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<br />Existing Conditions <br /> <br />In the area upstream of the Bighline Canal, .three stormwater <br />detention ponds and a concrete-lined flood channel ha.ve been <br />constructed by the City of Aurora and have alleviated flooding <br />problems in those parts of t:he basin. At the present. time, <br />.there is no way for flows from the upper watt~rshed to cross the <br />Highline Canal. Even if there were" the construction of Lowry <br />Air Force Base nor1:h of the Canal ha" obliterated the historical <br />Westerly Creek channel. The Kelly Pond is inadequate to serve <br />the total upstream watershed. ~'he nat:u:cal WI~sterly Creek Channel <br />betwe.en 11th Avenue and Staple.ton Airpo:c1: has been almost com- <br />pletely obliterated by development and encroachment t,o t:he extent <br />that there is little or no flood plain remaining. The main channel <br />of Westerly Creek is a combination of 01)(~n channels and drainaqe <br />structures of mixed construction, with little or no capacity to <br />receive even local tributary flows. In addi.tion, since many <br />reaches of t:he Creek have not been maint,ained, the open channel <br />sections are covered with brush and lowland veget:ation. <br /> <br />At Stapleton Airport, the IDS-inch pipe and 'the natural pondinq <br />area south of the runways can only contain flood flo'"' from an <br />8-year storm event wi 1:hout overtoppinC) the runway. Along the <br />reach of Westerly Creek bet:ween S'tap.leto)l Airport and Sand Creek <br />is a 30- to 80-ft. wide open channel ~hich can contain the flood <br />flow from a 100-year storm event:. <br /> <br />-9- <br />