Design and Construction Program Notes
by
David W. Lloyd, P.E., Chief, Design and Construction Program

The year 2000 was another busy year for the District’s Design and Construction Program and saw us committing over $6 million to design and construction projects by year-end. Most of this funding has gone toward the construction of several new projects as well as the continuation of projects started in past years. Design and Construction currently has in excess of 90 active projects in varying stages from design through construction. Because of this continuing increase in active projects, the Design and Construction Program hopes to have a new project engineer on board in early 2001 to assist Paul and me with this workload.

A number of projects were constructed this past year in the City of Aurora which had been many years in the planning and design process. Modifications to the Exposition Park detention pond were near complete by the end of 2000. This state jurisdictional dam was retrofitted with a new spillway and outlet works, eliminating the old outlet system which discharged into the Denver High Line Canal, costing the City of Aurora several thousand dollars in fees each year. Aurora Parks will complete the project in 2001 with the revegetation of the newly graded park.

Meadowood Channel improvements were also near complete by year-end. This 6,000-foot reach of channel between Quincy and Hampden was reconstructed with a number of drop structures and a maintenance access path. A developer originally constructed the channel several years ago with grouted riprap drop structures, which had been slowly deteriorating over the years.

The Jewell Wetlands detention pond was constructed in 2000 along Upper Westerly Creek in Aurora. This added detention will supplement existing detention downstream at Utah Park. The 700 foot long embankment, along

with grade control structures in the reach of channel upstream of the embankment, will help maintain ground water levels necessary to support the existing wetlands in this area.

The District partnered with Highlands Ranch Metropolitan Districts this year in the construction of a number of grade control structures along Dad Clark Gulch and Marcy Gulch in Highlands Ranch. One project of note, which is currently under construction, involves the use of soil cement in a number of drop structures along Marcy Gulch. We hope to continue the construction of these soil cement drops in 2001.

Improvements along Ralston Creek near its confluence with Clear Creek were completed this year in conjunction with a new bridge structure at 56^th Avenue. The City of Arvada hopes to construct park improvements along this stretch of Ralston Creek, which is historically known as the site where gold was first discovered in Colorado. For several years this site was the home of a mobile home park consisting of about 90 units which had experienced frequent flooding. The District had previously cooperated with the City of Arvada in the purchase of this property and the relocation of the mobile homes.

Another project outside the norm of typical channel improvements was the Lakewood Gulch project between Quail and Oak Streets in cooperation with the drop structures containing architectural features consistent with the industrial theme of the surrounding area were constructed, along with a number of sculptures with the same theme.

The Shaw Heights Tributary project in Westminster was completed in late 2000. This project involved construction of a new crossing at 80^th downstream of 80^th. This project will eliminate the frequent flooding that has occurred over the years to several businesses along 80^th Avenue.

The year 2001 looks to be very busy with funding identified in the 5-Year Capital Improvement Program for 50 new or existing projects.

Grade control structures were built to resemble natural rock outcroppings at Grange Hall Creek in Northglenn.	Tight quarters require massive structural elements along Goose Creek in Boulder.
A grouted sloping boulder drop structure on Cherry Creek upstream from Cherry Street in Glendale.	A bike path crossing structure under Sheridan Blvd. in Westminster provides additional flood carrying capacity for Little Dry Creek.

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