Flooding At Chatfield Reservoir Gives Boaters More Options
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Rising flood waters at Chatfield Reservoir closed a main park road overnight and it remained closed on Sunday. A number of park facilities are also closed.
Park officials say the water hasn't been as high since 1995. The Army Corps of Engineers is controlling the flow at the reservoir to avoid flooding the valley.
On Saturday children were wading through waist-deep water on the main park road. It was an unusual sight on the south side of the reservoir. Rising flood water cut the road some 200 yards wide, preventing cars from driving through it.
A park ranger warned the boys to stay off the road and out of the water.
"So people would run the risk of cutting their feet on broken glass or potentially on fish hooks," Ranger Ben Vinci with Colorado Parks and Wildlife said.
Vinci said the South Platte River is currently running three times its normal flow and is bringing debris downstream.
Bicyclists found themselves having to short-circuit their tour.
"It's kind of a bummer that we can't get through. Two weeks ago we got through, last weekend it was dry … this weekend you can't even bike it," bicyclist Kim Collins said.
But with an extra 10 feet of water added for flood control, watercraft of all sorts roamed over what is normally grassland.
"You can take the jet skis in and out of the trees and the kayaks and the canoes and it's really pretty neat to see it all," Kevin Fisher from Aurora said.
What might not be fun is waiting to put-in. Boaters said the line to get into the water usually takes 15 minutes, but on Saturday it was 40. Access to the north boat ramp is only available from the Wadsworth entrance.
"Wow, it's amazing there's just that much water that's been added to the system," a bicyclist said.
As a result of all of the water, parking space and picnic locations are limited. The same may go for restroom facilities.
