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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the 12-foot high Union Avenue dam in 1985. This dam is part of the channelization project of the South Platte River beginning upstream of Columbine Valley and extending downstream to near the confluence with Bear Creek. This dam was required to maintain historic river gradients and to provide for the City of Englewood municipal diversion at the old Petersburg Ditch headgate immediately downstream of Union Avenue. Since 1975, recreational boating on the South Platte River has become a major activity. In addition, inspection and maintenance of the South Platte River channel using on-river means is expected to become more important in the future. The existing Union Avenue dam is a special hazard to boaters because of the magnitude and abruptness of the drop in the river flow. Hydraulic characteristics at the base of the dam are deceiving to boaters. A roller-like condition exists there during most conditions of flow which tend to trap boaters in an undertow. As a result, it was concluded by local, state, and federal agencies that a boat chute bypass at the Union Avenue dam would be desirable. This report represents the results of an engineering investigation concerning the feasibility of the Union A venue boating by-pass structure. OBJECTIVES A list of objectives (standards) against which various alternatives for the proposed boat chute structure could be measured was necessary to ensure that the proposed design would fully meet the needs of the public and agenCies involved. u 2 UI II W w 2 ffi 2 w II W ~ ~ l- I !l! II ~