General Information
The Boxelder Creek Watershed is a vast, relatively undeveloped part of northeastern Larimer County. The drainage basins in this watershed cover approximately 260 square miles and extend from extreme southeastern Wyoming into southeast Fort Collins with flooding continuing extending past Timnath toward the southeast. The Lower Boxelder Valley is irrigated and it contains some of the best agricultural land in the County.
The Lower Boxelder Basin, close to I-25, has developed into an agribusiness and agri-research corridor which includes a major brewery, the Colorado State University Horticultural Research Center, and the Colorado State University Agricultural Research, Development, and Educational Center.
The entire Town of Wellington and a sizeable portion of the City of Fort Collins are included in the Lower Boxelder Basin. The lower, southerly portion of the Basin is more urbanized and is impacted by many existing man-made structures such as streets and buildings.
Manager's Corner
BOXELDER STORMWATER AUTHORITY
NEW MANAGER
I am pleased to introduce Pinnacle Consulting Group Inc. as the new manager of the Boxelder Basin Regional Stormwater Authority as of March 24, 2012. We are excited to assume this new role and look forward to tackling the issues facing the Authority. We are already engaging in the Eastside Storage Project and negotiations with the Town of Timnath. As the construction of the regional improvements at Coal Creek and Clark Reservoir wrap up in the next few weeks we look forward to working with Larimer County and Ayres& Associates on the development of the required submittals to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). There is much to learn but we have a well-qualified team that look forward to moving forward. Feel free to check out our website at www.pinnacleconsultinggroupinc.com to find out more about our firm. I personally can be reached at 970-669-3611 or via email at stanm@pinnacleconsultinggroupinc.com
I look forward to working with all constituents and interested parties in the coming months.
Sincerely
Stan A Myers P.E., Manager
Welcome
SEE HOW THE IMPROVEMENTS WILL WORK!
Did you know that by clicking on How it Works on the top of this page, you can view a moving graphic illustration of how the Authority Improvements will work? Try it!
The Boxelder Stormwater Authority is a new and separate entity created in accordance with Colorado Revised Statute 29-1-203 by intergovernmental agreement (IGA), dated August 20, 2008, among Larimer County, the City of Fort Collins, and the Town of Wellington.
Authority Responsibility - The Authority is responsible for the implementation (including design, construction, operations and maintenance) of regional improvements of the adopted Boxelder Stormwater Master Plan. The improvements have a total estimated cost of $ 10.5 million and include:
- Adding floodwater capacity to an existing water storage facility (Clark Reservoir)
- Construction of a new stormwater detention facility (called East Side Floodwater Storage Facility), and
- Middle Basin Improvements to direct floodwater away from the westerly flood flowpath
The improvements will reduce the hazard of flooding to many existing houses, two schools, several government buildings and many commercial buildings located in the Lower Boxelder Community. Many commercial buildings near the intersection of State Highway 14 and Interstate Highway 25 are subject to flooding and will no longer be subject to flood damages as well. While reducing the potential for damage benefits the owners of the respective properties, the community will also benefit from the increased economic vitality of these areas. FEMA rules require owners of properties located in flood hazard areas to purchase flood insurance if they are financed by a Federally regulated institution. FEMA also requires local governments to enact land use restrictions in flood hazard areas so that additional improvements will not be put at risk. Owners who are freed from the burdens of flood insurance and land use regulation will be more inclined and enabled to put money into their properties. This will benefit the community by increasing property values.
Public safety is a concern in times of flooding, and emergency response providers are required to respond to private and public needs. Sanitary sewers may become hydraulically overloaded due to interception of floodwater causing backup of raw sewage into homes and businesses. The reduction in flood hazard brought about by the planned improvements will benefit the Lower Boxelder Community by reducing the demand on emergency response resources when a flood occurs.