA | 2 | 2 |
| Elk Creek Fire Protection District | NA | NA | NA | NA | 2 | 2 |
| Evergreen Fire Rescue | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Fairmount Fire Rescue | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Foothills Fire Protection District | NA | NA | NA | NA | 2 | 2 |
| Genesee Fire Protection District | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1 | 1 |
| Golden Gate Fire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Indian Hills Fire Protection District | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Inter-Canyon Fire Protection District | NA | NA | NA | NA | 1 | 1 |
| North Fork Fire Protection District | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| West Metro Fire Protection District | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Denver Water | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Jurisdiction | # of Actions in 2016 HMP | # of Actions Completed | # of Actions Deleted | # of Actions Continued | New Actions Added | # of Actions in 2021 HMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lookout Mountain Water District | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Jefferson Conservation District | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 74 | 12 | 7 | 55 | 82 | 137 |
Source: HMPC
The 2021 Jefferson County mitigation action plan lists the actions developed and prioritized as described above, to include continuing actions from the 2016 Plan. The action plan details how the participating jurisdictions will reduce the vulnerability of people, property, infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources to future disaster losses. The action plan summarizes who is responsible for implementing each of the prioritized actions as well as when and how the actions will be implemented. All actions are tied to specific goals and objectives to ensure alignment with the Plan’s overall mitigation strategy.
Additionally, projects were tied to specific infrastructure Lifeline categories, to better align with the latest FEMA guidance and grant requirements. Over time the implementation of these projects will be tracked as a measure of demonstrated progress on meeting the plan’s goals.
Many of these mitigation actions are intended to reduce impacts to existing development. In addition actions are identified to reduce impacts to future development. These actions include those that promote wise development and hazard avoidance, such as building code, mapping, and zoning improvements, and continued enforcement of floodplain development regulations. Actions that protect critical infrastructure note which lifeline category is protected using the following abbreviations:
COM: Communications
ENG: Energy
FWS: Food, Water, Sheltering
HAZ: Hazardous Waste
H&M: Health & Medical
S&S: Safety & Security
TRN: Transportation
Jefferson County’s mitigation actions are listed in below. Mitigation actions for the other participating jurisdictions are summarized in above and detailed in each jurisdiction’s Annex.
Table 5-3 Jefferson County Mitigation Action Plan
Section titled “Table 5-3 Jefferson County Mitigation Action Plan”| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County 1 | Major drainageway culvert improvements with Mile High Flood District. Multiple locations of roadway crossings with significantly undersized culverts to be replaced with culverts to accommodate the 100 year flood flows. Benefits include reduced flood losses safety for emergency vehicles and the public during major flood events. | Flood | Goals 2,3; Lifelines S&S, TRN | Jefferson County Transportation and Engineering in conjunction with the Mile High Flood District | $9,000,000; MHFD | Medium | Design phase in 2016-2019 & proposed construction in 2018-2021 | Annual Implementation. Structures identified and replaced yearly |
| Jefferson County 2 | Minor culvert improvements. Multiple locations of roadways with existing culvert crossings either failing or in eminent danger of failure. Benefits include reduced flood losses and provide for public safety | Flood | Goals 2; Lifelines S&S, TRN | Jefferson County Transportation and Engineering, Jefferson County Road and Bridge | $1,000,000 per year County General Fund | High | Continuing, with culvert inspection and replacement ongoing. | Annual Implementation. Structures identified and replaced yearly |
| Jefferson County 3 | Weaver Creek major drainageway master plan and FHAD. The Weaver Creek Drainageway has many areas in which the existing channel and culverts lack the capacity to safely convey the major flood events. A Master Plan is needed to properly plan and budget for needed improvements. The current Flood Hazard Area Delineation was prepared over 35 years ago and needs to be updated to accurately reflect the regulatory 100 year floodplain. Benefits include reduced flood losses. | Flood | Goals 2,3; Lifelines S&S, TRN | Jefferson County Transportation and Engineering in conjunction with the Mile High Flood District and the City of Lakewood | $250,000 Mile High Flood District, $150,000, County $93,000, City of Lakewood $7,000 | Medium | Ongoing | In Progress. Master Plan complete. FHAD nearing completion. |
