Project Description

Wild Natural Area or Reach 28 is a depositional stretch of river located east of the Big Thompson Canyon and west of the City of Loveland. This 5,000 foot long segment of the Big Thompson suffered extensive damage from the 2013 Big Thompson River floods. The flood caused approximately ten feet of sediment to deposit in the historical channel, forcing the flooding water to break a new channel through private lands. This new breach tore through the majority of mature riparian vegetation, leaving the channel banks destabilized, prone to erosion, and the habitat degraded. Pre-construction, this section of the river consisted of a uniform, shallow, overly-widened river that provided minimal habitat diversity and wildlife benefit. Emergency repairs were conducted following the 2013 flood, however property owners and other partners needed long term solutions to enhance the resilience of this section of river. In 2017, BTWC received grant funds to create the final design, obtain project permits, and hire design-build contractors. Construction broke ground in early 2019 and the project was finalized the same year.