Boxelder project riles area residents

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Debate continues on whether Indian Creek east of Wellington could be overburdened with floodwaters rerouted by the Boxelder Regional Stormwater Improvement Project.

A property owner along the creek, Elizabeth Kaufman, has hired a Windsor law firm to challenge conclusions of the project's engineers. Kaufman contends the idea that Indian Creek can adequately carry floodwater to a proposed new Edson Reservoir southeast of Wellington is not substantiated by adequate engineering studies.

The potential floodwater would come from Boxelder Creek and Coal Creek on the west side of Interstate 25 via the Inlet Canal to an enlarged Clark Reservoir, located east of I-25. The reservoir's outlet is called the Cowan Lateral, which joins with Indian Creek.

"Basically they're flushing the toilet west to east," Kaufman said of the stormwater project.

In a July 16 letter to Larimer County, the Boxelder Stormwater Authority and other agencies, Kaufman's water lawyers said there are "serious legal and engineering issues that must be addressed if the project is to proceed."

They further contend that none of the federal and state agencies that reviewed the project considered the potential impacts on Indian Creek residents, and the project should be stopped pending a complete review.

The Boxelder stormwater project has been in the works for several years, with Larimer County, Wellington and Fort Collins cooperating to find a way to remove federal floodplain designation from numerous properties in Wellington and along the I-25 corridor. The three governments formed a stormwater authority to oversee the project and received a federal grant of nearly $3 million to build Phase I.

Kaufman learned in June that one idea called for building a diversion gate on her horse ranch to bring outlet water into Indian Creek – an idea she opposes.

"You can't just pick any creek bed and shoot it down there," she said.

In response, Larimer County engineer Mark Peterson said his staff will meet again with residents along Indian Creek to review how the project may or may not affect their property.

Peterson said after further study he remains convinced that the Boxelder project will not increase flow rates in Indian Creek from what they are historically or add risk to property along its banks.

"We see peak discharges at Indian Creek going down, not up," said Martina Wilkinson, a civil engineer with the county.

The project still has to undergo further study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It's our intent to demonstrate the project doesn't adversely affect downstream property," Peterson said.

FEMA has 90 days to finish its review. The county's goal is to seek construction bids in January.