Contractor: Trainor Construction Company
Contract Amount: $450,000
The Rocky Mountain Ditch and Lake Park a part of more than 100 year-old ditch watering system, meandering many miles from Golden through Denver, and ending at the Rocky Mountain Lake Park near I-70. The ditch provided water to a mainly agricultural area in the past, but over time, its users have dwindled mostly to farming in Golden. The City of Denver is considering acquiring the ditch to provide for its maintenance as it affects the homes of many citizens throughout Denver.
The ditch system runs both above and below the ground from Golden feeding Rocky Mountain Lake Park. This lake is maintained by Denver's Parks and Recreation department, who are working on improving the lake water quality and fish wildlife, one important phase of this expansive system profject.
Parks and Recreation treat the lake with copper sulfate to kill the over abundance of algae which depletes the oxygen in the water needed for the fish in the lake. After treatment, the algae floats to the surface and is eaten by the many geese there, with the geese waste contributing back to the algae growth. It is a struggle for fish in the lake, as there is not enough oxygen in the water to support them.
An over-abundance of algae in the lake is dangerous for the fish wildlife there.
New storm water pipe is built, with the ditch run-off emptying properly into Rocky Mountain Lake.
The new manhole was cast in place with over 11 yards of concrete. This junction connects the old Rocky Mountain Ditch system into the newly constructed underground storm sewer built at 46th and Grove, which ultimately ends at the Rocky Mountain Ditch Lake.
A worker installs handgrips into the wall of the new man hole built at 46th and Grove.
When finished, the manhole entrance will be covered with a 60lb. heavy metal cover to deter public access, and maintain the street surface level for traffic.
At another location in the project, the Rocky Mountain Ditch meanders through residential Denver neighborhoods. These are the two existing ditch inlets where storm water runoff improperly fills the ditch at 38th and Perry.
Some residents have used decorative landscaping to blend the ditch into their property.
The neighborhood at 38th and Perry, where the ditch water sits stagnant and fills with garbage for periods of time.
The ditch is a dangerous hazard on many levels.
More ditch issues.
Jim Potter of the Design Construction Management Team inspects the ditch near 38th and Perry for construction.
A Denver resident guards his yard with roosters.
The City of Denver has remedied this surface water runoff entering into this ditch by building new storm water inlets, which connect to a recently built underground storm water drainage system in the area. The existing inlets from the street into the ditch will be removed, and all water contained in the city's system.
This is a view of that same street once the construction remediation began.
This is the site of the existing ditch inlets, which have been removed and replaced by the City's storm system construction.
Another streew view of the construction at 38th and Perry.
One of Trainor Constructions crew helps to get perspective on the size of these storm water pipes.
The construction is complete on the 46th and Grove - Rocky Mountain Ditch portion of this project, with some minor landscaping to be performed. The 38th and Perry portion of the project is still underway, with an estimated final completion for both segments by October 29, 2001.