&EPA
USDA
NRCS
-—-
'f i
EPA
908
00:2
United States -
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region 8
8EPR-EP
EPA 908-F-98-002
August 1999
United States
Department of
Agriculture
Natural Resources
Conservation
Service
The South Platte River in Colorado
s. '
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Introduction
The South Platte River
begins its journey in the
mountains of central Colo-
rado and flows northeast for 450
miles across the Great Plains to its
confluence with the North Platte
River at North Platte, Nebraska. The
"^ South Platte watershed covers more
*" than 23,000 square miles and is
r' located in parts of three states: Colo-
N rado (79 percent of the basin),
* Nebraska (15 percent of the basin),
and Wyoming (6 percent of the
basin). At its source near the Con-
tinental Divide, the river flows
through national forests, then out
onto the plains through prairie and
farmland of Colorado's northeastern
counties. The South and North Platte
Rivers join to form the Platte River,
which flows to the Missouri River.
The river is as essential today
as it was to the early human inhab-
itants who gathered along the foot-
hills and plains river corridor to hunt
and gather food. A variety of species,
including prehistoric horses,
mammoths and
bison, thrived
along the river.
Many areas along
the river are rich
with prehistorical
and historical
clues as to who
occupied the land.
The river is as essential today
as it was to early human
inhabitants who gathered
along the foothills and plains
river corridor to hunt and
gather food.
The Apache utilized the river area
until 1700. Utes occupied the area
from 1700 to 1750. Then the
Comanche were in the area from
1750 to 1820. There is also evidence
that the Arapaho and Cheyenne
moved along the river during the
19th century until settlers from the
eastern United States discovered the
pristine area in the mid-1800s.
The river valley was very
tempting to settlers, and an early
agricultural community was estab-
lished near Greeley. The settlers from
the east built a canal system that is
still the foundation for the third most
productive agricultural community
in the United States. Many prop-
erties along the South Platte have
been placed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
Structures like churches, banks,
courthouses, railroad depots,
ranches, farms and schools remain
in the river valley.
Other properties
include breweries,
saloons, forts, fur
trading posts, and
the Rainbow Arch
Bridge which was
built in 1923 near
Fort Morgan.
2
onto
d farmland of Co/0
national f°re
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History
The SouthPlatte watershed
is rich in human history; has
an abundance of spectacu-
lar scenery; and played a major role
in the development of mining,
agriculture and communities along
Colorado's Front Range. From early
people living in the area at the end
of the last Ice Age, to the growth of
modern cities and towns, and one of
the richest agricultural regions in
the United States, the watershed
continues to be a scene of change.
Some tributaries have been sites of
past mining activities in places like
Central City, Gold Hill, Caribou and
^Manhattan.
Major Stephen Long led an
expedition in 1819-1820 to explore
the Louisiana Purchase Territory,
including the source of the South
Platte. For whatever reason, he
decided not to follow the river to its
source. Instead, Long sent several of
his party to climb Pikes Peak for the
first time. The naturalists did find
many new plants and animals, but
their impression was that the plains
along the South Platte were as
barren as the deserts.
Fur forts appeared along the
river at sites such as Fort Vasquez,
Fort St. Vrain and Fort Lupton. Fur
trappers from Canada and mountain
men moving west from St. Louis
made their way up the Cache la
Poudre and other rivers searching
for beaver. Other forts sprang up
along the river in the northeastern
corner of Colorado at Fort Morgan
and Julesburg. But competition from
Bent's Fort on the Arkansas River
drove some out of business, and by
the mid-1800s, most of the forts were
abandoned. In 1858, gold was
discovered at the confluence of
Cherry Creek and the South Platte,
not far from present-day downtown
Denver. A year later, gold was dis-
covered at the confluence of Ralston
and Clear Creeks, starting the Pikes
Peak Gold Rush and the beginning
of the settlement of Colorado.
Much has changed along the
South Platte in the last 140 years
since the Long expedition. The river
and some of its tributaries have been
mined, dammed and channeled.
Cities and towns have flourished
along its banks and are home to
several million people. Rivers and
streams flowing through mountain
and plains communities are the
sources of water for domestic use,
agriculture and recreation. Most
recently, the South Platte through the
Denver metropolitan area is being
restored for natural recreational and
aesthetic values. Though changed,
the South Platte still reminds us
of the past and offers challenges
for the future.
