Environmental Assessment for the Bear Creek Dam and Lake Project Master Plan, South Platte River, Colorado

Abstract : The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bear Creek Dam and Lake Project (Project) is located in the SouthPlate River Basin on Bear Creek approximately eight miles upstream from its confluence with the South Platte River in Jefferson County and the City of Lakewood, Colorado. The federal government lands at the Project are fee owned by the Corps of Engineers. The City of Lakewood holds a 50-year lease with the Corps of Engineers for the development of recreation facilities at the Project. Through this lease, the City of Lakewood administers land and water areas for recreation purposes and bears the costs of operations, maintenance, and replacement of all facilities. Master plans are required for civil works projects (such as the Bear Creek Dam and Lake Project) for which the Corps of Engineers has administrative responsibility for management of natural and manmade resources. Master Plans provide guidelines and direction for future project development and provide a District-level policy consistent with national objectives and other state and regional goals and programs. The existing Bear Creek Dam and Lake Master Plan was first published in 1980 with a portion revised in 1988, but there has been no comprehensive revision to the Master Plan in more than 30 years. As such, the current Master Plan provides an inadequate basis on which to evaluate contemporary proposals. The City of Lakewood has no plans for development of new major recreational amenities at the Bear Creek Lake Park, including areas within the federal project. Lakewood officials characterize the Bear Creek Lake Park as having reached a build-out condition where the existing real estate usage has been maximized. As such, neither the Omaha District, nor the City of Lakewood has plans for major future development at the Project.