Posted on: December 2nd, 2014

Comprehensive Creek Planning Initiative Update

Boulder County’s Comprehensive Creek Planning Initiative (CCP) is helping the county move forward with long-term creek recovery by initiating watershed-level master planning processes throughout the county. The master planning process is an open and collaborative effort among public agencies, property owners, ditch companies, stakeholders, and the public. Please visit www.BoulderCountyCreekPlan.org to learn more.

The Home Stretch: Plans Complete for Several Watersheds in Boulder County

Thanks to the hard work of the consultant teams, coalition partners, and community, many of the watershed master plans are nearing completion. Using best available science, the creek plans provide information about the current conditions of the county’s watersheds and will serve as a road map for long-term creek restoration. Plans will be available before the end of the year for:

 

• Fourmile Creek
• Left Hand Creek
• Little Thompson River
• St. Vrain Creek
• Upper Coal Creek

 

Community engagement has been an essential part of  each master plan. There were 15 public meetings held during the development of the St. Vrain Creek, Left Hand Creek, and Fourmile Creek master plans. Over 500 people attended and provided comments. Additional input was provided by phone, by email, and during site visits. This input was used, along with the technical analysis, to formulate the recommendations in each plan.

 

The master plans were funded by a grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and Boulder County. The Boulder County Commissioners will consider adoption of the master plans in early 2015.

 

Funding & Project Implementation

The master plans are a significant step for long-term resilience building. They articulate a vision for each watershed, recommend environmentally-oriented projects for creek rehabilitation, and establish next steps for other flood recovery activities. Projects recommended by the plans could be completed by individual property owners, groups of neighbors, or as cooperative efforts with the County and other agencies.

Implementation of the projects identified in the plan will depend on funding, as the majority of them are unfunded. Some projects may be eligible for grant funding and others may need to be privately funded. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has provided $25 million of Community Development Block Grant- Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds statewide for recovery of watersheds that were impacted by the September 2013 flood. The CWCB will issue the first round of applications for these funds in January 2015. Boulder County will likely be applying for these funds and will be seeking other sources of funding as well.

Contact Stacey Proctor at 303-441-1107 or sproctor@nullbouldercounty.org if you would like to participate in discussions about project implementation and funding.  

 

Other Master Plan Updates

Planning will continue into 2015 for other flood-impacted drainages in the Boulder Creek watershed:

Fourmile Canyon Creek–

• Restoration recommendations for Fourmile Canyon Creek will be completed in conjunction with the road design for Wagonwheel Gap Road. The analysis in this area will be similar to the analysis conducted for the other master plans in the County.

 

Boulder Creek (Lower Reaches)–

• ICON Engineering, Inc. is the consultant selected to complete the master plan for Boulder Creek from the confluence with Fourmile Creek to the confluence with St. Vrain Creek.
• Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD) is leading the study. For more information, visit the UDFCD website or call 303-455-6277.

 

For more information, please visit www.BoulderCountyCreekPlan.org or contact Stacey Proctor, 303-441-1107.