Federal funds will help repair Cottonwood Creek erosion, prevent damage to utilities and substation
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A creek that runs through northeastern Colorado Springs could be getting much-needed repairs soon, as severe erosion over time has led to utility lines being at risk of exposure, and the integrity of a nearby electrical substation.
Cottonwood Creek flows east to west, from around North Powers Boulevard to Interstate 25 near Mark Dabling Road, where it connects with Dry Creek. A section of Cottonwood Creek, near Frank Costello Park along Potomac Road, is now in the sights of city stormwater management for major repairs that will cost millions.
The City of Colorado Springs says that they just got word last week that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding will finally be coming their way, to help launch the project for the specific portion of the creek. The city says that repairs of that scale would normally cost about $10 million dollars, which is about the same amount the city's stormwater budget totals per year.
They say thanks to the FEMA funds, this erosion mitigation project will only cost about $1 million dollars.
Their goal is to put in concrete "stairs" of sorts, throughout the creek-bed, to create a natural-looking path for the water to cascade. Paired with the stairs, is technology that takes the energy out of the water once it falls down to lower ground, to prevent the speed of the water traveling and the usual erosion over time.
Erosion along the portion of the creek near Frank Costello Park is quite noticeable, with a large cavernous-looking wall having been chipped away, along with other visible erosion along the creek's path. Just up the hill from that erosion is an electrical substation, which the city would like to protect.
City officials also point out that just a bit further upstream is a cluster of utility lines buried underground from Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) that is now just a few feet away from exposure, should the creek keep eroding away the dirt and soil. One more bad rainstorm, like the ones seen in June and July of 2023, could very well speed that process up.
The city says that they've already got their design plans figured out, so they can begin work in January of 2025, and expect the project to take about 18 months.
The city says that residents should know that $1 million of their Stormwater fees that they pay in their bills, is hard at work with this project, which is long overdue, as the city has been applying for federal funds since 2018.
