Once the snow clears this spring, crews will continue to build the new dam embankment to its final height of about 25 feet. Crews will also construct a slurry wall that will serve as a hydraulic barrier between the new dam and the new Connectivity Channel flood plain. Additionally, they will build a new diversion structure at Windy Gap Reservoir capable of diverting water into the new channel and allowing water, fish and sediment to flow downriver.
By the end of the 2023 construction year, work is expected to be far enough along that the existing Windy Gap Reservoir dam can be breached, and the new channel can serve its ultimate purpose of reconnecting the Colorado River.
The Connectivity Channel’s various construction aspects are expected to wrap up in 2024. In addition to construction, the upcoming years will also include revegetating the new channel and flood plain area with native plants – some harvested at the site pre-construction, others currently being grown at the Colorado State Forest Service Nursery in Fort Collins and at the Aquatic and Wetland Nursery in Fort Lupton.
All of this on-site progress comes decades after the Connectivity Channel’s diverse group of supporters first began discussing and conceptualizing the project. The Northern Water Municipal Subdistrict and Chimney Hollow Reservoir Project participants have taken a leading role in the project, as it’s a key component of the $90 million package of environmental mitigation and enhancement measures associated with construction of Chimney Hollow Reservoir, currently being built southwest of Loveland.