Lefthand Creek project to reduce flood danger

Dick and Vivian Compton, of Longmont, talk to City of Longmont civil engineer Nick Wolfrum, right, about the Lefthand Creek drainage project Thursday. The $5 million project is expected to start in August and be completed in about eight months. Nissa LaPoint photo.

The city of Longmont’s plans to cap flood danger spurred questions and protests from local residents concerned about its impact to the environment around Lefthand Creek.

Residents of the Southmoor Park neighborhood gathered Thursday night at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church to question the necessity of removing 169 trees around the creek in order to expand the channel and reduce the risk of area flooding, according to the city.

The approximately $5 million project, funded by the 2007 Storm Drainage Bond approved by Longmont voters, is intended to reduce destruction in the event of a 100-year flood, according to city officials.

Lefthand Creek has flooded in the past — once in 1969 and twice in 1995 — causing damage to area homes and forcing residents to hold flood insurance, said Curtis Ansel, project manager for Longmont.

After an extensive study, the city decided the channel should be altered to lower the elevation of the current 100-year flood plain. This project is expected to take about 185 homes in the Southmoor Park neighborhood out of the flood danger zone, Ansel said.

For some residents, removing the trees is a small price to pay.

“To me, my house is worth more than a tree,” said Dick Compton, who lives within the 100-year flood plain area.

Construction crews will increase the water capacity of the channel in part by making it wider and building larger bridges. This includes adding a pedestrian underpass and other improvements from Main Street to Pike Road, according to the city.

Construction will require moving a majority of the trees along the channel.

“We would have to remove the trees just to increase water capacity” in the channel, said Joe Juergensen, project manager for the Muller Engineering Company. Some trees deeply embedded in the channel would also interfere with the hydraulics, he said.

During the meeting, Cecelia Siebrecht said she thinks the decision the remove trees should be weighed carefully.

“I think every tree in Colorado is extremely valuable,” Siebrecht said. “I think they should go ahead with the project but just think about the wider impact.”

After construction is completed, Ansel said native trees will be planted above and away from the channel.

“It’s not going to be a sterile environment,” he said.

The time to comment on this project has been extended to May 30.
Construction is expected to start no later than August this year and take about eight months to complete.

“Overall, it will be a good improvement except for the hauling of our 100-year-old trees,” said Steve Lary, a resident of Southmoor Park.

Further information or concerns can be addressed to Curtis Ansel at 303-651-8310 or curtis.ansel@ci.longmont.co.us.

Email: nissa@longmontledger.com