On its surface, Sloan’s Lake is a beautiful oasis that offers a refuge from city life. Part of one of the largest parks in Denver, it features glistening water, mountain views and plenty of paved paths to walk a dog, catch up with a friend or train for a race.
But just beneath its gentle waves is a murky, sometimes smelly truth.
The northwest Denver lake is slowly filling in with stormwater sludge. The surprisingly shallow water is often quite warm, making it a difficult environment for fish to survive and an easy place for dangerous algae blooms to thrive. If the accumulating muck isn’t addressed soon, the lake is at risk of becoming fully stagnant and bereft of life.
On Wednesday, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston stood alongside members of the City Council and advocates for the lake’s future to announce a plan to invest tens of millions of dollars to prevent that from happening.
“A lake that used to be 12 feet deep is in some places only 4 feet deep. It affects the lake’s health. It affects algae blooms. It affects our most beloved events,” Johnston said from the lake’s shore. “We think there’s nothing more important for the long-term health of this neighborhood than to support the long-term health of this lake.”
To raise more money for the cleanup effort, Johnston’s administration will ask the Denver Urban Renewal Authority to add the lake to a nearby urban renewal district south of the park. That would allow it to benefit from money raised through an already-approved tax incentive in the area.
If the DURA board and the City Council give their OK, the city could be reimbursed for up to $40 million in spending on the lake. That would mean significant headway for the project, which has been estimated to cost at least $130 million overall.
Denver officials also plan to use $5 million that voters approved as part of the 2025 Vibrant Denver bond package and $5 million from the city’s Wastewater Management enterprise fund, bringing the total investment to $50 million.
Challenge of a shallow lake
The 177-acre lake, which plays host to the annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, is only 3 feet deep on average. The decreasing depth has forced the popular festival, which was held last weekend, to reschedule in years past when the lake’s condition posed safety and health concerns.
Swaths of neighborhoods in Denver, Edgewater, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge drain into the lake, bringing sand, sediment and street crud. Over time, that has built up and begun filling in the bottom of the lake.
The cleanup project will include dredging sediment out of the bottom of the lake and disposing of it. Crews will also work on ways to prevent more sediment from building up in the lake.
Kurt Weaver, the executive director of , asked the community to keep advocating for the project throughout the entire construction process to ensure it’s completed.
“To be able to have an opportunity to write a new future for the lake is massive for us, the community around it and everyone who spends time here at the lake,” he said.
Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval, who represents the district that includes Sloan’s Lake, spoke in support of the initiative during the news conference. She said a cleanup has been included in city plans since at least 2002.
“This is a realization of what happens when a community refuses to stop advocating,” she said.
Councilwoman Jamie Torres, whose west Denver district is just south of Sloan’s Lake, spoke about the significance of the park for the surrounding community.
“(This) is a gem for everyone on this side of the highway,” she said of Interstate 25. “We don’t have many parks of this size.”
Next steps
In 2013, the Denver Urban Renewal Authority approved , which is the area between North Perry and Stuart streets and West Colfax and 17th avenues.
The financing tool, referred to as “TIF,” allows developers to be reimbursed for elements of projects when they agree to build in a blighted area that would otherwise be too costly to develop. The money comes from the growth in taxes tied to property as its value rises from redevelopment.
In the 32-acre urban renewal area, TIF has helped build projects including the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, The Raleigh at Sloan’s Lake apartment complex and Vida at Sloan’s, a Denver Housing Authority building for seniors and people with disabilities. The Sloan’s Lake restoration would be the next project the city takes on using the benefits of the urban renewal district.
“Our ability to think creatively in a time where sales tax dollars are not increasing — we’re struggling with a budget economically … is incredibly innovative,” Torres said.
DURA’s board is set to vote on the proposal during its meeting later this month. If it’s approved, the council will consider it next. Then, the city will work with the Army Corps of Engineers on the project design, which is expected to take several months.
Construction is estimated to begin in 2027. Design and construction are expected to last about two and a half years.
Parks and Recreation executive director Jolon Clark said he hoped to be able to keep as much of the park open as possible during the process. While the lake itself wouldn’t need to be drained, some parts of it may need to be divided from the rest to complete work there.
The ultimate goal after the project will be for visitors to be able to safely paddleboard and boat on the lake, he added, but not necessarily to swim — which has a much higher water quality standard.
