Fountain Creek Task Force Our Vision

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Fountain Creek Task ForceOur Vision

• June/July 2007

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Presentation Outline

• Creek Chronicle
• Historic Efforts
• Fountain Creek Vision Beginnings
• Task Force Goals
• Visioning Groups Efforts
• Potential Solutions

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Fountain Creek Watershed Chronicle

• 927-square mile watershed
• Counties (3) El Paso, Teller Pueblo Counties
• Municipalities (8) Colorado Springs, Pueblo,
  Fountain, Manitou Springs, Green Mountain Falls,
  Woodland Park, Palmer Lake, Monument
• Palmer Divide to the north
• Pikes Peak to the west
• Minor divide 20 miles east of CS
• Drains to the Arkansas River in Pueblo to the
  South

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Fountain Creek Watershed Chronicle

• The area is characterized by
• large elevation changes
• extremes in temperature precipitation
• flashy rain events
• highly erosive soils
• These result in
• erosion
• sedimentation
• flooding

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Fountain Creek Watershed Chronicle Development
Accelerates Instability

• Causes
• Population growth
• Increased Impervious Surfaces
• Increased Stormwater Runoff
• Flood plain encroachment
• Creek restraint
• Increased Wastewater Discharges

• Effects
• Streambank erosion
• Sedimentation
• Flooding
• Property loss
• Infrastructure Damage
• Water quality

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Fountain Creek Historic Efforts

• Concerns by multiple entities since the 1970s
• Multiple organizations and working groups have
  worked to address concerns
• FC Watershed Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
• Watershed Plan (2001)
• Corps Watershed Study (2003-2008?)

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Fountain Creek Historic Efforts

• Corps Watershed Study (3 M)
• Supported by 3 counties, 8 local governments,
  local area councils of governments, and state
  federal agencies
• Purpose
• Evaluate common concerns
• Provide framework for efforts to mitigate concerns

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Fountain Creek Vision Beginnings

• Local political leaders (3rd 4th Quarter 2006)
• Public Forum on FC by Federal reps from Colorado
  August 2006
• Crown Jewel Report
• Public Forum on FC by local political leaders
  October 2006
• FC Vision Task Force December 2006 (now over
  300 participants!)
• FC Working Groups 2007

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Fountain Creek VisionMission Elements

• turn the Fountain Creek Watershed into a
  regional asset that adds values to our
  communities
• create a healthy waterway with appropriate
  erosion, sedimentation, and flooding that
  supports diverse economic, environmental, and
  recreational interests
• it is our responsibility to educate the public

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Fountain Creek Vision Groups Subteams

• Task Force
• Consensus Committee / Watershed Authority
• Outreach
• Water Quantity
• Water Quality / Stormwater
• Environmental Land Use / Wetland
• Ad Hoc Finance

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Fountain Creek Vision Task Force

• 300 diverse members
• Provides course correction to working groups
• Meets quarterly

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Fountain Creek Vision Consensus Committee

• Governing body
• Evaluates working group efforts recommendations
• Determines courses of action
• Watershed Authority Subteam
• Investigating possibilities for regional
  watershed organization

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Fountain Creek Vision Outreach

• Outreach goals
• Communicate among FC Vision groups
• Provide public feedback
• Raise public awareness
• Promote public involvement
• Seek public support

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Fountain Creek Vision Outreach

• Fact sheets are being developed for each issue of
  concern
• Separate each issue into a bucket
• Not of concern or fix is underway
• Fix identified, funding and/or coordination is
  needed
• Needs more data or evaluation to develop fix
  potential
• Cannot realistically/economically be addressed

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Fountain Creek Vision Water Quantity

• Top issues of concern
• Impervious surface
• Sediment transport
• Water rights
• Southern Delivery System
• Return flows

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Fountain Creek Vision Water Quality

• Top issues of concern
• E. coli
• Stormwater
• Selenium
• Emerging Contaminants
• Stormwater Subteam
• Looking for regional solutions

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Fountain Creek Vision Environmental Land Use

• Top issues of concern
• Planning Urban Development
• Recreation
• Trails open space
• State park
• Wetlands
• Wetland Subteam
• Evaluating how to use wetlands to mitigate FC
  issues

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Fountain Creek Vision Ad Hoc Finance

• Funding to date for facilitation
• 46K raised locally
• 75K grant from Arkansas Basin Roundtable
• More funding will be needed for next steps

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Fountain Creek Vision Potential Solutions

• Fountain Creek Corridor Master Plan
• Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District
  Colorado Springs Utilities
• 600K over 2 years to develop a Plan associated
  Implementation Strategy
• Aligns with FC Vision Work Corps Study

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Fountain Creek Vision Potential Solutions

• Corridor improvements/ amenities
• Wetlands
• Recreational opportunities
• Outreach programs
• Raise awareness
• Promote public involvement
• Seek support
• Regional regulations (e.g. stormwater related)
• Watershed Organization

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Keep Updated and/or Get Involved!

• Web site www.fountain-crk.org link is at bottom
  left of this web page
• To get emails on upcoming events refer to this
  link or get on our mailing list email your
  contact information to
• nkoszalka_at_keystone.org

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