South Platte River, 1880
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Along the South Platte and
its tributaries is some of
the most impressive
mountain and valley scenery to be
found in Colorado. The South and
Middle Fork headwaters of the
South Platte are in the Mosquito
Range. These forks flow down into
South Park, a high-altitude grass-
land, then into Antero, Spinney
Mountain and Elevenmile
reservoirs. The river
eventually flows into
Platte Canyon, and
from there into
Chatfield Reservoir.
From Chatfield, the
South Platte flows
through several com-
munities, including
Denver, then out onto
the plains through
small towns and
farms. Tributaries join
the South Platte in the
mountains and on the
plains. Many of these
tributaries begin in
national forests, wilderness areas
and a national park. The St. Vrain
River has its headwaters in the
Indian Peaks Wilderness Area and
Tributaries
in Rocky Mountain National Park.
It joins the South Platte near the site
of old Fort St. Vrain south of Greeley.
These tributaries often have colorful
names and histories, such as Cache
la Poudre, named by Canadian fur
trappers after they stored gunpow-
der along its banks in the early 1800s.
On the eastern plains are small
intermittent streams with names like
Crow, Kiowa and Pawnee Creeks.
Cheesman Dam
Cache la Poudre River, tributary of the South Platte
The watershed has endured
disastrous floods. In May 1864,
heavy rain caused 19 deaths along
Cherry Creek and the South Platte
in Denver. Heavy rains in August
1933 caused the Castlewood Dam on
Cherry Creek to break, resulting in
loss of life and property in Denver.
The Denver area was flooded again
in June 1965 from heavy rains.
Floodwater reached as far as the
lower downtown area, causing hun-
dreds of millions of dollars damage.
On the evening of July 31, 1976,
a cloudburst dumped nearly a foot
of rain in the Big
Thompson River
Canyon. More than
150 lives were lost
amid extensive
damage. High in the
Mummy Range in
Rocky Mountain
National Park, Lawn
Lake Dam failed on
July 15, 1982. Fall
River, a tributary of
the Big Thompson,
carried a wall of
water through the
town of Estes Park,
causing damage of
$30 million. On July 28,1997, Colo-
rado State University, in the path of
a flood from a 10-inch cloudburst on
a small tributary, sustained more
than $100 million in damages.
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Water Diversion
Canal in Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District
Water users in the
South Platte watershed
.nclude cities, indus-
tries, farmers and ranchers, and
individual households. Water is also
important to recreationists like
boaters and anglers.
And obviously, plants
and animals in their
natural habitats need
water. In order to meet
the water require-
ments of natural
ecosystems and the
growing population,
the amount of water available from
the South Platte basin must be
supplemented.
Water conservancy districts are
the primary providers of water from
the South Platte basin. They deliver
water from the basin as well as wa-
ter diverted from other watersheds.
The Northern Colorado Water Con-
servancy District is a major water
supplier in the basin. The district
serves water users 150 miles east to
west, and 65 miles north to south in
northeastern Colorado. Lands along
the South Platte and several of its
major tributaries, including the
Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson
Rivers, are in the district. Water,
including supplemental water, is
delivered to 29 cities and towns, 120
ditch companies, 60 reservoir com-
panies, and 620,000 acres of irrigated
farmland—1.5 million acres alto-
gether in Colorado's northern Front
Range and northeastern plains.
A public agency created in
1937, the Northern Colorado Water
Conservancy District's primary
function is operation of the
Colorado-Big Thompson Project.
Built during 1938 to 1957, this is the
largest transmountain diversion
project in Colorado, transferring
water from the upper Colorado
River basin to the South Platte River
basin. The project's West Slope
Collection System in the upper Colo-
rado River basin includes Lake
Granby, Willow Creek Reservoir,
Shadow Mountain Reservoir, Green
Mountain Reservoir and Grand
Lake. It can collect and deliver up to
310,000 acre-feet (an acre-foot is one
foot of water covering one acre) of
water annually. Water is transported
under Rocky Mountain National
Park through the 13-mile-long
Alva B. Adams Tunnel, and
delivered by the project's East Slope
Storage and Distribution System.