| Jefferson County 4 | Notification polygons for dam failure and flash flooding. Develop pre- established notification polygons or equivalent for citizens who reside in dam failure hazard areas. Can also be established for floodplains. The technology currently exists in the CodeRED system employed by all county 911 entities. The project will require taking the dam inundation maps and floodplain | Dam Failure; Flood | Goals 1,2; Lifelines COM, FWS, H&M, S&S | Jefferson County Emergency Communication Authority (JCECA); Dam owners, floodplain managers, Mile | Minimal, need in-kind labor In- kind | High | Ongoing | In Progress. Jefferson County SO and County staff time; dams are done. Flood polygons are incomplete but JCOS GIS created a tool to build them |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| maps for the targeted areas and creating a polygon in the CodeRED system. Benefits include Faster notification will give citizens more time to evacuate from flood-prone areas which could prevent injury or death from flooding. | High Flood District | |||||||
| Jefferson County 5 | Update CWPPs to reflect changing conditions and new development. This project will update Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) to reflect changing conditions and new development. Most plans were crafted in 2010 and with new development and changing conditions the accuracy of the data is questionable. Implementation would most likely require the hiring of a specific consulting firm to gather data and create new plans. Benefits include Better data will ultimately lead to better mitigation activities, better planning, and ultimately a more effective response. | Wildfire | Goals 2,3; Lifelines COM, ENG, FWS, S&S, TRN | Jefferson County OEM | To be determined based on community size, but approximately $15-40k per plan Grant funding – state and federal | High | Ongoing | Finalize. The FMO will use the updated AOP, HMP, and fire district CWPPs to update the county CWPP |
| Jefferson County 6 | Mitigate wildfire hazards on public lands and open space properties. There are fuel load concerns on County and other open space properties. Residential and other development are potentially at risk due to extensive WUI. This project will perform hazard fuel mitigation in areas identified as high-hazard in countywide and individual CWPPs. Different methods might include tree thinning, mastication, and controlled burning. Benefits include reduced wildfire losses | Wildfire | Goals 2; Lifelines COM, ENG, S&S | Jefferson County OEM and Open Space. ID other partners - USFS, State, FPDs, JeffCo Conservation District, Denver Mountain Parks, municipalities etc. | Varies depending on the fuel type and acreage. $2,000 per acre is a good estimate. Grant funding – state and federal | High | Ongoing | In Progress. Utilized seasonal fuels crew when Sheriff’s Office still held those positions. Jeffco Forest Health Plan IDs fire mitigation strategies, BRIC grant to build capacity for fire mitigation |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County 7 | Develop partnerships and begin needs assessment for seismic mitigation of critical infrastructure within JeffCo. The Golden Fault and other seismic sources in the region present the potential for a low probability but potentially high consequence earthquake event. This project would begin with a needs assessment to identify critical facilities likely to incur strong ground shaking that could lead to nonstructural and structural damage. Facilities identified for further review would undergo a FEMA rapid visual assessment (FEMA 154) to identify building hazards and potential mitigation options. Benefits include While the risk of earthquake in the area is low, the potential damage could be catastrophic. Performing seismic mitigation would help ensure uninterrupted governmental service for critical infrastructure. This is the first step in reducing earthquake losses including reduced potential for injuries; reduced potential for facility damage and loss of function. | Earthquake | Goals 2,3; Lifelines COM, ENG, FWS, HAZ, H&M, S&S, TRN | Jefferson County Planning & Zoning; USGS, CGS | $30-80K depending on scope and number of facilities assessed NEHRP, FEMA, DHSEM | Low | Ongoing | Not Started. Low priority considering risk. |
| Jefferson County 8 | Education and awareness of geologic hazards. Due to relative infrequency of geologic hazards in the planning area, the public is not generally well informed about the risks associated with this type of hazard. Work in conjunction with Jill Carlson at Colorado Geological Survey; create GIS layers available to public that identify hazards such as landslide and debris flow and disseminate information. Benefits include While the risk of earthquake in the area is low, the potential damage could be catastrophic. Raising awareness of hazards will enable the public to understand how to survive an earthquake. Improved mapping of debris | Avalanche, Earthquake, Erosion and Deposition, Expansive Soils, Landslide/ Debris Flow/ Rockfall, Subsidence | Goals 1; Lifelines NA | Jefferson County OEM, Local Government (interested parties) | To be determined Grant funding – state and federal | Medium | Ongoing | In Progress. Preparedness campaign update. Hazard study, mitigation and education on Dinosaur Ridge |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| flow and landslide areas could lead to targeted mitigation projects. | ||||||||
| Jefferson County 9 | Flood education and outreach. Increase the flood awareness of residents of Jefferson County to protect people and property. This project would build upon annual floodplain notification efforts associated with the County’s CRS program participation. Efforts include distributing the MHFD flood awareness brochure to residents in the floodplain. Benefits include increased awareness of the risk and dangers of flooding can reduce the impact of flooding to the citizens of Jefferson County. | Flood | Goals 1,3; Lifelines NA | Jefferson County Planning and Zoning, OEM, MHFD | TBD | Medium | Ongoing with annual efforts | In Progress. Preparedness campaign update. Continued public outreach |
