Dozens of public officials, engineers and developers are meeting today to discuss stemming the flow of pollutants into Cherry Creek, the scenic waterway that drains the region’s fastest- growing communities.
“Even with all the development that’s occurred in the lower portion of the watershed, it’s still a pretty nice creek,” said Jim Dederick, an environmental planner for Douglas County.
The watershed stretches 50 miles southeast from the creek’s confluence with the South Platte River in Denver.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that “water quality in … (Cherry Creek Reservoir) has been seriously degraded from nutrient and sediment impacts due to population growth.”
The chief culprit, phosphorous, occurs naturally in the region’s soils and gets stirred up by development, agriculture and other human causes.
The result: more algae blooms, lower water quality and fewer fish and birds to help attract 1.5 million visitors a year to Cherry Creek State Park, which surrounds the reservoir.
The flow of phosphorous into Cherry Creek Reservoir has more than doubled in the past 13 years – from 5,857 pounds in 1992 to 12,512 pounds last year, according to the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority.
Local governments have tightened rules on wastewater treatment, septic tanks and other development to prolong the Cherry Creek basin’s health.
But the law should be the minimum standard, said Bill Ruzzo, a Lakewood civil engineer who will speak at today’s meeting.
“We’re going to need to do better than what we’ve been doing,” he said. “That’s not saying people haven’t been doing their part, but it means that as better information and better practices come along, there’s more we can do and should do.”
Most developers in the region seem willing to work on solutions, said Casey Davenhill, the watershed coordinator for Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners, a volunteer organization putting on today’s forum in Aurora.
“I think developers are starting to realize the importance of the watershed, that it should be protected not only for a healthy environment but also because there are advantages to having open spaces and trails and protecting streams.”
Staff writer Joey Bunch can be reached at 303-820-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com.
