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.
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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