To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Gini Pingenot, Director, Open Spaces; Bryan Weimer, Director, Public Works and Development
Prepared By:
prepared
Gini Pingenot, Director, Open Spaces
end
presenter
Presenter: Gini Pingenot, Director, Open Spaces; Bryan Weimer, Director, Public Works and Development
end
Subject:
title
10:00 AM *Water Policy and Program Business Case for the High Line Canal
end
Purpose and Request:
recommended action
Open Spaces (OS) and Public Works & Development (PWD) are seeking direction from the Board of County Commissioners on three items:
1) Concurrence to allow new direct stormwater connections (a term that needs to be defined) into the High Line Canal (HLC);
2) Support the framework proposed to develop a HLC Stormwater Program; and
3) concurrence that both PWD and OS shall work on this program.
end
Alignment with Strategic Plan: Good Governance - Understand and respond to community needs, interests, and values.
Background and Discussion: Arapahoe County owns 45 miles (of 71 miles) of the High Line Canal (HLC). The impetus of owning the HLC was primarily to preserve a natural/recreational amenity. Today, Denver Water is no longer running irrigation water in the canal. They are also actively retiring their remaining 30 customers. With this in mind, stormwater has the potential to play a critical role in nourishing the canal's vegetation.
On October 27, 2025, the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) expressed their interest and general support for creating a program to reduce flood risk and safely add new direct stormwater connections to the Canal where appropriate. To responsibly fulfill this role, staff has identified the need to create a HLC Stormwater Program consisting of 3 pillars: 1.) criteria & modeling; 2.) policy; and 3.) operational implementation.
To move forward on identifying potential canal criteria and policies (pillars 1 & 2), the Mile High Flood District (MHFD) has offered to use...
Click here for full text