| Jefferson County 10 | Perform hazard fuel mitigation in areas identified as high hazard in countywide and individual CWPPs. This project will perform hazard fuel mitigation in areas that have been identified as high-hazard in countywide and individual CWPPs. Different methods might include tree thinning, mastication, and controlled burning. The CWPP will be referenced for specific areas and recommended treatments. Benefits include fuel mitigation projects improve public safety, reduce risk to firefighters, reduce potential for structure losses and help forest ecology. | Wildfire | Goals 2; Lifelines COM, ENG, S&S | Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in partnership with Jefferson County fire districts and Jefferson Conservation District | Varies depending on the fuel type and acreage. $2,000 per acre is a typical estimate Grant funding – state (CSFS) and federal (FEMA PDM or HMGP) | High | Ongoing | In Progress. Utilized seasonal fuels crew when Sheriff’s Office still held those positions. Mitigated fuels on 250 acres of JCOS land 2016- 2020; Mitigating 1,000 acres by 2025. JCD also completed 1400 acres of fuel reduction treatments from 2016-2020 |
| Jefferson County 11 | South Weir Gulch rehabilitation. This project provides for the construction of a combination of channel improvements and drop structures to control severe erosion and safely convey runoff from Union Boulevard east to Pierson Street south of Florida Avenue. Currently this section of the South Wier Gulch drainageway is very steep and is rapidly eroding the existing channel. This has resulted in a portion of the channel with almost vertical walls 15- 20 feet deep. This erosion has progressed | Dam Failure | Goals 2; Lifelines FWS, S&S | Jefferson County Transportation and Engineering, Mile High Flood District. (The property is privately owned) | $200,000 Design; $2,500,000 Construction Mile High Flood District up to 50% of the cost. | Low | TBD | Not Started. Due to cost and a higher priority of replacing failing culverts this project is no longer a project to be completed on the 5 year plan. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to the rear yard fences of adjacent residences. Benefits include reduction of erosion, improve long term water quality of the stream. Reduction of property loss in area and it will eliminate a safety hazard in the area. | ||||||||
| Jefferson County 12 | National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and Community Rating System (CRS) participation. This project provides for the continual participation in both the NFIP and CRS floodplain management programs, which enables properties within the county to get flood insurance at reduced rates. In addition, the floodplain management regulations reduce the flood risks for new and reconstructed buildings within the county. Benefits include reducing flood losses for new construction within the county and allow older properties access to flood insurance to help protect existing buildings. | Flood | Goals 1,2,3; Lifelines COM, ENG, FWS, HAZ, H&M, S&S, TRN | Jefferson County Planning and Zoning | Within current county budget. Programs are funded from the county’s general fund. | High | Ongoing | Ongoing. Moved up to a Class 5 |
| Jefferson County 13 | Storm Ready program participation. This is a National Weather Service (NWS) Program helps communities to better prepare to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through advanced planning, education and awareness. This is an accredited program through the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration & the National Weather Service. Benefits include Once Application has been submitted to the NWS, the application will be reviewed and the Storm Ready chair will assign a team to visit the applicant and discuss options. The end result being a Certified Storm Ready Office and serving residents and County Offices better. An added benefit to this is, once a Community is certified as Storm Ready the Insurance Services | Extreme Temps, Hailstorm, Lightning, Severe Winter Storms, Tornado, Windstorm | Goals 1,2,3; Lifelines COM, ENG, FWS, HAZ, H&M, S&S, TRN | Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management | None or $5,000, if it is necessary to upgrade equipment, training, staff hours, OT hours, and/or host trainings. EMPG | Medium | Ongoing | In Progress. Application submitted to NWS, will update based on recommendations. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organization can provide Community Rating System points which may be applied to lower National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood insurance rates. | ||||||||
