DENVER – FEMA has provided a $2,981,770 grant to the City of Colorado Springs. The city will use the funds for a project to minimize flood damage caused by Cottonwood Creek.
The project will pay for bank stabilization of Cottonwood Creek. This will help to stop erosion that is widening the creek bed and cutting into the banks of the creek. The erosion threatens a Colorado Springs Utilities infrastructure, Woodmen Road, and a pedestrian trail. The project will be designed to protect against a 100-year event. It uses established engineering practices, including bioengineering, to provide sustainable and cost-effective protection.
FEMA is providing 75 percent of the total project cost of $3,975,694. Funding comes from the agency’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program. The program helps states, U.S. territories, federally recognized tribes, and local communities complete projects that minimize the threat of future disasters. It also seeks to build community resilience and reduce overall risk to people and structures from future hazard events. This may reduce the need for federal funding in future disasters.
Learn more about FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program at https://www.fema.gov/pre-disaster-mitigation-grant-program.