South Platte River Initiative
South Platte River Urban Restoration Project
The South Platte River Initiative has been working with the United States Army Corps. Of Engineers (USACE) to complete a final 1-mile stretch of the river, from just below the Bronco Bridge to just south of 8th Ave. This project has been divided into two parts: The Colfax Reach (approximately from the Bronco Bridge to the Lakewood Gulch outfall) and the Denver County Reach (approximately from the Lakewood Gulch outfall to 8th Ave.).
The Colfax Reach of the project was substantially completed in March of 2002. This section of the river has been completely reworked to improve flood control and low-flow channel capacities. Numerous riparian enhancements have also been added to either bank of the South Platte as part of this cooperative effort between the City, the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD), the USACE and the Greenway Foundation.
The Planning, Engineering and Design (P.E.D) for the Denver County Reach project began in October 2002. This phase of the project will be complete in July of 2003.
Meanwhile, the City is in the process of acquiring necessary rights of way and utility relocations for the project. This portion of the project will remove the Xcel fabridam at 13th Ave. Xcel will be able to obtain the necessary water to run the plant via infiltration galleries to be installed in the river bottom. Riverbank improvement similar to the Colfax Reach will also be undertaken.