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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Lower Big Dry Creek Hydrologic Study 1.0 INTRODUCTION Since the Big Dry Creek Watershed Association (BDCW A) began meeting in 1997, landowners in the lower portion of the watershed in Weld and Adams Counties have raised concerns about increased erosion, higher flows in the creek and more frequent flooding along Big Dry Creek. The storm events during the summer of 2004 heightened these concerns regarding current and future flow conditions. As a result, the BDCW A has sponsored this study to answer questions regarding Big Dry Creek's current and expected future hydrology and to identify potential solutions to landowner problems. Funding for this study has been provided to the BDCW A from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the cities of Broomfield, Westminster and Thornton and Weld County. This report summarizes the findings of the study, addressing the following questions: . How has the hydrology in Big Dry Creek changed over the last 10-15 years? . How are flows in Big Dry Creek expected to change in the future and will conditions worsen? . What role do base flows play in downstream erosion and how will base flows change in the future? . What are the upstream cities doing to manage stormwater and how well are these measures working? . How are communities in Colorado and other parts of the country managing stormwater and problems similar to those on Big Dry Creek? . What can be done to better manage flows i.n Big Dry Creek? . What approaches should be used to mitigate existing problems? To answer these questions, Wright Water Engineers (WWE) conducted visits to the properties of landowners who have raised concerns, reviewed available hydrologic data for the watershed, held 971-179.092 June 2005 Page 10 Wright Water Engineers, Inc.