The Big Thompson River in Loveland, Colorado is known for large floods having severe consequences to human life and property. While these floods may make headline news, much smaller flood flows periodically plague local areas along the river, including causing damage to floodplain recreational facilities and flooding a trailer park. The latest flood in 1999 had flows approximating a 5-year runoff event that flowed out of bank and again flooded the recreation area and more seriously, flooded the trailer park downstream of the old Larimer County Fairgrounds’ Barnes Recreation Complex in central Loveland.

The multi-objective approach of flood protection and stream enhancement improved the surrounding environment by restoring the riffle and pool sequence in the stream, the planting of over 4,000 square feet of willows on point bars for both habitat and stability and the replacement of unsightly and unstable car bodies and concrete rubble with aesthetically pleasing vegetation, buried rock riprap and boulders.

Improved protection for public health, safety, and welfare was accomplished by reducing the frequency of the trailer court flooding. The protection at the 10-year level was accomplished economically and with minimal disturbance of the stream corridor. Higher levels of protection would require reconstruction of the entire corridor and floodplain areas that would unacceptably eliminate the existing land uses.