Major drainage channel in Security-Widefield crumbling for years; owner of property unclear

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Many people in Security-Widefield say they're tired of seeing a deteriorating concrete drainage channel that has been in poor condition for years -- if not decades -- and may contribute to flash flooding after rainstorms.

The channel flows south along the length of Security-Widefield, just southeast of Colorado Springs. It's bordered by Security and Widefield boulevards to the east, and railroad tracks and Highway 85-87 to the west.

The worst section appears to be south of Fontaine Boulevard, where concrete slabs have broken off the banks and fallen into the channel along with other debris.

The exposed banks are eroding into the channel and the entire situation worsens every time it rains, residents say.

"I live two blocks away and flash flooding gets halfway into my yard," said Joseph Avila, a longtime homeowner. "I feel like the condition of the channel has something to do with it. Maybe it doesn't drain well and overflows because of the debris or because it's not large enough to do what it needs to do."

Robert Robinson, another longtime resident, agrees.

"They did some repairs on the northern section of the channel a few years ago," he said. "Why that didn't carry over down to here, I don't know. But it certainly is an eyesore."

Late Tuesday afternoon, county officials revealed that they don't own the channel -- or the property it flows through -- leaving the matter of ownership and maintenance responsibility unclear.

"That's astounding," said a nearby business owner who asked not to be identified. "A lot of people here are going to be surprised to hear that. We've always been calling the county to complain about it. Repairing the channel won't be cheap for whomever owns it."

A Safelite Auto Glass shop along the channel is right on the edge of it, more so than any other businesses or homes, and is in danger of collapsing into it eventually.

"We've had two floods through here," said Robert Foster, the shop manager. "It takes away the dirt line behind the building.  Every time it rains, it goes up.  This debris is pretty much all new.  It came from somewhere up north.  It actually wasn't this bad when we moved in."

Many residents say debris in the creek increased significantly after flash flooding from a storm last week.