5
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Mining
Seekers of fortune rushed
to the South Platte basin
in 1859. Gold that could
be washed out of sand and
gravel in streams was found
near the present site of Idaho
Springs in January 1859. The
discovery of gold in rock
veins came just east of
present-day Central City in
May 1859. With its abundant
water supply for sluices and
water wheels, Black Hawk
quickly became the milling
center for gold ore mined. At
first, primitive crushers were
used, but these soon gave
way to stamp mills where
hammers pounded the ore
into fine particles. Lastly, the
gold was chemically sepa-
rated with mercury. By 1864,
the rich surface ores began to
play out, and the deeper
mines were yielding more
complex sulfide ores. The
simple stamp mills could
recover only a fraction of the gold
from these ores.
Smelting at high tempera-
tures provided a solution.
Successful smelting began in 1868
and the industry was revitalized. In
1872, the Colorado Central narrow-
gauge railroad line ran through
mining towns. A tramway railway
even smaller than the narrow-gauge
was extended to Central City in
1878, making it easier and cheaper
Miners, late 1800s—Courtesy Colorado Historical Society
for the mines in the surrounding
hills to get their ore to the mills.
The economic boom was an
environmental disaster. Streams
Clear Creek Canyon connecting
Black Hawk with Denver. Coal was
shipped to the smelters and mills
along Clear Creek, and supplies
and mining waste. Trees were cut
down for miles around for timber-
ing mine shafts and fueling engines,
mills and smelters. This made
the narrow gulch subject to
periodic flooding, eventually
raising the level of Central
City's Gregory Street by a full
story in some places. Toxic
fumes produced by coal dust
and sulfur refining were
dangerous and unsightly. The
crashing stamp mills
and screaming steam loco-
motives made for intolerable
noise levels.
The 4 Vi-mile Argo
Tunnel was built to intersect
the largest underground
veins in the district, but the
tunnel facilitated draining
more than mining. Acid mine
drainage from the tunnel,
along with drainage from
many other mines in the area,
polluted Clear Creek, now
a drinking water source
for more than 250,000 people.
The pollution of the Clear Creek
basin resulted in specific sites in
the area undergoing a Superfund
cleanup.
were shipped to the growing were polluted by human, animal
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Agriculture
Agriculture accounts for about 37 percent of the land use in the South Platte River basin. Essentially all of this acreage is located in the plains east of the
Rocky Mountains.
Agriculture is vital to
Colorado and the nation.
It is of major importance
in the South Platte basin. Agriculture
accounts for about 37 percent of the
land use in the South Platte River
basin. Essentially all of this acreage
is located in the plains east of the
Rocky Mountains. The total amount
of land in crops in the basin is about
4.1 million acres. Of this, about 1.4
million acres are irrigated, 1.6 mil-
lion acres are non-irrigated, and the
remainder is partially irrigated.
Corn, hay, dry beans, and
barley represent the major irrigated
crops in the basin. Winter wheat
is the major non-irrigated crop
grown in the basin, and in terms
of acres harvested, represents the
most important crop grown in the
basin.
In addition to field-crop
production, cattle and hog feeding
operations represent large agricul-
tural interests. There are approxi-
mately 298 cattle feeding operations
in the basin and around 95 hog
operations. Other livestock opera-
tions found in the South Platte River
basin include lambs, chickens,
turkeys, and exotics such as bison.
">
South P'a1
'"'fare
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Fish and wildlife
resources in the South
Finite watershed are
among the most out-
standing in the nation.
The allure of Colorado
encompasses many aspects
of the state's natural
resources and recreational oppor-
tunities. Fish and
wildlife resources
in the South
Platte watershed
are among the
most outstanding
in the nation.
Great differences
in elevation cause
wide varieties of
wildlife habitats,
which provide
diverse plant and
animal species.
In the moun-
tain areas of the
watershed, mule
deer, elk, black
bear, mountain
lions, bighorn
sheep, mountain
goats, snowshoe
hares, bobcats,
ground and tree
squirrels, mar-
mots, beaver, and other smaller
mammal species are prevalent.
The foothills and plains—and
especially the plains riparian areas—
are home to rabbits, coyotes, prong-
horn, white-tailed deer, foxes,
prairie dogs, raccoons
and muskrats, plus other
small mammals.
Birds that occupy
the South Platte water-
shed, either year-round
or seasonally, include
bald and golden eagles;
Wih
ospreys; numerous species of hawks,
falcons and owls; a variety of ducks,
geese, grouse, prairie chickens,
herons, cranes, pelicans, rails,
plovers and doves; and many
species of songbirds.
