One Goal: Protect the City

Many Loveland residents can still remember the devastation brought by the September 2013 flood. The rushing Big Thompson River killed two people, wiped out a highway, and caused $35 million in damage across the City of Loveland.

Lessons from the flood have driven work on the Big Thompson River Corridor Master Plan, and in June 2022, City Council approved the financing structure so that the City can get to work.

How Will This Get Done?

The current plan addresses the most critical issues first: improving areas of the river along U.S. Highway 287 and determining the impacts of updated floodplains on our City.

Work will begin in the winter of 2023, but to get this done, Loveland utility customers will see an increased Stormwater fee on their utility bills starting September 1, 2022.

Several financing options were considered, and an increased Stormwater fee was considered the most cost-effective option for residents. The additional fee will range from $2.30 to $5.75 per month, and average sized residential lots (6,000 to 7,999 sq. ft.) will see a $4.14 increase.

Compared to our neighbors in Boulder, Longmont and Fort Collins that were also impacted by the 2013 flood, Loveland’s Stormwater fee increase of 27% is significantly lower than their 182% average.

Infrastructure

Provides protection to public and private land, including critical transportation routes.

Economic

Reduces future flood impacts and recovery costs while providing opportunities for new or re-development.

Catalyst

Sets standard for future highway corridor and master plans.

Environmental

Improves water quality, river health, wildlife and quality of life.

Recreation

Creates safe access to trails, natural areas and water recreation.

Timeline

• June 2022: City Council approved the financing plan.
• September 2022: Project financing begins through Stormwater fee with bonds coming later in the fall.
• Early 2023: Design begins for the U.S. 287 bridge just south of Old Fairgrounds Drive.
• Tentatively 2025: Construction for the bridge will begin.

U.S. Highway 287 Improvements

As one of the most-beneficial projects to the City, and the first phase of the Master Plan, improvements to the U.S. Highway 287 will ensure that our residents and emergency crews can safely and quickly travel the major routes in and out of the City in the event of major flooding.

These improvements include:

1. Replacing the existing Highway 287 bridge over the Big Thompson River just south of Old Fairgrounds Drive with a new bridge that spans 240-feet-wide;
2. Raising the street south of the bridge by as much as four feet;
3. Creating better barriers between the river and Fairgrounds Park to help keep water in the river as much as possible when it floods. We will do this by lowering and widening an excavated portion of land directly adjacent to the river, creating “floodplain benches,” while also raising some area of land alongside the river, “berming,” when necessary.
4. Reducing the size of the pond south of the river and west of Highway 287 so that a low floodplain bench can be constructed on the south side of the channel; and
5. Construction of a lowered and widened floodplain bench downstream of Highway 287.

Financial Snapshot

• Estimated cost: $17M
• Primary funding source: Increased Stormwater fee

Thanks for your input!

Community input was fundamental in shaping the vision of the Master Plan and emphasized that the citizens of Loveland value the Big Thompson River Corridor as a recreational and natural resource.

People surveyed preferred that the remainder of the river corridor remain a natural character and expressed a desire for more river access and opportunities for water-based recreational activities.