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Mountain Parks open slowly, starting Sat.
Sep 21st
After historic rain and flooding that caused extensive damage to trails, trailheads and natural resources, the Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is announcing that it will open a limited number of trails in Chautauqua on Saturday, Sept. 21.
OSMP anticipates opening up more trails within the week. However, many trails in the system will require substantial rebuilding, and OSMP asks for the public’s patience as the department rebuilds and restores those trails.
Chautauqua trails that will be opened on Saturday are:
· A portion of Chautauqua trail.
· Bluebell Road to the shelter.
· Bluebell Spur
· Bluebell Mesa.
· A portion of the Ski Jump trail.
Trails will be opened from dawn to dusk on-trail only because of existing safety risks. Trails will be closed at night because of hazards not visible in the dark. All other OSMP trails remained closed under an emergency order.
“We have worked as hard as possible in the days after the storm to assess damage and safety dangers,” said Mike Patton, director of the City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks department. “We hope to re-open more trails in the next week.”
There are some potential safety risks on trails slated to be re-opened. Current risks on the trails may include rocky and gullied terrain, as well as other potential hazards associated with a major flood event. OSMP stresses that re-opened trails will not be of the same quality residents have seen in the past.
“We understand that the public is anxious to get out on the trails,” Patton said. “We know that OSMP is a place where visitors go to reduce stress. We want to express our deep appreciation for our visitors’ patience at this time.”
Patton also wanted to express his gratitude for the outpouring of offers to help rebuild trails, and restore natural areas. OSMP staff is prioritizing volunteer projects. Volunteer opportunities will be posted at osmp.org as soon as projects are identified.
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–CITY–
Boulder flood A Lyons family make the switch in schools
Sep 17th
A personal profile of a 2013 Boulder flood victim by Donna Marek
Sally Johnson, Cafe’ Manager at Barnes & Noble in Boulder, said her daughter, a
kindergardner student at Lyons Elementary, is one of several little children
moving to the old Longmont High School on Main Street due to the Lyons school’s
flood damage. Johnson said she found out about the school’s damage at 4am
on Thursday when she received an email from the school district.
Johnson’s first concern was for her daughter having to move to a
new school and not knowing other students since she has just been in school
one month. That anxiety was lessened when Johnson learned all the students
from her daughter’s class will be together.
Her daughter told her friends “My school is closed because a big huge tree
fell across the road.” “That’s all she knows,” Johnson said.
She has not told her daughter about the change of schools because she will “be asking me every five minutes
when school starts.” “I tell her she’s on break.”
The Lyons school children will be out of classes for a week.
Johnson said the school’s teacher sent an email offering to help in any way.
Johnson credits the Superintendent of the St Vrain Schools. “He did a good job being on top
of it.” She will tell her daughter the day before school starts.
Johnson said there is a meeting of all parents on Wednesday, September 18 when
other details will be made available.
Update: City of Boulder water is good; Left Hand water not so much
Sep 14th
The City of Boulder is urging increased water conservation by city water customers for several reasons as a result of the recent flooding. Water customers are asked to turn off all irrigation systems. Turf, plants and trees do not need supplemental water at this time. Run only run full loads in the clothes and dishwashers. Don’t let taps run or flush toilets unnecessarily.
The city’s Betasso Water Treatment Facility is operational and continues to deliver safe drinking water to city residents. However, due to high levels of turbidity in the Boulder Reservoir, the Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Facility is not able to treat drinking water at this time and was not brought back online as the city had planned. While the Betasso facility has the ability to deliver water to all city customers, the city does not have redundancy in water treatment with the Boulder Reservoir Water facility offline. The city is urging water customers to use water conservatively until the Boulder Reservoir facility is operational again. This will allow the city to conserve and extend water treatment resources at the Betasso facility.
Additionally, the city’s wastewater treatment facility is experiencing unprecedented flows and system anomalies. A reduction in water use will help alleviate the pressure on the wastewater collection system.
Update on the wastewater pipeline breach
Yesterday, the city announced a breach in the main wastewater pipeline that carries 90 percent of the city’s wastewater to the treatment facility. However, today’s assessment indicated that there was not a breach in the suspected location. While good news, the condition of the wastewater currently arriving at the treatment facility does indicate that there are other issues throughout the collection system. City staff continues to assess and resolve these collection system deficiencies.
Many Boulder residents have been reporting that water or sewage is backing up into their homes. In most cases, this is groundwater and floodwater, not untreated wastewater (sewage). Excess stormwater in the drainage system and saturated soils are causing groundwater and floodwater to back up into private residences. However, if residents see or smell solid waste, they should call the Emergency Call Center at 303-413-7730 and ask that the issue be reported to Public Works crews. These backups could still be the result of issues on private property, but the city would like to gather the information to determine if it indicates a system failure.
Residents with isolated groundwater and floodwater backups may stay in their homes. However, if the water is wastewater, residents should use their own discretion to determine whether or not their homes are safe to stay in. These incidents are expected to decrease as the floodwaters recede.
Note about calls from Left Hand Water District
Some City of Boulder water customers received a phone call from the Left Hand Water District announcing a boil water order. If you are a City of Boulder water customer, you do not need to boil your water. The phone call was sent to a geographic area, but there are City of Boulder water customers in that area too and some got the call inadvertently. Check your water bill to determine who your water provider is. If you are in an HOA or a multifamily or rental unit and your water bill is paid by the HOA or your landlord, ask them to confirm who provides your water.
–CITY–
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- Boulder water treatment plant
