Clear Creek Management Strategies

Clear Creek Management Recap -- October 10, 2023

A presentation on Clear Creek Management Strategies was given by Carly Lorentz, Deputy City Manager, at the October 10, 2023, City Council meeting. The recap included this year's strategies, successes, and challenges, and plans and recommendations for the 2024 season View a recording of the meeting on the City of Golden website, as well as the presentation and one-pager recap to the right in the documents tab at the top.

Clear Creek Management Strategies Public Meeting -- March 30, 2023

Thank you to all Golden community members who attended the Creek Management Strategies Public Meeting! Your engagement, involvement and conversations continue to help guide the City in addressing issues along Clear Creek.

A recording of the presentation from the Clear Creek Management Strategies Public Meeting given by Carly Lorentz, Deputy City Manager is below:

Stations were set up with City staff around the room to collect feedback and answer questions about upcoming plans for Clear Creek:

Clear Creek Mid-Year Report

On August 16th, a mid-year report of the management strategies implemented in 2022 was presented to the Golden City Council. Along with the mid-year report, a Clear Creek Aquatic Health Management Plan that was presented as well. City staff have developed and implemented numerous strategies to address the flow and behavior of people recreating along Clear Creek. The mid-year report details these strategies and there impact at this point in the 2022 summer season.

The Aquatic Health Management Plan was put together by the City of Golden Public Works Department and natural resources consultant group ERO. This plan contains information and potential strategies relating to the impact of recreational use on Clear Creek aquatic wildlife within city limits.

An end-of-year report of Clear Creek Management Strategies will be presented to City Council and posted on Guiding Golden this fall. The City of Golden continues to monitor the conditions of the Clear Creek Corridor throughout the summer months.

Clear Creek Subcommittee Process and Work Plan

The City Council Clear Creek Subcommittee will be providing high-level guidance for the efforts to manage Clear Creek. The Subcommittee is proposing to the City Council the following three activities for 2022:

1. Develop and implement a process for Council input and prioritization of possible creek management strategies.
2. Facilitate a discussion with Council on whether to develop and implement a tube rental license or permitting system (as used by Steamboat Springs, Idaho Springs, and other cities) to help limit the volume of creek users.
3. Create a Clear Creek Management Plan, to outline the broad guiding principles, values, and goals for the management of the creek that can guide future management efforts and provide a framework for annually evaluating successes and challenges.

The Clear Creek Subcommittee's memorandum to the Council, work plan, sample strategies, and form for evaluating management strategies have been added to the Documents section.

Background

As Golden residents can attest, May and June signal the start of another busy summer season in Golden. This year, City officials anticipate activity levels that may exceed the norm for summertime in Golden. After many months of limited activities, interactions, and events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people will likely seek to get out and participate in the many customary activities that they have missed. In Golden, that means outdoor recreation - especially along and in the popular Clear Creek.

After years of continued growth in activity in the Clear Creek corridor, this year the City will be introducing new measures aimed at improving conditions in the corridor so that all may experience equal amounts of enjoyment of Clear Creek and adjacent trails, parks, regardless of one's preferred activity.

Several months ago, City Manager Jason Slowinski pulled together a group of stakeholders to review management practices in the Clear Creek corridor. This working group - representing neighborhoods, civic organizations, the Golden Visitor's Center, local businesses, outdoor recreation industry representatives, equipment rental companies, and Golden residents - met regularly since February discussing issues, challenges, and potential strategies, to address the issues caused by the growing popularity of Clear Creek. The group's work focused on issues concerning water use and safety, trail use, traffic and parking, communications, enforcement of rules and regulations, and environmental concerns.

At the City Council meeting on May 11, the City Manager briefed the City Council on the work of the group and the likely changes in management practices expected during the upcoming 2021 summer season. Among the more significant changes you will likely see are:

• The implementation of color-coded water safety protocols tied to actual water flow conditions;
• The introduction of a Clear Creek Ambassador program in an effort to better inform, educate, and establish new cultural norms around enjoyment of the Clear Creek corridor;
• Better signage to communicate rules, expectations, and other important information;
• The separation of certain uses on on the adjacent Clear Creek trails in order to minimize user conflicts, to include a preferred path for tubers and a seasonal bike dismount zone;
• An expanded Park Rangers program with focus on the enforcement of rule violations; and
• A central online portal for visitor information related to Clear Creek.

These changes, and many others, are based on recommendations of the working group. In addition, the group identified a number of other possible actions and strategies for consideration in future years.

Recognizing the important asset that Clear Creek is for the community, the City will be seeking feedback from residents and visitors related to these changes throughout the summer season. This feedback, along with other data points, will allow us to learn from these changes and will help guide future adjustments and considerations.

Public Comment Opportunities

The City of Golden Clear Creek Legislative Subcommittee invites members of the Golden community to provide public comments on items and ideas related to Clear Creek. Members of the public can make their voices heard through the following ways:

1. Providing a public comment by attending a City Council meeting in person.
2. Writing an email to CouncilComments@cityofgolden.net, which will be published on the City's websites for public viewing and discussion.
3. Attending a meeting of the Mobility & Transportation Advisory Board or the Parks, Recreation & Museum Advisory Board.

Information on upcoming Council and board meetings is available at www.cityofgolden.com/Agendas. You can also use the "Ideas and Discussion" tool below to ask questions, discuss Creek related topics with other users, and provide input on Creek management.