LOCATION

The Big Dry Creek Watershed originates in unincorporated Jefferson County at the mouth of Coal Creek Canyon at an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet above sea level. The total drainage area is approximately 110 square miles. The headwaters area is located approximately 5 miles west of Rocky Flats, 10 miles south of the City of Boulder, 20 miles northwest of the City of Denver, and 10 miles west of the City of Westminster. The basin drains easterly from the headwaters area across Rocky Flats, where several tributaries including Walnut Creek, Woman Creek, and Upper Big Dry Creek form. The basin is significantly influenced by Standley Lake reservoir located in the upper basin, as well as by discharges from the Broomfield and Westminster municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the central portion of the basin. The stream hydrology is also influenced by stormwater runoff in the urbanized portion of the basin and multiple ditch diversions. Below Standley Lake, Big Dry Creek flows in a northeasterly direction approximately 33 miles to its confluence with the South Platte River near Fort Lupton in Weld County. In the late 1990's, Interstate 25 roughly divided the watershed between urban and agricultural land uses with agricultural uses dominating east of I-25; however, urbanization has continued to expand eastward since that time.

The Big Dry Creek basin is outlined in the Watershed Location Map. Significant portions of the watershed are currently undergoing or have recently undergone rapid urban development, transitioning from predominantly agricultural uses to include a mixture of residential, commercial and industrial uses. Use QuickTime to view a video clip of the watershed.