Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority

Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority
Name	Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority
Formation	1988
Type	Special district
Headquarters	Aurora, Colorado
Area served	Cherry Creek Basin

Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority is a regional special district created to protect and improve water resources in the Cherry Creek watershed in Colorado. The Authority conducts planning, implements projects, coordinates monitoring, and partners with federal, state, regional, and local entities to meet water quality goals. It works alongside municipal utilities, watershed coalitions, and conservation organizations to address stormwater, sedimentation, nutrients, and habitat in an urbanizing basin.

History

The Authority was formed in 1988 following sustained debates among municipal leaders in Aurora, Colorado, Denver, Colorado, and Douglas County, Colorado over deteriorating conditions in Cherry Creek Reservoir and downstream reaches of Cherry Creek. Early actions were influenced by regulatory drivers such as the Clean Water Act and by regional planning efforts involving the South Platte River Basin. Initial watershed planning incorporated studies from agencies including the United States Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the Authority implemented capital projects that reflected recommendations from basin plans, while coordinating with entities such as the Denver Water and the Arvada, Colorado utilities to respond to increasing urban runoff and nutrient loading.

Organization and Governance

The Authority is governed by a board comprising appointed representatives from member jurisdictions including Aurora, Colorado, Denver, Colorado, Douglas County, Colorado, and special districts such as water and sanitation districts in the basin. Its structure resembles other regional entities like the South Platte Regional Water Authority and incorporates technical advisory committees that include staff from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Colorado State University Extension, and local municipal public works departments. The board sets policy, approves budgets, and authorizes capital projects in coordination with intergovernmental agreements among member municipalities and districts, reflecting precedents set by entities such as the Denver Regional Council of Governments.

Watershed and Service Area

The Authority’s jurisdiction covers the Cherry Creek watershed, which drains portions of Arapahoe County, Colorado, Douglas County, Colorado, and the urban cores of Aurora, Colorado and southeast Denver, Colorado. The basin includes key features such as Cherry Creek Reservoir, Cherry Creek State Park, and tributaries that feed into the South Platte River. Land uses range from suburban neighborhoods and commercial corridors to agricultural tracts and open-space preserves managed by agencies like the Colorado Open Lands and the Trust for Public Land. The watershed intersects major transportation corridors including Interstate 225 and Interstate 25, which influence stormwater runoff patterns and sediment transport.

Water Quality Programs and Projects

The Authority implements Best Management Practices (BMPs) and structural projects to reduce sediment, nutrients, and bacteria loading to Cherry Creek and the reservoir. Notable initiatives include retrofits of detention basins, streambank stabilization projects, and constructed wetland installations developed in cooperation with engineers from firms experienced with projects for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grants. Projects often follow guidance from the Colorado Nutrient Management Strategy and align with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) actions adopted under the Clean Water Act. The Authority has also coordinated with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the The Nature Conservancy to design restoration projects that provide habitat benefits for aquatic species and migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Monitoring, Data, and Research

Comprehensive monitoring programs track water chemistry, flow, sediment, and biological condition across the basin with sampling protocols developed in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey, Colorado State University, and municipal laboratory partners. Data support modeling efforts using tools common to watershed science such as the EPA’s watershed models and hydrologic analyses conducted by consultants with experience on South Platte River studies. Research partnerships have produced assessments of nutrient sources, stormwater pulse dynamics, and sediment budgets that inform adaptive management and project prioritization, and the Authority contributes data to state reporting efforts coordinated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding for Authority programs derives from assessments on member jurisdictions, grants from federal programs administered by agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state grants via the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and cost-sharing agreements with local governments and conservation groups. The Authority leverages partnerships with organizations including the Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners, regional utilities such as Aurora Water, and nonprofit funders like the Walton Family Foundation and corporate partners that have supported urban watershed initiatives. Interagency collaborations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and regional planners including the Denver Regional Council of Governments enable larger-scale infrastructure and restoration efforts.

Public Outreach and Education

Public engagement activities emphasize stormwater education, native vegetation planting, and volunteer monitoring programs coordinated with local schools and community groups such as watershed councils and civic associations in Arapahoe County, Colorado and Douglas County, Colorado. The Authority sponsors workshops, participates in events at Cherry Creek State Park, and provides technical assistance to homeowners and developers to promote low-impact development practices consistent with guidance from the Colorado Department of Transportation and municipal planning departments. Outreach materials and volunteer programs draw on models used by organizations like the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and regional water education centers to build community stewardship of the Cherry Creek watershed.

Category:Water management in Colorado Category:Watersheds of Colorado Category:Environmental organizations based in Colorado