The Big Dry Creek North Area Tributaries Outfall Systems Plan Update study area is located in a rapidly urbanizing 19-square-mile area in the vicinity of I-25 and E-470/Northwest Parkway, as shown on the Project Map. The study area includes parts of Westminster, Broomfield, Thornton and Adams County and is sponsored by these entities in conjunction with the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District. The study updates the original Big Dry Creek North Area Tributaries Outfall Systems Plan completed in 1989.

The study is focused on nine major tributaries to Big Dry Creek, including: Wadley South Creek, Wadley North Creek, Short Run, Elms Run, Morris Creek, Shay Ditch, Mustang Run, Sack Creek and Preble Creek. The study area continues to rapidly change from historically agricultural land use to a mixture of commercial and residential uses.

Wright Water Engineers was selected through a competitive process to complete the update to this plan to reflect the significant changes in land use over the last 15 years. The goals of the update include:

• Develop information about the area’s potential flooding, drainage and stability and ecological issues/problems and include in a baseline hydrology report.
• Interact with landowners, developers, ditch companies, local agencies, project sponsors and other interested parties to develop alternative drainage solutions.
• Work with UDFCD and project sponsors to develop alternative outfall sketch plans to address these problems and prepare an alternatives evaluation report.
• Develop a preliminary design for outfall systems for the study area based on selection of a preferred alternative from the alternatives evaluation report.