| Jefferson County 14 | Bi-lingual publications for Jeffco residents. This program will allow publications such as Colorado Life Trak, Jeffco emergency preparedness campaigns, pamphlets to be translated for our Spanish speaking residents of Jeffco. A language assessment should be completed to see if other translations are needed for our residents. Benefits include Giving the Jefferson county bi-lingual speaking communities a resource to use in preparing their homes/families for potential hazards. | Avalanche; Cyber; Dam Failure; Drought; Earthquake; Erosion/ Deposition; Expansive Soils; Extreme Temps; Flood; Hailstorm; Landslides; Lightning; Pandemic; Winter Storms; Subsidence; Tornado; Wildfire; Windstorm | Goals 1; Lifelines NA | Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management | $10,000 for the translation $2,000 for the assessment Possible Grants with 50/50 match | Medium | TBD | Not Started. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County 15 | Public awareness for those in dam inundation areas. There are 30 High Hazard and 11 Significant Risk dam in Jefferson County. Currently there is no notification system to those living downstream of the dam or information that they live in a potentially hazardous area. Our goal is to create and distribute a pamphlet notifying home and business owners that are in a dam inundation area. It will be similar to the mailer distributed to people that live in flood plains. Part of this project is to create digital map layers of the inundation maps that can be incorporated into the county’s GIS database. Benefits include Notification of those living in dam inundation areas will increase their awareness that they are in a higher hazard area. Or hope is that this awareness will improve preparedness for those in the area. This, along with better mapping will improve warning capabilities that will potentially save lives in case of a disaster. | Dam Failure | Goals 1,2; Lifelines NA | Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management; Jefferson County Emergency Communication Authority, Jefferson County GIS, Colorado Dam Safety | 45000 Possible CDEM/PDM Grants | Medium | TBD | Not Started. |
| Jefferson County 16 | Geographic Information System layer updates. Much of Jefferson County is considered to be in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). With diversity of land ownership in Jeffco it has been a challenge to develop GIS layers for wildfires and completed fire management (fuels reduction) projects. Benefits include Having these layers available will be useful during wildfire events, developing future fuels reduction projects and reevaluating completed projects for maintenance/ reentry. | Wildfire | Goals 2; Lifelines COM, ENG, FWS, HAZ, H&M, S&S, TRN | Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management; Jefferson County GIS | $35,000 | High | Ongoing | In Progress. County IT ESRI story map developed |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County 17 | Discovery of a community-wide slash collection center. Community wide slash collection site aimed to provide slash removal opportunities to a larger more inclusive community wide audience. This opportunity currently does not exist and the operational components or costs have not yet been finalized. | Flood; Tornado; Severe Winter Storms; Wildfire; Windstorm; | Goals 1; 2; 3; Lifelines TRN; S&S; FWS | Jefferson County, Parks. Local municipalities and community partners. | $100,000 - $1,000,000 Program use fee and local authority. | High | 2023 | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 18 | Forest health. Update the Jefferson County Open Space Forest Health Plan and reduce tree density and fuel sources on 1,000 of our 17,000 acres of forested lands. | Wildfire; | Goals 1; 2; 3; Lifelines S&S; FWS; ENG; TRN; COM | Jefferson County Open Space Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, Forest Stewards Guild | More than $1,000,000 Department Budget and Grants | High | 2026 | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 19 | Habitat restoration. Stronger ecosystems are more resilient to catastrophic event such as flooding, fire, and erosion, so restoring our land is essential to preserve natural aesthetics, restore wildlife habitat, and improve water quality. | Drought; Erosion and Deposition; | Goals 1; 2; 3; Lifelines FWS | Jefferson County Open Space | Unknown Department Budget and Grants | Medium | 2026 | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 20 | Fuel break thinning in right-of-way along evacuation routes within the Wildfire Urban Interface. This project will identify areas within Jefferson County and State right-of-way along evacuation routes in the Wildfire Urban Interface where forest growth has encroached on public streets and roads. Once identified, fuel breaks and debris removal will be enacted within areas that require mitigation. Benefits include safer ingress and egress for citizens and first responders in the event of an emergency. | Dam Failure; Flood; Landslides; Severe Winter Storms; Wildfire | Goals 1; 2; 3; Lifelines S&S; TRN; H&M; | Jefferson County Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado DOT, Multiple Fire Districts, Jefferson County Sheriff, Coalition for the Upper South Platte | Unknown Grants | High | 2022-2026 | New in 2021. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County 21 | Stabilize the landslide near the reinforced soil slope (RSS) at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA). The RSS was constructed as part of the safety area at the RMMA in 2014. Since that time, inclinometers have indicated there has been continued movement along a failure plane. The toe of the slope is near Colorado Highway 128 and failure of the RSS would impact Colorado Highway 128. The preliminary mitigation design includes a series of reinforced concrete piers with a series of tiebacks to stabilize the mass. The benefits include continued operations at the RMMA, public safety and limiting the impact to the state highway system. The RMMA is mainly within Jefferson County, however, the mitigation will occur in an area within the City & County of Broomfield. | Landslides, Debris flows, Rockfalls; | Goals 1,2,3; Lifelines S&S; TRN; | Jefferson County - Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, CDOT, Colorado Geological Survey | More than $1,000,000 legal settlement, department budget and grants | High | 2021-2022 | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 22 | Defensible space and structure hardening mitigation grant fund. Our current regulations work to create defensible space around new structures. The building code requires fire resistant building materials for new homes and additions. Our regulations do not address creating defensible space around existing structures or requiring upgrades to houses and buildings built years ago. A mitigation grant fund would help finance and incentivize making existing development less susceptible to wildfire risk by helping people afford and incentivizing the installation of defensible space and fire resistant materials. Program would also provide a platform to educate existing mountain area residents about the risks of wildfire and what can be done to mitigate those risks. | Wildfire; | Goals 1; 2; 3; Lifelines S&S; FWS; | Development and Transportation Fire Districts, Emergency Management, Strategy Innovation and Finance, Sheriff, Realtors and Insurance agencies. | $10,000 - $100,000 Seek additional grants, work with home owner insurance providers, work with realtors, County general fund | High | Would hope to establish funding that would be distributed on an annual basis. | New in 2021. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County 23 | County road clear zone fund. The County maintains hundreds of miles of roads serving our mountain communities. These roads provide critical evacuation routes for thousands of county citizens who live, work and/or recreate in the mountains. Most of these roads were built many years ago and have right of ways that barely exceed the width of pavement. This project would help address the concern that roadside trees would fall and block transportation during hazard events such as winter storms, wildfires, floods etc. The project entails establishing a desired clear zone around our roadways. The first phase is determining where the most constrained, important roads are and if they are constrained who owns land on each side of the road. This would require research through property ownership databases. The project would also provide resources to purchase easements/fee simple rights to clear trees and other possible impediments from roadsides. Finally, the grant would help fund the clearance of the roadside clear zone. This project if completed would help to ensure that evacuation routes stand a much higher chance of remaining clear during hazard events. | Avalanche; Dam Failure; Erosion and Deposition; Flood; Landslides; Severe Winter Storms; Wildfire; Windstorm; | Goals 1; 2; 3; Lifelines S&S; H&M; TRN; | Development and Transportation Sheriff, CDOT, | $100,000 - $1,000,000 Grants, County Funds, | High | 2021-2024 Initial research phase would take 6 months. Remainder of project would be ongoing. | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 24 | Modernize existing FEMA Zone A floodplains that are outside the MHFD utilizing Lidar. There are approximately 2000 acres of FEMA Zone A floodplains outside of the MHFD that have limited accuracy. The effective boundaries were based on 10-40 foot contours that have a significant margin of error. Utilizing the available Lidar, the boundaries could be remapped with a higher level of confidence. Accurate maps benefit | Flood; | Goals 1; 2; 3; Lifelines S&S; FWS; H&M; COM; TRN; | Jefferson County P&Z Other Jefferson County divisions/depart ments, CWCB, FEMA | $100,000 - $1,000,000 grants | High | 2021-2024 | New in 2021. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| property owners, first responders, County staff and FEMA staff. | ||||||||
| Jefferson County 25 | Update FEMA Zone AE floodplains that are outside of the MHFD. Update the studies associated with the FEMA Zone AE floodplains that are outside of the MHFD and mainly in the mountain areas of the County. The FEMA Zone AE floodplains include approximately 700 acres. The effective data is based on studies that are generally 30+ years old and have varying degrees of accuracy. The benefits would include accurate mapping in areas that have had increased development in that time period which would benefit the citizen, County staff and FEMA staff. | Flood; | Goals 1; 2; 3; S&S; Lifelines FWS; H&M; ENG; COM; TRN; | Jefferson County P&Z Other Jefferson County departments/div isions, CWCB, FEMA | $100,000 - $1,000,000 grants | High | 2022-2025 | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 26 | Update the South Fork of Deer Creek floodplain. The South Fork of Deer Creek is partially within the MHFD and is classified as a flood prone area. Completing a study will better define the floodplain risk associated with this segment. | Flood; | Goals 1; 2; 3; S&S; Lifelines COM; | Jefferson County MHFD, CWCB, FEMA | $10,000 - $100,000 grants & MHFD | Medium | 2022-2024 | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 27 | Purchase properties from the SFHA to reduce flood losses. Within the MHFD, utilize the MHFD Property Acquisition Reserve (or similar) to acquire properties within the Floodplain Overlay District. Outside of the MHFD, apply for funding to purchase properties within the SFHA