Minor flooding possible during Cherry Creek Dam flush on Wednesday
DENVER (KDVR) — Engineers will be flushing sediment out of the Cherry Creek Dam on Wednesday, meaning trails and crossings may flood.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District will conduct the annual maintenance to ensure the dam’s outlet gates are operating properly.
“These annual flushes keep the gates clear of sediment so that gates can operate reliably when needed to help reduce downstream flood risk to people and property in the Denver metropolitan area,” said Joe Maxwell, operations project manager for the USACE Tri-Lakes projects.
During Wednesday’s flush, between 150 and 1,300 cubic feet of water will be released from the dam’s five main outlet gates from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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For reference, during normal operations engineers release less than 100 cubic feet of water per second. One cubic foot of water is equal to 7.5 gallons — about the volume of a beachball.
The higher flows will take around six hours to reach the Champa Street Bridge downstream and flow from the last gate will reach the area by Wednesday evening.
During the flush, engineers urge the public not to cross or access Cherry Creek on Wednesday as flooding is possible. The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory during the maintenance.
Katie Seefus, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, told FOX31’s Andrea Henderson that the operation is critical to prevent the gates from getting stuck during heavy rain, which could lead to severe flooding.
“If the gates get stuck open that’s an issue because we might have more water than we’d like to have in the creek, and if they get stuck closed, we then have more water than we’d like in the reservoir,” Seefus said.
A large flush like this happens once every other year. Areas closer to the dam will experience flooding first, while areas further away can expect more flooding in the late afternoon and evening. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects flooding to hit Confluence Park downtown around 8 p.m. Wednesday.
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“What you’ll see is the low-lying areas around parks and golf courses, you’ll see those flooded temporarily, you’ll also see the trails where they dip down or cross over the creek those will be flooded as well,” Seefus said.
The flooding should recede by Thursday.
Denver Parks and Recreation provided alternate routes, including bike paths, to avoid Cherry Creek. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns and operates the Cherry Creek Dam in Aurora and Chatfield and Bear Creek dams in Denver.
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