Kayaking down Fountain Creek? It could be part of the re-imagined look for Colorado Springs creeks (Denver: fit in)

[Vision67]

https://gazette.com/news/kayaking-do...12d046fe7.html

"A privately funded group wants to re-envision how residents could gather along and play in Monument and Fountain creeks near downtown Colorado Springs.

A new year-long planning effort to write the Fountain Creek Watershed Vision and Implementation Plan will be funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies and will focus on Monument Creek from the Popcycle Bridge in Monument Valley Park to its confluence with Fountain Creek at Cimarron Street and then focus on the Fountain Creek until it reaches at Dorchester Park near South Tejon Street.

The plan would outline how to improve the greenway's ecosystem, recreation potential, development opportunity and infrastructure, said Chris Lieber, with NES Inc., a company working on the project.

The planning effort along about 7 miles of waterways is expected to be more holistic than planning efforts in the past and will help shape the future of the corridor as the Martin Drake Power Plant is set to be decommissioned by 2023, he said. Most of the property included in the study is publicly owned, he said.

"These kinds of opportunities are almost once in a generation to put a big vision on the table," Lieber said.

The Greenway Foundation, a Denver-based nonprofit, expects to help lead the project and hopes to recreate some of the same success it had along the South Platte River and Cherry Creek, said Jeff Shoemaker, executive director. The South Platte River had seven dump sites along it as well as problems with raw sewage and paint pollution, he said. Now it draws people to kayak, fish and go tubing.

The problems facing Monument and Fountain creeks, such as sedimentation, make them look like "candyland" compared to the conditions along the South Platte River, he said.

"Fountain Creek is just an absolutely untapped jewel in terms of its potential," Shoemaker said.

The plan will identify five or six projects that could be completed along the waterway and as well as funding sources, he said. The planners expect to work with funders over the next year to ensure they support the ideas, he said.

If the projects can draw more people to the creeks it will naturally make the areas feel safer, he said. Tracts along Fountain Creek, in particular, have been a hotspot for homeless campers for years.

"Eyes and ears on your waterway is your first step," he said.

The planners expect to work closely with the city on plans for the creeks, because features to control stormwater can also serve recreation and the ecosystem, Shoemaker said.

The city is already planning a few projects in or near that area, including one in Fountain Creek next to the Drake power plant, that could fit into the new plan, said Richard Mulledy, Stormwater Enterprise manager for the city.

The city's stormwater control projects have shifted over the last 15 to 20 years from hard structures, such as concrete channels, to more natural features, like streamside willows and areas where the water will naturally pool, he said. Where possible, the city stormwater features can draw residents down to the creek, such as large streamside boulders, he said.

The city's focus on rebuilding more natural creeks, is a welcome change for Dave Leinweber, owner of Anglers Covey Fly Fishing Shop. He remembers when the creeks were treated more like drainage ditches and culverts. He expects improving the 7 miles of waterway will be challenging, especially because of sedimentation, but it could be a great recreational area, he said.

"Wouldn’t it be great 10 years from now if people could go flyfish that creek?" said Leinwber, chair of Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance.

Planners expect to involve residents in the new plan, but opportunities for input haven't been announced."

[otowi]

In my mind it is a must-do, but one with a lot of work to be done to get there. The Platte River in Denver and perhaps the Arkansas in Pueblo are some good models to look to.

[TCHP]

Sounds like a neat idea but certainly will require a fair amount of work to maintain flow control through our wide range of water availability and weather events.

Then there are the proliferation of homeless and their camps that have existed for decades along this stretch and are a low probability of disappearing in spite of this effort because of the proximity of shelters to this area of the watershed.

[otowi]

https://gazette.com/news/colorado-sp...ceda41cc1.html


Overgrown invasive trees and trash that once dominated an 18-acre parcel near Pikes Peak Avenue and South Academy Boulevard have largely been cleared away in recent weeks as Colorado Springs city crews prepare to put in new wetlands.

The lot looks more like a construction site following several weeks of work by crews who removed 200 tons of trash, but this is just a first step in a project expected to take about two years and cost several million dollars to restore the site to a more natural state. The work will slow down stormwater and help improve water quality before it flows downstream, said Richard Mulledy, Stormwater Enterprise manager.

The city will need to change the topography of the property, in part because Spring Creek and a tributary have cut deep ravines across the lot, and plant new native vegetation, including willows and cottonwoods for new wetlands, he said. The creeks themselves could see new boulders and structures to help slow the water down, he said.

Colorado Springs could spend $45 million to settle EPA lawsuit
"I think it's a gem. ... It's unpolished, it's pretty raw, but it has amazing potential," Mulledy said.

In southeastern Colorado Springs, few large undevelopable properties remain, and once restored the parcel could provide a welcoming open space for the neighborhood, he said. The Stormwater Enterprise is working with the parks department on potential trail connections to the property, he said.

The wetlands could improve stormwater quality by removing nutrients from the water, such as nitrogen, that flow in from yard fertilizers and contribute to algae blooms that can kill off wildlife. Wetland plants, such as cattails and bulrushes, can also remove heavy metal particulates from the water and keep them from flowing downstream, he said.

"It's hard to treat stormwater. ... so really our best tool is wetlands and wetland species," Mulledy said.

The project is one of hundreds the city has done over the last five years to improve stormwater quality after years of not properly funding infrastructure. The neglect of the stormwater system led to the city recently agreeing to spend $45 million on projects to settle a lawsuit brought by the Environmental Protection Agency, Pueblo County and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District.

Colorado Springs stormwater fee increases approved
The Colorado Springs City Council approved an increase to monthly stormwater fees set to take effect in July to help cover the cost of those projects. Residential fees will go up from $7 per month to $8 per month over three years.

The project near Pikes Peak Avenue could see some of that funding as it takes shape in the coming years. The recent work to clean up the property and remove trees cost about $100,000 and the full restoration of wetlands could take $2 to $3 million, Mulledy said.

New vegetation could start going in at the end of the summer or next spring, but in the mean time city staff and volunteers will be able to keep the area cleaner because they have better access to the property, Mulledy said. Previously, the dense Russian olive and Siberian elm trees prevented equipment from accessing the property, he said. The trees were also water hogs and needed to be removed.

He expects vegetation will regenerate quickly across the property and potentially provide natural habitat for birds and other wildlife.

Contact the writer at mary.shinn@gazette.com or (719) 429-9264.