to reduce property damage, injuries and loss of life due to flood risk. | Dam Failure; Flood; | Goals 1; 2; 3; S&S; Lifelines H&M; TRN; | Jefferson County Jefferson County departments/div isions, MHFD, CWCB, FEMA | More than $1,000,000 grants, MHFD, CIP | High | 2021-2026 | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 28 | Bear Creek bank stabilization. The bank along Bear Creek downstream of the Evergreen Lake dam, requires stabilization to reduce flood risk, sediment transport and deposition. There are outfalls that along this segment that increase sediment loading to Bear Creek. Benefits include reducing the flood risk in | Erosion and Deposition; Flood; | Goals 1; 2; 3; Lifelines FWS, S&S | Jefferson County Jefferson County divisions, CWCB, Bear Creek Watershed | $100,000 - $1,000,000 grants | Medium | 2022-2026 | New in 2021. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the historic commercial area of Evergreen, improved fisheries and reduction of the sediment load in Bear Creek. | Association & Bear Creek Watershed Foundation | |||||||
| Jefferson County 29 | Development and formalization of a standing Local Hazard Mitigation Committee. Implementation and maintenance of the plan is critical to the overall success of hazard mitigation planning. Jefferson County will convene and facilitate a hazard mitigation committee for the participating jurisdictions to implement this Plan going forward. | Avalanche; Cyber; Dam Failure; Drought; Earthquake; Erosion/Dep osition; Expansive Soils; Extreme Temps; Flood; Hailstorm; Landslides; Lightning; Pandemic; Winter Storms; Subsidence; Tornado; Wildfire; Windstorm | Goals 2; 3; Lifelines COM, ENG, FWS, HAZ, H&M, S&S, TRN | TBD Jefferson County Emergency Management, Jefferson County Planning & Zoning, Jefferson County Open Space, Participating Agencies | Unknown Staff time | High | 2021 | New in 2021. Was not implemented after last HMP update. |
| Jefferson County 30 | Drainage and Flood Control Improvement for Weaver Creek at Belleview Avenue. Replace three existing corrugated metal culvert crossings of Weaver Creek along Belleview. The existing structures were identified in the 2018 master plan as overtopping during the 10 year flood. New structures will be designed to pass the 1% chance flood. The increased capacity of the three structures will allow for emergency services and residents to use Belleview Avenue during a flood event. | Flood; | Goals 2; Lifelines TRN | Jefferson County Transportation and Engineering Mile High Flood District | More than $1,000,000 50/50 match of all project costs between Jefferson County and Mile High Flood District | High | 2023 | New in 2021. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County 31 | Drainage and Flood Control Improvement for Dutch Creek at Yukon Street. The existing corrugated metal culvert overtops by 2 feet during the 10 year flood and 3 feet during the 100 year event. This amount of overtopping makes the road impassible for emergency vehicles and local traffic during storm events. The new culvert will pass the 100 year flood to allow for vehicle access. | Flood; | Goals 2; Lifelines S&S; TRN | Jefferson County Engineering and Transportation Mile High Flood District | More than $1,000,000 50/50 split of project cost between Jefferson County and Mile High Flood District | High | 2025 | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 32 | Drainage and Flood Improvements for Leyden Creek at Croke Canal. During the 2013 floods in Colorado Leyden Creek overtopped its banks and excess spill flooded Croke Canal. This additional flow flooded homes and properties downstream of Indiana St. The proposed project would create a low flow channel for Leyden Creek under Indiana St and Croke Canal. A spillway would be installed at Croke Canal to prevent flows from entering the canal. | Flood; | Goals 2; Lifelines FWS; TRN | Jefferson County Engineering and Transportation City of Arvada, Mile High Flood District, CDOT | More than $1,000,000 Cost share between Jefferson County, City of Arvada, and Mile High Flood District. | Low | 2026 | New in 2021. |
| Jefferson County 33 | Hazard Education and Outreach. Jeffco Rangers and natural resources staff are tasked with making 350,000 in-person, in- parks educational contacts with park visitors by 2025 through the Conservation Greenprint. Many of these educational contacts include information about natural hazards such as floods, fire, winter storms, rockfall, heat stroke and stress in pets and people; and wildlife safety and awareness. | Extreme Temps; Flood; Landslides; Lightning; Severe Winter Storms; Wildfire; | Goals 1; Lifelines NA | Jeffco Parks, Jeffco Open Space, Jefferson County OEM | this cost is tied to general operations department budget | High | 350,000 contacts by 2025 | New in 2021. Will integrate with preparedness campaign. |
| Jefferson County 34 | Rockfall Hazard Advisory and Education. Design, fabricate and install bi-lingual pedestrian/hiker/climber- oriented rockfall hazard educational and advisory signs at key park locations such as Dinosaur Ridge, South Table Mountain, North Table Mountain and Clear Creek Canyon. A sign at Dinosaur | Landslides | Goals 1; Lifelines NA | Jeffco Open Space Friends of Dinosaur Ridge | Less than $10,000 department budget | High | 2025 | New in 2021. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridge alone will reach over 250,000 people annually. | ||||||||