The importance of wetlands,
both in the mountains and on the
prairies, is reflected in the wide
range of plants and animals that
flourish in these essential habitats.
Aquatic wildlife is diverse and
important in the watershed. The
native greenback cutthroat trout
is recovering from the brink of
extinction and is now the Colorado
Prairie Chicken
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life
Greenback Cutthroat Trout
state fish. Other trout
include rainbow, brown
and brook. Mountain
whitefish are found in
many streams. Bass, blue-
gill, catfish, crappie, carp,
muskie and pike have been
introduced to warm-water
ponds and reservoirs in the
watershed.
Wildlife in the South
Platte basin is important
simply by existing. It
also offers recreational
opportunities, from watching and
photographing, to fishing and hunt-
ing. The Colorado Division of
Wildlife has designated numerous
viewing areas across the basin,
and also owns and manages many
state wildlife areas for recreation.
Public lands managed by the USDA
Forest Service, Bureau of Land
Management and National Park
Service are available to all.
Elephantella
Wild Basin willows in Rocky Mountain National Park
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Enhancing recreational areas, open space and wildlife areas along the river are major priorities for local urban governments.
The South Platte River is
vital to the quality of life in
the Denver metropolitan
area. For many years the river was a
place to dispose of waste. Now the
South Platte is an important amenity.
From Chatfield Dam to Denver's
southern boundary, the river is
bordered largely by open space, and
then by suburban Littleton, Sheridan
and Englewood. In the 10-mile
Denver stretch, 300,000 people live
within a mile of the river's banks.
As the river moves into Adams
County, there is a concentration of
commerce and industry, then farm-
land. Most of this 20-mile corridor
is publicly owned.
Enhancing and maintaining
recreational areas, open space and
wildlife areas along the river are
major priorities for local urban
governments. The South Platte
•greenway now extends 25 con-
tinuous miles from Chatfield Dam
well into Adams County. Many
tributary trail connections, including
the 70.^.
trails along Cherry Creek, Bear
Creek, Highline Canal and Sand
Creek make this one of the best
greenway systems in the U.S. The
Denver Water Department manages
a streamflow program in the sum-
mer months to improve rafting,
kayaking and fishing. Metro area
jurisdictions are improving water
quality to enhance fishing and
recreation. Open space and wildlife
habitats along the river have been
expanded, with many areas
revegetated with native species.
300
000
Denver Urb
*"
tft/n
banks. As the
Of the
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Confluence Park
an Corridor
The South Platte greenway now
extends 25 continuous miles from
Chatfield Dam well into Adams
County. Many tributary trail con-
nections make this one of the best
greenway systems in the country.
This cleaner, more scenic
and enjoyable river front
is a primary catalyst for
economic growth. In Denver's
central Platte valley, the 1.56-mile
riverfront is a focal point for new
housing and commercial develop-
ment. The 29-acre Commons Park,
built on reclaimed industrial land
along the river, is the centerpiece of
the 6-million-square-foot Commons
Neighborhood. This area boasts a
world-class fresh- and salt-water
- County, ffy
(0S «>«
aquarium. Upstream of Denver,
economic development has resulted
in restaurants, an amusement park,
two golf courses, a regional display
garden, residences and office
buildings, and relocated commercial
enterprises adjacent to the river.
Partnering is an essential
component to open space acquisi-
tion and economic growth. The
Greenway Foundation led initial
efforts to enhance the river corridor.
Under Denver's South Platte River
Commission, public entities have
developed strong networks of local,
state and federal agencies and non-
profit and private interest groups.
Local governments, including South
Suburban Parks and Recreation
District, City and County of Denver,
and Adams County, provide leader-
ship in managing the natural
character of the 20-mile-long urban
river corridor.
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c°ncenfratio" °f
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fy.
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Acknowledgments
We wish to acknowledge contributions from the following:
City and County of Denver
Colorado Historical Society
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District
Petra Barnes, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Rob Henneke, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Paul D. Mclver, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Lee Shanklin, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Wyn-Nelle 'White, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
&EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Ecosystem Protection and Remediation
999 18th Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
(303) 312-6236
www.epa.gov / regionS
USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
655 Parfet Street, Room E200C
Lakewood, Colorado 80215-5505
(303) 236-2886
www.co.nrcs.usda.gov
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