Agenda Date: 02/19/2026
Subject:
Title
City Ditch Project Overview
Body
|
|
|
|
Prepared by: |
Ryan Germeroth, Deputy Director of Public Works & Utilities |
|
Presentations: |
Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities Ryan Germeroth, Deputy Director of Public Works & Utilities Stephanie Ellis, Engineer III, City of Englewood |
PURPOSE:
To provide an informational update of Englewood’s City Ditch project and to provide an overview of the future options regarding the flume over Lee Gulch in Lower Ridgewood Park.
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
The City of Englewood is planning to pipe the open channel City Ditch in Reach 2 in late 2026 / early 2027 which will include decommissioning the flume structure over Lee Gulch in Lower Ridgewood Park. Englewood is currently piping a portion of the ditch through Slaughterhouse Gulch Park and in Belleview Park to the north of Littleton limits. City Ditch is Englewood’s primary water supply source so piping the ditch will improve the quality, sustainability, resiliency, and safety of the water source. The design effort for this project started in the fall of 2022. Community outreach and coordination was included as a part of the project, including meetings with Historic Littleton, Inc. Due to the potential removal of the flume structures, a request was made by representatives of Historic Littleton, Inc. to consider keeping the flume structures. The City of Littleton then hired a consultant to assess the condition of the flume and provide cost estimates to repair, relocate, and maintain it.
During the Spring and Summer of 2025 staff presented information regarding the flume structure in Reach 3 of the project in Slaughterhouse Gulch Park. After a few presentations before Council at study session and a presentation to the Historic Preservation Commission, it was decided that Littleton would keep the flume in place for future historic preservation. Englewood agreed to reimburse Littleton up to $100,000 to stabilize and / or historically preserve the flume. The agreements with Englewood were approved by Council on July 15th, 2025. Englewood began construction in Reach 3 in late 2025. City staff are currently working with a design consultant to put a bid package together to stabilize the Slaughterhouse Gulch flume.
With Englewood intending to continue construction in Reach 2 in late 2026, an additional set of agreements need to be approved by the Littleton City Council. Since this reach of City Ditch includes the flume structure over Lee Gulch in Lower Ridgewood Park, the agreements will need to address if the flume will remain in place with Littleton taking ownership of it or if it will be removed with the Englewood project. The following provides a summary of the key terms and conditions for each of the agreements.
• Intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Englewood - Addresses the collaborative effort between and obligations of Englewood and Littleton in the City Ditch project, cost sharing, tree mitigation, and repurposing the historic flume.
o Englewood will not provide any funds for restoration or historic preservation of the flume. If Littleton does not take ownership of the flume, Englewood plans to demolish it.
• Temporary construction easements
o Allows temporary access to Littleton property for Englewood to construct City Ditch project
o Grants permission for the staging or storage of equipment and materials
• Relinquishment and grant of permanent easements - This agreement will secure access and easement right for Englewood for the new alignment of the City Ditch, and upon operation, will turn over the abandoned portions back to Littleton.
FISCAL IMPACTS
The tree fee which will be outlined in the intergovernmental agreement will be a revenue source to the City. The actual amount will be called out in the agreement. In addition, depending on the direction given regarding the flume, additional costs may be incurred if preservation and commemoration in place are the intended outcome as well as if a piece is saved and relocated. These costs would be both one-time for the initial stabilization, repair, and restoration as well as on-going costs for maintenance into the future.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
N/A
ALTERNATIVES
There are likely several alternatives for how to best commemorate the abandoned portion of the ditch and flume in Lower Ridgewood Park. Further conversations will be needed with both Historic Littleton Inc. and the Historic Preservation Commission on how to successfully do this whether in Lower Ridgewood Park or at the Littleton Museum.