Comprehensive Creek Planning Initiative

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The Comprehensive Creek Planning Initiative (CCP) was a project developed by Boulder County to address the vulnerabilities in the county’s watersheds after the 2013 Flood. The project was designed to mitigate immediate flood hazards and lay the foundation for long-term watershed recovery by developing multi-disciplinary watershed-level master plans for flood-impacted watersheds. The CCP initiative was a collaborative, inclusive process that has created a common vision for watershed recovery, flood risk reduction, and more resilient watersheds throughout our county. The CCP initiative has been instrumental in guiding Boulder County’s response to, and recovery from, the 2013 Flood. The flood significantly changed the county’s numerous watersheds, making them physically and ecologically less stable and increasing their vulnerability to future flooding. Recognizing that any action taken in the creek has impacts both upstream and downstream, Boulder County believed that a comprehensive approach across watersheds was needed to allow county residents and other stakeholders to implement watershed restoration projects in a consistent manner. The CCP initiative included multi-stakeholder coalitions and public engagement to ensure the master plans reflected the vision of the community within each watershed. After laying the groundwork for more resilient watersheds, the CCP initiative has now transitioned to the Creek Recovery and Restoration Program to continue the long-term recovery effort by seeking funding for restoration projects, overseeing project implementation, and continuing to partner and coordinate with stakeholders and residents in our community.