FLOOD04002

• County: Jefferson
• Community: Golden, Jefferson County
• Stream Name: Clear Creek
• Basin: South Platte
• Title: Major Drainageway Plan - Clear Creek: Youngfield Through Golden
• Date: 2/1/1982
• Prepared For: UDFCD
• Prepared By: Wright-Mclaughlin Engineers
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Floodplain Report/Masterplan

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The CI ear Cre~~ corr idor has Oeen design<l.ted oy the Region III Development
Plan for Parb, Recre~U2!.!.-and Open Space as part of tne Regional Trail
system. In addition to connecting the planned Soutn Platte Rlver trail
sy<. tern to the Jefferson Coun ~y tr ail sys tern, the Cl ear Cree~ corr idor tr a i I
system will also connect tne existing and prop.osed Ralston Creek trail
system to the net..or,-

CLEAR CREEK PARK, RECREAT10N AND OPEN SPACE PLANNING
Waterways, stream corridors and floodplains have received increasing em-
phasis for multiple-use open space and recreation in recent years. Policies
and programs at the nat i ona 1, state and 1 OC all eve 1 s of government h~ve re-
cognized the benefic ial uses of open sp~ce and recre~tional activit ies along
streams and floodplains. Recreational use potential of the Clear Creek cor-
ridor has been recognized by the Color~do Division of Highways, the Colorado
Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, the Denver Regional Council of
Governments, Adams County, Jefferson County. and the cities of Wheat Ridge
and Golden. Several programs and plans have been developed to make use of
the Clear Creek corridor for recreation and open space purposes.

~ional BiKeway System
The Cl ear Creek corridor is designated as pa~t of the Regional Bi Keway
System for the Denver Metropolitan !lrea. Inedesignated Regional Bikeway
System extends from the Platte River confluence of Clear Creek. west to
Youngfield. A spur of the system extendS northwest along the Ralston-Leyden
Creek corridor. The Cdlorado Oiv ision of Highways. in co~junction wi th the
co~struction of 1.76, is compl et ing a pedestr ian/bike trail along CI ear
Creek from Wdds..orth to 1-25. Tn is trai 1 wi II connect the ex isting ~heat
Ridge trail system with the trail system along the SoutnPlatte River.

The Region III Development Plan for Parks, Recreation and Open Space was
prepared for the Oenvermetropolitan area by the Oenver Regional Council of
Governments in March, 1977. 1he plan, for 1980 and the yea~ 2000 was pre-
pared in order to identify those areas within the Denver metropolitan region
that should be acquired and deoeloped by public and privateagenci estopro-
vide needed parK, outdoor recreation and open spac~ opportunities.

III tne C I ear C~ eek St udy area. Jefferson Co un t.l' h as proposed to ex tend the
eXlsting trail from Youngfield Stred dlong an dlignment which ..ould
p<lrallel West 3211d Av~ue dnll then folIo.. tne Welch Ditch into Golden. Tne
C Hy of Go I den is interested in the tit i 1 i lat ion of the Cl ea~ Cr eek co~~ idor
for a pedestnan/oike trdi I whiCh ~ould be ~xtended along Tucke~ Gul cn. Tne
opportunity exists for dpedestrian/bicycletraillinkbetween the (;ltyOT
Golden and Oenv,"r and oth,"~ lKlints in tll," Regional Trail and Bikeway 5yst~.
Tne C1 ty of Go lden Park and Rec~eat ion Maste~ 1'1 an is current Iy under
dev el Op"~"nt by the CHy's P I ann ing [lepar tment. It shoul d be noted tha t tne
growtn and develo~ent policies ~ec0rm1ended by the Golden City Council and
Planning Commission emp~dsiz~ tll.. preservatIOn of floodplain areas for op~n
sp~~e and p~rk~ (Refprf"nCf" 36):

1n addition to being a regional plan, the B3D Plan represents the Region
!1! ::X:1~onent of the C')lor~do Statew1d" Comp~"npnsive Outdoor Recreat ion
Plan (SCOR?) whiCh was developed bytne Colorado Division of Park s and Out-
door Recreation. The Clear Creek corridor is an important element of tne
iiegiorlIII and Colorado statewide ploln.

H.egionallrailSystem
As a result of the lH5 and 1976 outdoor recreation facility need identifi-
Cdt ion process, the desire for trai I tac llltles was e~pressed oy a major i 1y
of the eight counties within the region. Tne activity identified as
"hi ~ i ng: on tra i 1 s", was projected to tie the most important outdoor recrea-
tion need for 1~80. Tnis d~TIand for a coordinated system of regional trails
woul d serve the needS of the h i ke~ and ho~ seback r id"r as we 11 as the snow-
shoer and sd tou~er during the winter rr.onths.

o Natural lands of localsi9nificance, nighlyvi>ible hillsides, unIque
1 and forms, significant vegetation a~eJS command ing v ie..s, drainage
J~e"s or hal' 1 ng other s i 9 n 1 f \C dnci' to the comm~(l i t.l' SnO'Jlil be he 1 d as
open space_