2024 | Colorado Contractors Association – Infrastructure Construction Excellence Award, Federal & Heavy Civil Water Project Under $10 Million Category

Niver Creek Tributary M is a two-mile long riverine system draining just over one square mile of developed land. The Niver Creek Tributary M watershed has experienced significant flooding in
recent years resulting in the overtopping of Huron Street. This flood risk resulted in the need for improvements of the channel, trail system, and associated Huron Street pedestrian underpass. At
the upstream end of the Project, improvements include additional inlets and storm sewer, and a lowering of the curb and sidewalk in the southeast corner to collect this water off the streets and direct it
into the channel, away from the homes. From Thornton Parkway to Huron Street, improvements were made to the channel to increase capacity which will reduce water depth. The lower depth will thereby
remove the floodplain from the adjacent residential structures.

These channel improvements include several design strategies such as widening the channel and maintaining more resilient, flexible floodplain plant species. This section of the channel also required multiple low water crossing designs to allow adjacent neighbors to access the trail system. The culvert improvement at Huron Street is primarily to remove flood overtopping at the street level and provide pedestrian trail connection into the Niver Open Space. The downstream side of the underpass combines a sculpted concrete drop structure with informal creek access for pedestrian visitors.