Trends Winter 2016 | Page 12

Multiple entities unite to address floodwater capacity in northern Colorado By Jennifer Schmidt F lood control. It’s not something that’s exactly top of mind for most people until they’re faced with a flood, but preparing for and potentially preventing the damaging effects of flood waters is something that stormwater planners with the Boxelder Basin Regional Stormwater Authority take extremely seriously. The 1,800-acre-foot East Side Stormwater Detention Facility in northern Colorado functions as a major flood control facility for the region and serves as a critical component of these efforts. 12│TRENDS When the Authority was looking to update its stormwater plans and reduce possible damages along flood-prone Boxelder Creek, they turned to Ayres Associates to help them handle the surplus stormwater and prevent it from spilling into inappropriate locations – possibly damaging property, injuring the public, and flooding structures in its wake. “The primary goal was to provide life safety and reduce the risk of flooding along Boxelder Creek and Cooper Slough,” according to Ken Sampley, Water Utilities