Our Goals
Public Education and Involvement
Monitoring and Study
Protect, Preserve and Restore Water Quality, Aquatic Life, and Habitat
Mission and Goals
The mission of the Watershed Association is to develop a sound scientific understanding of water quality, flow, aquatic life, and habitat conditions in the Big Dry Creek Watershed for the purposes of: (1) environmentally responsible decision-making with regard to land and stream uses and (2) identifying measures to improve and protect stream conditions. The goals of the Watershed Association include three broad categories: (1) public education and involvement, (2) monitoring and study, and (3) protecting, preserving and restoring water quality, aquatic life, and habitat. Specific objectives relating to these goals are identified below.
Public Education and Involvement
Provide a forum for entities interested in Big Dry Creek to cooperatively and constructively discuss water quality, flow, and habitat-related issues.
Develop a web page and other communication means that can be readily accessed by interested parties for information pertinent to Big Dry Creek.
Develop a broad base of support for the Watershed Association including, but not limited to, wastewater dischargers, water suppliers, farmers, developers, planners, students, teachers, public agencies, business/industry, community groups, park and open space users, and other interested citizens.
Promote responsible land development practices in the rapidly urbanizing watershed consistent with local, state, and federal regulations.
Inform and educate watershed residents on stream-related environmental issues and measures they can take to improve and protect water quality, aquatic life, and habitat.
Reinforce the use of sound science in evaluating watershed conditions and decision making.
Develop and maintain a user-friendly comprehensive water quality database on Big Dry Creek to be used for scientifically sound water quality related decisions and public education.
Integrate future watershed studies with existing programs and the many historical studies conducted in the watershed.
Maintain awareness and involvement in water quality monitoring and habitat preservation programs such as those currently in place at Rocky Flats and Standley Lake.
Maintain and improve the Big Dry Creek water quality and biological monitoring program conducted by the Cities of Broomfield, Northglenn, and Westminster.
Develop an understanding of stormwater impacts to Big Dry Creek that is consistent with federal stormwater regulations and requirements.
Develop an understanding of groundwater quality and groundwater-surface water interactions along the main stem of Big Dry Creek.
Protect, Preserve and Restore Water Quality, Aquatic Life, and Habitat
Protect and preserve water quality, aquatic life, and aquatic habitat.
Prioritize watershed management goals and coordinate related watershed activities to maximize environmental benefits.
Support existing and future efforts to preserve riparian habitat and open space in the watershed.
Identify areas in need of and suitable for stream restoration and habitat protection and projects.
Develop an understanding of impacts of agricultural activities east of Interstate 25 on water quality, and work with the NRCS through established communication channels to implement any needed measures/practices to improve water quality.
Continue to monitor and understand the South Platte Segment 15 total maximum daily load (TMDL) process.
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.