FLOOD10420

• County: Adams
• County: Broomfield
• County: Weld
• Community: Broomfield, Westminster and Thornton
• Stream Name: Lower Big Dry Creek
• Title: Lower Big Dry Creek Hydrology Study
• Date: 6/1/2005
• Prepared For: Big Dry Creek Watershed Association
• Prepared By: Wright Water Engineers, Inc.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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Lower Big Dry ~reek Hydrologic Study

7.2.1 Fountain Creek Watershed I

The Fountain Creek Watershed is located within the Arkansas River Basin and encompasses all
or portions of eight municipalities includin4 Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Green Monntain Falls,
Fountain, Manitou Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake and Woodland Park, and three counties
including E1 Paso, Pueblo and Teller. There are over 500,000 residents within these boundaries

and 927 square miles of diverse terrain draining to a common point of discharge, the Fountain
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Creek mouth, located on the Arkansas River in Pueblo (the southern boundary of the watershed).
Due to the regional extent and diverse charJcteristics of the watershed, a coordinated plan was
needed to mitigate long-standing problems a1sociated with flooding, sedimentation and erosion.
These problems have caused washed out rolds and bridges, eroded creek beds and banks, and
ruptured sewer lines. To reduce these probleks in the future, stakeholders recognized that sound
planning was needed from a regional persJective (Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments
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The Fountain Creek Watershed Plan, comb1eted in November 2003, was the initial step in
developing a comprehensive understanding olfthe Fountain Creek watershed by providing a data
inventory and assessment of existing prob1e~s and issues. All eleven local governments in the
Fountain Creek watershed and state and fedbral agencies were involved in the development of
this plan. It represents a major regional step towards a coordinated and cooperative approach to
find solutions and reduce damage to roads, irrigation structures, utilities, homes, and county and
city infrastructure. Conclusions presented iJ the Fountain Creek plan (pikes Peak Area Council
of Governments 2003) that are conceptually rblevant to Big Dry Creek include:

. Multiple factors are responsible fO~ the erosion, sedimentation and flooding
problems in the Fountain Creek Watershed. Many of these factors are related to
the population growth that has occu~red in the watershed in the past fifteen to
twenty years. Population growth hak caused an increase in impervious surface
area, increase in wastewater treat,hent plant discharges, and an increase in
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importation of transbasin water. qSGS studies have shown that increases in
streamflow during low flows are primarily a result of increased wastewater
treatment plant discharge, importatibn of trans basin water, and management of
the Fountain Creek transbasin returnJtzow exchange decree.

2003).

971-179.092
June 2005

Wright Wite, Eng;n..,., 'nc.

Pa.ge 53