Colorado Silver Jackets

The Colorado Silver Jackets team is an interagency partnership dedicated to finding long-term solutions for Colorado's flood risk management.

MISSION STATEMENT

Through an intergovernmental team of State and Federal agencies, a collaborative process will:

• Facilitate strategic, integrated life-cycle mitigation actions to reduce the threat, vulnerability and consequences of floods in Colorado;
• Create or supplement a mechanism to collaboratively solve flood risk issues and recommend mitigation measures;
• Foster leveraging of available agency resources and information;
• Increase and improve flood risk communication and outreach;
• Improve upon comprehensive regional flood risk management strategies; and
• Integrate mitigation measures and recovery actions

Team Activities

Cherry Creek Outreach - May 2024

USACE hosted and participated in a May 18 public outreach event where a multi-discipline team from Omaha District

1. displayed colorful and detailed informational posters and maps illustrating the dam’s function, potential flood scenarios and community impacts, and the role of the USACE dam safety program,
2. showcased dam inspection equipment that measures dam performance and helps ensure USACE facilities provide the intended level of flood risk reduction,
3. provided a hands-on water table experience for children and adults to test floodplain modifications and observe their impacts.

Partner agencies demonstrated floodwater dangers, ways to increase flood resiliency and preparedness, impacts of waste in waterways and the importance of water quality, and the preservation of Cherry Creek history. The event pulled in approximately 70 Cherry Creek State Park visitors between 10 am and 1 pm.

Denver-area NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX news affiliates attended USACE’s media availability on May 22 at the downstream outlet structure and captured interviews with staff and footage of releases up to 1300 cfs from the outlet gates to clear accumulated sediment. Resulting prime-time broadcast, online streaming and social media coverage spread key messaging on the flush as a dam safety actions and the dam’s role in flood risk reduction.

Colorado Emerging Professionals Workshop

• Colorado Emerging Professionals Workshop Agenda 
• Client Communication: Knowing Clients Needs, How to Have Difficult Conversations, Hearing Both Sides
• Plan, Partner, and Prepare for Flooding
• Rise to Leadership and Importance of Succession Planning
• State Funding Programs and Floodplain Management in the 21st Century
• USACE Flood Risk Management Authorities

Advanced Floodplain Management Workshops

Buena Vista

• What Are Floodplains?
• Permit Considerations for Substantial Improvements
• Using Mapping Data to Regulate Development
• Floodplain Manager's Role in a Flood Disaster
• High-Water Marks Training

Berthoud

• What Are Floodplains?
• Permit Considerations for Substantial Improvements
• Green Infrastructure for Resilient Communities
• Planning for Hazards
• Floodplain Manager's Role in a Flood Disaster
• High-Water Marks Training
• Using Mapping Data to Regulate Development

Estes Park Nonstructural Assessment

A nonstructural assessment has been conducted in support of the USACE-Omaha District Silver Jackets Program, to assess the flood risk within the Town of Estes Park. The objective of this assessment was to identify the opportunity for potential nonstructural mitigation measures.

• Estes Park Nonstructural Assessment Report (pdf, 17.0 MB)

Brush & Sterling Nonstructural Assessment

A nonstructural assessment has been conducted in support of the USACE-Omaha District Silver Jackets Program, to assess the flood risk within the communities of Brush and Sterling. The objective of this assessment was to identify the opportunity for potential nonstructural mitigation measures.

• Brush_Sterling_NS_Report.pdf

Ice Jam Mitigation Workshops

• 1 - CRREL Ice Engineering Introduction.pdf
• 2 - River Ice Processes.pdf
• 3 - CO ice jams and IJDB.pdf
• 4 - Ice Jam Mitigation.pdf
• 5 - River Ice Observer Training.pdf
• Ice Jam modeling.pdf