Colorado Springs awarded $300k grant for Black Canyon Quarry reclamation project

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services (PRCS) Department has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) through its Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF).

According to the city, the grant will be used for the reclamation and revegetation of the Black Canyon Quarry property, also known as the Snyder Quarry, located west of Garden of the Gods Park, bordering the Cedar Heights Community Association.

The city said the project scope includes extensive earthwork and revegetation efforts aimed at environmentally reclaiming the quarry site, which fulfills a key condition of its purchase. The work will also include grading, earth moving, surface compaction, reseeding, and erosion control, as well as implementing effective stormwater management practices.

According to the city, the Black Canyon Quarry Open Space property was acquired in September 2020 with funding from the Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOPS) sales tax program. In the future, following the reclamation work, the more than 150 acres of open space will undergo a master planning process with opportunities for public input on future use and development, the city said.