| Jefferson County 35 | Create a county-wide clearinghouse for past, present and future wildfire mitigation efforts. Draw on Geographic Information Systems data or mapping provided by partner agencies to build collective knowledge, prioritize mitigation efforts and enhance collaboration regarding public and private land mitigation efforts. GIS data mapping is now done by Jefferson County Open Space on its land. An inventory of community mitigation efforts across Jefferson County led by different entities such as fire rescue agencies, HOAs, cities, etc. will also help expand activities into additional areas that are not currently served. For example: Home assessment programs in process Community Wildfire Protection Plans Community Wildfire Protection Implementation Plans Homeowner cost share, tax benefits and grants available | Wildfire | Goals 1,2,3; Lifelines FWS, S&S | Jeffco Wildland Risk Reduction Commission | Minimal | Medium | 2022 | New in 2021. This was a recommendation in the 2020 Jeffco Wildland Risk Reduction Task Force report. |
| Jefferson County 36 | Create, brand, maintain, and promote a one-stop webpage on reducing wildfire risk in Jefferson County. Webpage will focus on wildfire mitigation and emergency preparedness. Identify the target audience and core content with the help of the Community Education working group. Gather the best content used by the county, CSU Extension Service, Colorado State Forest Service and other resources to help populate web page. Package content as a user-friendly “toolbox” of mitigation and emergency preparedness information. | Wildfire | Goals 1,2,3; Lifelines FWS, S&S | Jeffco Wildland Risk Reduction Commission | Minimal | Medium | 2023 | New in 2021. This was a recommendation in the 2020 Jeffco Wildland Risk Reduction Task Force report. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Link to other websites focused on mitigation, wildfire prevention and emergency preparedness, etc. A number of existing web pages provide helpful models for what Jeffco’s one- stop web page could look like such as the highly- touted CAL FIRE or Rotary Wildfire Ready. Jeffco Open Space recently launched TerraSource - a web page that more broadly promotes good land stewardship, including a section on forest health and fire mitigation. Determine where this website will be housed (e.g., on TerraSource, free- standing site, etc.). Promote web page widely among fire rescue districts, HOAs, Chambers of Commerce, service club, real estate groups and others, and encourage them to share information with their distribution lists. Emphasize the value of consistent information when promoting web page. Maintain and update website regularly, tapping task force members and the Task Force Community Education Team as a source and a sounding board for new content. | ||||||||
| Jefferson County 37 | Implement residential wildfire mitigation program. Provide funding for fire districts to conduct more home assessments for wildfire mitigation. Implement a defensible space home assessment certification program. Educate HOAs and homeowners. The lead agencies would be broad so I would recommend adding the wildland fire risk reduction commission as the lead, fire districts, HOAs. Funding would be approx. $500,000. The timeframe would be 2021- 2026. | Wildfire | Goals 1,2,3; Lifelines FWS, S&S | Jeffco Wildland Risk Reduction Commission, Fire Districts, HOAs | $500,000; TBD | Medium | 2026 | New in 2021. |
| Number | Title and Description | Hazards Mitigated | Related Goals & Lifelines | Lead Agency & Partners | Cost Estimate & Potential Funding | Priority | Timeline | Status & Implementation Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County 38 | Polly Deane Reservoir Remediation. Polly Deane Reservoir located in Easton Regional Park is owned by Bergen Ditch and Reservoir Company. A man-made lake that was partially expanded in mid- 1970’s, it is located in an urban area and is normally used for storage of irrigation water used by Foothills Park and Recreation District, a major Bergen shareholder (including shares leased from JeffCo). Due to seepage below the dam discovered in spring of 2019, the Colorado Dam Safety Branch has placed a restriction on storage within the reservoir. Bergen has secured a FEMA grant for analysis and design of remedial work on the dam and that work is currently in process to be completed September 2021. Preliminary conclusion is that the toe drain system for the reservoir needs to be replaced along with a full replacement of the reservoir outlet drain, including increasing drain capacity through the outlet. The potential flood area in the event of dam failure places it in a high hazard category with loss of structures and public improvements, and potential loss of life. These improvements will allow the dam to meet or exceed current standards and for the storage restriction to be removed. | Dam Failure; Flood | Goals 1,2,3; Lifelines FWS, S&S | Bergen Ditch and Reservoir Company; Colorado Dam Safety, Jefferson County, FEMA for analysis and remedial design | $100,000 - $1,000,000; Federal, State, Local Grants; CWCB construction LOAN; assessments paid by Bergen shareholders. | High | Remedial design and cost estimate — September 2021; construction 2022 or 2023 | New in 2021. |
summarizes the above actions by hazards addressed to demonstrate that the plan addresses a broad range of identified hazards. See the Annexes for additional details on jurisdictional actions. The numbers correspond to the mitigation action number in the first column of or the corresponding table in the jurisdiction’s annex.
