Comment Submitted by Dan Bare, City of Colorado Springs

We are in the process of accrediting a levee that does not seem to fit the typical conditions described in the new procedures. The original, natural floodplain that the levee now contains flowed in different direction. The alignment of the levee is not along the alignment of the original natural floodplain. The levee was constructed not to limit the extent of the flooding along the natural floodplain, but to completely divert flood flows in another direction completely out of the natural drainage basin into another drainage basin. So in this situation, how would the area identified in the proposed rule as the "natural valley floodplain" be delineated? Also, the diverted flow contained by the levee goes through another drainage basin where there no significant floodplain, but is now at a potential risk if the levee fails. This area would probably not be considered part of the "natural valley floodplain", but the land downstream of the levee is now what the levee is protecting. How would this area be designated with or without the levee being accredited?