The SH60 project, located in Weld County, CO, is immediately upstream (west) of the SH60 bridge over the South Platte River south-east of Milliken, CO (See Figure 1 for project Location Map) During the 2013 flood on Colorado's front range, the bridge retained sediment and debris which exacerbated public health and safety concerns in addition to increasing bank erosion and problematic floodplain impacts. This project proposes to construct the following improvements:
Installation of river training structures including bendway weirs upstream of the SH60 bridge
Installation of anchored woody toe revetment and aquatic habitat features in the project limits, and
Revegetation of the floodplain surfaces within the project limits.
The primary objective of the work proposed at the SH60 project, is to protect life and property. This would be accomplished by increasing channel stability upstream of the bridge and helping to minimize bank erosion and sediment transport, so that under flood conditions, sediment will be mobilized through the bridge. The project will also aim to enhance the ecological conditions of the river. Improvements include bendway weirs; woody toe protection through the use of rootwads to encourage habitat; and resilient and stable channel banks capable of minimizing erosion under a wide range of flow conditions.