University of Colorado at Boulder contractors are planning to perform routine maintenance on the flood protection levee located on the CU-South property starting in middle to late March, with survey work possibly beginning this week.
The work involves placing additional rock on some portions of the levee face to add erosion protection. The protection is needed to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements based on the South Boulder Creek hydrology study conducted by the city of Boulder.
CU-Boulder Vice Chancellor for Administration Frank Bruno said the maintenance work is expected to take eight working days to complete, depending on the weather.
"Adding this additional rock to the levee will better protect Boulder residents located in the South Boulder Creek West Valley Overflow area of the city of Boulder," Bruno said. "This is basic flood mitigation maintenance work that will fulfill FEMA requirements. The university has no plans at this time to develop CU-South."
CU and Boulder County staff members have met to discuss the levee plans and the county concurs with CU that this constitutes routine maintenance work and does not fall within the temporary South Boulder Creek moratorium area, Bruno said.
Access to the site will be limited while the work is done to ensure public safety, Bruno said. There will be some increased truck traffic in order to do the work. Trucks will enter the site from the west via Highway 93 and Marshall Road.