Newsletter #9
FISH CREEK
July 27, 2015
ESTES PARK, LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO
Public Infrastructure Project
Schedule for Utility Work
Utility repairs are wrapping up at the last few construction
sites along Fish Creek Road. The contractor, KRS
Swerdfeger, has had four crews working against difficult
conditions to meet an aggressive schedule. Double the
average precipitation in May and exceptionally high stream
flow in Fish Creek through all of June caused several
schedule setbacks. Substantial completion of utility work is
currently scheduled for the middle of September, weather
permitting, including utility installation and restoration
of portions of the road that were removed to facilitate
construction. A few weeks of clean-up and landscaping
along the corridor will take place in late September and
early October, but this work should be less obtrusive and
impacts to traffic and other activities along Fish Creek Road
are expected to be minimal.
When will construction begin on Phase 2 – Road and
Trail?
The original Phase 2 construction schedule assumed that no
additional right-of-way would be required to construct the
roads and trails. After a careful public design process, it was
determined that right-of-way acquisition is required in order
to design the safest and most resilient road and trail system
within the budget. There will be no full parcels acquired and
no displacements of residences or businesses as a result
of right-of-way acquisition; however, because of federal
funding, there is a comprehensive federal process that
must be followed. This process has mandated timeframes
for specific tasks such as notice of intent of the proposed
acquisition, the valuation process to determine the value
of the proposed acquisition area, and the offer to purchase
and negotiate on the parcel. This process has pushed
groundbreaking on the road and trail from late 2015 into the
spring of 2016.
Have the environmental studies been completed?
Yes, the NEPA document, which is a Programmatic
Environmental Assessment (PEA), has been completed.
The PEA provides an assessment of the expected
environmental impacts associated with a project. The
assessment concluded with a finding of “no significant
impact” to environmental resources in the study area. Once
FHWA signs off on the PEA, right of way acquisition will
commence. This activity is anticipated to take up to____
months and will need to be complete before construction of
Phase 2 Roads and Trails can commence.
What elements are included in Phase 2 of the Fish
Creek Public Infrastructure Project?
The project is limited to addressing areas where flooding
impacted existing infrastructure, including roads, trails,
and utilities. The project also includes upgrades to protect
against future floods. Project limits, in some instances,
extend beyond the immediate damage sites. For example,
installation of box culverts often results in additional
improvements, such as raising the road profile and paving
along local access roads so as to accommodate the culvert.
Will the creek be restored as part of this
infrastructure project?
Yes and no. As dictated by funding sources, the Fish Creek
Public Infrastructure Project is not a creek or habitat
restoration project, but in certain locations resiliency
improvements to the creek have been included because
they provide additional protection to road and trail
infrastructure. This occurs only in two locations. One
Fish Creek Public Infrastructure Project
location is south of Scott Avenue, where vegetated terraces
are being installed. Vegetated terraces create floodplain
capacity, aid in habitat restoration, and protect the
wastewater utilities located in the area. Vegetated terraces
will also be installed along the trail near the golf course.
Improvements to over 1,000 feet of the creek helped reduce
the need for retaining walls while increasing protection for
both Fish Creek Road and the trail.
And that is why the answer is both yes and no. The project
will result in over 2,000 linear feet of work within the creek,
but that still leaves miles of Fish Creek in need of additional
restoration.
How will additional creek restoration occur?
Additional restoration efforts will be independent of the
public infrastructure project. The Fish Creek Coalition of
residents generated a watershed-level master plan for
Fish Creek. The plan provides a long-term implementable
vision for recovery and restoration; creates a strategy to
reduce the impact of future flooding on the Estes Park
community and its economy; develops strategies to restore
the river’s ecological health and resiliency; and makes
recommendations concerning habitat restoration, and river
channelization, relocation, and/or realignment.
The master plan does not include detailed design or
implementable construction documents for specific
May 8, 2015
recovery or restoration projects along the corridor.
Therefore, a funding source for such work would need to be
identified and each project would require property owner
involvement and permission, as well as further study. The
Fish Creek Coalition has recently merged with other Estes
Valley watershed stakeholders to form the Estes Valley
Watershed Coalition. If you’re interested in being involved
in further work related to the Fish Creek watershed, get
involved by calling...(we can ask Tina/Will for this contact
information during review).
As a reminder, materials from past public involvement
meetings and construction impacts to residents, business
owners, and visitors are posted and updated on the website
every week: http://fishcreekcorridorrepair.com/
Stay Involved and Provide Input
See the project website for additional information,
www.fishcreekcorridorrepair.com, where you can leave
comments and find contact information for project team
members should you have additional questions.