Copy of article as it appeared in The Gazette on December 8, 2024

Fountain Creek stabilization underway near road threatened by erosion
By Mary Shinn mary.shinn@gazette.com
Dec 8, 2024

South of Colorado Springs, Fountain Creek has cut into deeply into the sandy soil, leaving a soaring bank about 50 feet high, so unstable an adjacent road has been closed since 2020.

The Fountain Creek Watershed District started work in November to stabilize the area east of Camping World and north of the Mesa Ridge Parkway exit along Interstate 25. The work is intended to stabilize the eastern bank, a vertical wall that's eroded so badly it's threatening Southmoor Drive, explained Executive Director Allison Schuch. 

But right now crews are focused on the western bank, taking out trees and other vegetation ahead of moving the river to the west so they can work on the problematic eastern side. They are expected to put in large, salvaged trees from a burn scar to help stabilize the bank, Schuch said. 

Schuch expects the work will go through the spring of next year and help slow the dramatic erosion that the area has been seeing. 

It's a step that is expected to benefit downstream water users, such as the farmers in the Arkansas Valley, she said. 

"We're playing a very vital role in protecting our creeks and our communities to ensure clean water and safer communities and resilient ecosystems," Schuch said.

This the first highly visible project for the district, she said, but it's put in 13 projects along Fountain Creek that's prevented 150,000 tons of material from eroding into the creek. 

The district relies largely on $50 million from Colorado Springs Utilities to fund projects. The funding was required by Pueblo County as part of the permit it issued to allow the construction of the Southern Delivery System, a large pipeline that brings water from Pueblo Reservoir to Colorado Springs, Schuch said.

Pueblo County wanted to see Utilities address some of the issues that sending more water down Fountain Creek would create, such as more erosion and habitat loss. The funding is set aside to for the mainstem of Fountain Creek in the southern part of the watershed, she said. 

This project is a partnership and received $600,000 from the city of Fountain, $700,000 in grant funds from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and $4.9 million from the district. 

While it looks a little messy right now from the Fountain Creek Regional Trail that runs adjacent to the site, crews expect to put in cottonwoods and willows to restore the landscape, Schuch said. Healthy, low-lying vegetation can help absorb floods, and it's a strategy she suggests to other property owners seeing problems.

The Fountain Creek Watershed District is holding a public meeting about the project from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday , Dec. 9 at the New Jerusalem Missionary Church, 5485 Alegre Drive in Fountain. 

The Fountain Creek Nature Center also has a display about the work that's open to the public. 

Contact the writer at mary.shinn@gazette.com or 719-429-9264.