Table 5-4 Mitigation Actions Summarized by Hazard
| Jurisdiction | Avalanche | Cyber | Dam Failure | Drought | Earthquake | Erosion and Deposition | Expansive Soils | Extreme Temps | Flood | Hailstorm | Landslides, etc. | Lightning | Pandemic | Severe Winter Storms | Subsidence | Tornado | Wildfire | Windstorm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 8,14, 23,29 | 14,29 | 4,11,1 4,15,2 0, 23,27, 29, 38 | 14,19, 29 | 7,8,14 , 29 | 8,14, 19,23, 28,29 | 8,14, 29 | 13,14, 29,33 | 1,2,3,4,9,12, 14,17,20,23, 24,25,26,27, 28,29,30,31, 32,33,38 | 13,14, 29 | 8,14, 20,21, 23,29, 33 | 13,14, 29,33, 34 | 14,29 | 13,14,17 ,20,23,2 9,33 | 8,14, 29 | 13,14, 17,29 | 5,6,10,14,1 6, 17,18, 20,22, 23,29, 33,35, 36,37 | 13,14, 17,23, 29 |
| City of Arvada | 14 | 8,14 | 6,7,8, 9,10,1 4, 16 | 14 | 3,8,14 | 8,14 | 6,7,8, 9,14 | 1,2,5,6,7,8,9, 11,12,13,14,1 5 | 8,9,14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 4,6,7, 8,9,14 | 14 | 14 | 6,7,8, 9,10, 14,16 | 6,7,8, 9,10, 14,16 | |
| City of Edgewater | 5 | 4,5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1,2,3,5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| City of Golden | 6 | 1,2,3,4 | 5 | |||||||||||||||
| City of Lakewood | 5 | 1,3,7 | 6,7,8 | 5,6,7, 8 | 1,2,3,4,6,7 | 6,7 | 7 | 5,6,7 | 7 | 5,6,7 | ||||||||
| City of Wheat Ridge | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7,10 | 7 | 7,8 | 7 | 6,7,10 | 1,2,3,4,5,7,9 | 6,7 | 7 | 6,7 | 7 | 6,7 | 7 | 6,7 | 7 | 6,7 |
| Town of Morrison | 6,7 | 8 | 6,7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1,2,3,4,6,7,8 | 6,7 | 3 | 3 | 4,5,6, 7 | |||||||
| Arvada FPD | 1,2 | 1,2 | 1,2 | |||||||||||||||
| Elk Creek FPD | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1,2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| Evergreen FPD | 1,2,3,4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Fairmount FPD | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2,4 | 2 | 1,2 | 2 | ||||||||||
| Foothills FPD | 1,2 |
| Jurisdiction | Avalanche | Cyber | Dam Failure | Drought | Earthquake | Erosion and Deposition | Expansive Soils | Extreme Temps | Flood | Hailstorm | Landslides, etc. | Lightning | Pandemic | Severe Winter Storms | Subsidence | Tornado | Wildfire | Windstorm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee FPD | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Golden Gate FPD | 1,2,3 | |||||||||||||||||
| Indian Hills FPD | 1,2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Inter-Canyon FPD | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| North Fork FPD | 1,2,3 | |||||||||||||||||
| West Metro FPD | 1,2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Denver Water | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1,3,4 | ||||||||||||||
| Lookout Mountain Water District | 8 | 1,2,3, 5,6,7, 8,9,10 ,11 | 2,3 | 4,6,7,8,9,10 ,11 | ||||||||||||||
| Jefferson Conservation District | 1 |