Agenda Date: 05/05/2026
Subject:
Title
City Ditch Reach 2A Lee Gulch Flume Council action overview
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Ryan Germeroth, Deputy Director of Public Works & Utilities |
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Presentations: |
Brent Soderlin, Director of Public Works & Utilities |
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Ryan Germeroth, Deputy Director of Public Works & Utilities |
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Sara Dusenberry, Senior Planner Community Development |
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Stephanie Ellis, Engineer III, City of Englewood |
PURPOSE:
To provide an overview of the four agreements needed between Littleton and Englewood for the City Ditch piping project in Reach 2A (from Saint Mary’s to Ridge Road).
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
Vibrant Community with a Rich Culture; High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
Brief History of City Ditch
City Ditch was one of the first irrigation canals in the state and runs water from the South Platte River to Denver. The 26-mile stretch was initially started in 1861, with the beginning of ditch more closely located to what is downtown Littleton. Due to the Civil War, construction was halted and restarted in 1864. The ditch was completed in 1867, with the start located nearly four miles upstream. Richard Little, founder of Littleton, was responsible for surveying the stretch of land to ensure the water flowed appropriately and noted the original location of the ditch would not be effective in moving water. Construction of the ditch and the ability to move water in a highly arid landscape was a catalyst for much of the development within the region. Richard Little utilized the abandoned ditch to channel water from the Platte, allowing for the construction of the Rough and Ready Mill.
Utilizing gravity to move water requires the use of flumes to move water across features like gulches or side streams. The flumes effectively acted as bridges to allow water to move across these features. The original flumes would have likely been constructed from wood. The use of steel would have come later when shipping the material to the region was easier and more cost effective. A steel flume structure currently exists over Lee Gulch in Littleton and was likely constructed in the 1940s. The structure is currently in use today to provide water to the City of Englewood and other water users, including the City of Littleton.
City Ditch Flume & Project Agreement Overview
Due to feedback from the community during the Englewood design project for City Ditch, including feedback from Historic Littleton, Inc., city staff hired a consultant to assess the condition of the existing flume structures in Slaughterhouse Gulch Park and near Lee Gulch to provide scenarios on what could be done with the flumes. The scenarios analyzed include costs to repair in place to working condition, costs to maintain in place, and the costs to remove and relocate part or most of the flumes to another location. Since the initial assessment was done, staff has since asked the consultant to provide a cost estimate to stabilize the Lee Gulch flume in place structurally with no other work done to it. Based on the condition assessments the flume structure in Lee Gulch is leaking, has corroded steel, has spalled concrete, is missing anchor bolts, and has one foundation exposed. Several of these deficiencies are rated as “high” need in the assessment reports. The full inspection report has been included with this summary memo.
Given the extent of the maintenance needs, the costs for repair to be fully functional or for relocation are expected to be extensive while the cost to stabilize in place is much less by comparison. The costs range from about $120,000 over ten years to stabilize in place without any restoration up to almost $740,000 to relocate most of the structure to another location. If left in place, there is a concern that the decommissioned flume could pose a safety risk given that securing access to the ends will be a challenge. The top of the flume is visible from the bridge that crosses City Ditch. However, the flume is less visible from the trail to the north and the south of the ditch given that the vegetation around the flume is thick. This is different than the flume in Slaughterhouse Gulch Park since the trail goes directly underneath the flume which enhances its visibility from the trail. Finally, these costs would need to be fully covered by Littleton, regardless of which preservation option is selected, since Englewood is not contributing funds for stabilization or restoration like was done with the agreement approval in 2025 for the flume in Slaughterhouse Gulch Park.
For the Englewood City Ditch Piping Project Reach 2A to proceed forward, there are four agreements between Littleton and Englewood that are needed to allow for exchange of funds, to create new easements, relinquish old easements, and transfer property. Reach 2B from Saint Mary’s to Linhart Lake will have a similar set of agreements that will come before at a future date once the stormwater design for Rangeview Gulch is finalized.
The following provides a summary of the key terms and conditions for each of the agreements.
- Intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Englewood
o Effective during the construction project only
o Englewood will pay a $60,250 mitigation fee due to trees removed within the project limits
o Englewood is responsible for all project management duties and costs
o Englewood will coordinate with Littleton on schedule and review tasks
o Englewood will flashfill the abandoned pipes to the east of the flume in Lower Ridgewood Park with grout
o Englewood will either leave the flume in place or remove the existing flume structure with the Englewood project. The decision to remove the flume would be needed from Littleton by June 2nd, 2026
o Littleton will work in good faith with Englewood to allow mobilization for construction of Reach 2B (Saint mary’s to Linhart Lake)
o Littleton will work with Englewood on the design and rerouting of three stormwater inlets that currently discharge to the City Ditch
o Unlike Reach 3, there is not a clause included for Englewood to reimburse the City of Littleton to cover either preservation costs or future removal costs incurred by Littleton
- Temporary construction easements
o Effective during the construction project only
o Allows temporary access to Littleton property for Englewood to construct City Ditch project
o Includes exhibits showing the easement area(s)
o Requires Englewood project to have insurance as outlined in agreement
o Requires Englewood project to restore surface of easement area back to the same pre-project condition
- Relinquishment and grant of permanent easements
o Relinquishes City Ditch easement rights for abandoned portions of the ditch after new alignment is constructed and operational
o States that relinquishment of easement rights will be recorded via a quit claim deed
o Includes reference to exhibit showing the relinquished area in quit claim deed
o Establishes permanent easement areas to Englewood for newly constructed City Ditch alignment
o Includes an exhibit showing the new easement area(s)
o Easement allows Englewood to operate, maintain, construct, repair, replace, or remove water pipeline within the area of the new easement
o After maintenance activities, Englewood is only required to restore the primary surface of the easement area (i.e. asphalt, dirt, gravel) and not any above surface features installed by Littleton (i.e. vegetation, curb, gutter, sidewalk, streetlights, or other infrastructure)
o Allows Littleton access to new easement area for the regular and emergency maintenance of sanitary or storm sewer owned by Littleton
- Quit claim deed regarding abandoned easements & infrastructure
o Records relinquishment of easement rights to abandoned portions of the ditch
o Englewood releases and quit claims to Littleton all rights, title, and interests of Englewood in the relinquished area including any infrastructure located in the relinquished area.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Englewood is completing the piping of the open channel City Ditch between Linhart Lake and Ridge Road (Reaches 2A and 2B) and intends to pipe the section in the Lee Gulch area starting in the fall of 2026. 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.
Prior Actions or Discussions
On July 15, 2025 city staff provided an overview of the agreements for Reach 3 of the City Ditch project. This meeting followed two other study session meetings and one meeting with the Historic Preservation Commission. The staff recommendation was to approve all four agreements via resolution. City Council approved all four resolutions. The flume in Slaughterhouse Gulch Park was kept in place as a part of that approval and is currently undergoing stabilization work.
On February 19, 2026 city staff provided an overview of a brief history of the City Ditch, a project overview of the Englewood project, and a summary of the project agreements for Reach 2A to the Historic Preservation Commission. The commission appreciated being consulted at the beginning of the agreement approval process. After discussion, the commission does not want the flume in Lower Ridgewood Park to be removed and would prefer that it remains in place for preservation even though Englewood is not contributing funds for preservation or restoration.
FISCAL IMPACTS
The tree fee of $60,250 as outlined in the intergovernmental agreement will be a revenue source to the City. In addition, if kept in place, Littleton would be fully responsible for the costs to stabilize, rehabilitate, or restore the flume.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
N/A
ALTERNATIVES
N/A
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
N/A