Camp Creek Drainage Improvement

Department:

Stormwater Enterprise

Mike Chaves, Project Manager

2016

Construciton of naturalistic channel stabilization structures, shaping banks, and planting vegetation along portions of Camp Creek through Garden of the Gods and Rock Ledge Ranch.

June to December 2019

Construction of Garden of the Gods flood mitigation facility - A stormwater detention and sedimentation pond will be constructed at the north end of Garden of the Gods Park.

November/December 2019

Additional channel stabilization in Rock Ledge Ranch

TBD

Construction of a wider and more naturalistic channel in the median of 31st street along with replacement of aged and hydraulically inadequate culverts with larger structures.

Complete

About Camp Creek

Key elements of the plan

The Camp Creek Drainage Improvement plan consists of several major projects.

Garden of the Gods Flood Mitigation Facility

A stormwater detention and sedimentation pond was completed in summer 2020. It was constructed to replace a temporary sedimentation pond at the north end of Garden of the Gods Park. The overall view of Garden of the Gods from the visitor's center was not be significantly impacted by the addition of the detention and sedimentation pond.

Channel Stabilization

This element of the project includes constructing naturalistic channel stabilization structures, shaping banks, and planting vegetation along portions of Camp Creek through Garden of the Gods and Rock Ledge Ranch. This stabilization will reduce the potential for erosion along the creek as well as the potential for deposition of sediment downstream.

Completed in 2016 - Channel Stabilization through the Garden of the Gods and some of Rock Ledge Ranch.
Completed January 2020 - Additional channel stabilization work at the south end of Rock Ledge Ranch near the chapel. Due to negative impacts associated with the re-alignment of Camp Creek, the channel was stabilized along its existing alignment and the Foothills Trail and pedestrian bridge were relocated to accomodate improvements.

31st Street Drainage Corridor

This element of the project includes construction of a wider and more naturalistic channel in the median of 31st street along with replacement of aged and hydraulically inadequate culverts with larger structures. This work will also require replacement of the existing roadway and sidewalk improvements. A paved extension of the Foot Hills Trail will be included in the new channel section. This project has been designed and plans will be completed and the project will be constructed as funding becomes available. Due to the high overall cost, the 31st Street corridor reconstruction, will likely be accomplished in several phases.

Additional Projects

Replacement of the Camp Creek Bridge and widening the pavement at Gateway Road: To be designed and constructed in the future when funding is secured.

Background

The Waldo Canyon fire in 2012 burned a large percentage of the Camp Creek watershed resulting in larger and more frequent water flows into the creek, leading to increased erosion. Runoff from significant rainstorms in 2015 caused further, serious erosion along the creek.

In the fall of 2013, the City of Colorado Springs launched the Camp Creek Drainage Improvement Project to thoughtfully plan short-term and long-term solutions to protect the Camp Creek corridor from flooding and erosion to improve public safety. Through an eight-month planning process in 2013-14 involving approximately 250 residents, the City, project consultants, and the community worked together to come up with solutions that are both technically sound and responsive to community needs and values.

This multi-phase Camp Creek Drainage Improvement Project includes naturalistic channel stabilization, stormwater detention to reduce flood flows, sediment and debris impacting the area and the eventual reconstruction of drainage infrastructure along the 31^st Street corridor to include a more naturalistic channel with capacity to convey the 100-year flood.

When all phases are complete efforts expected to remove all but approximately 30 properties of the more than 200 properties currently in the 100-year floodplain.

Public Outreach

Background:

Camp Creek flows southward from the Navigators campus through Garden of the Gods Park and along 31^stStreet in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood. Since the Waldo Canyon Fire, rainfall events have produced greater amounts of sediment and debris loads and have increased stormwater runoff in Camp Creek. These factors make the already aging and deteriorating channel along 31^stStreet even more susceptible to flooding and damage.

The city has selected the consulting firm Wilson and Company to lead community meetings and perform analysis on the drainage basin to develop alternatives and a preferred course of action for construction of flood mitigation structures/facilities.