Future of Bear Creek Lake Park cloudy ahead of summer season
The future of Bear Creek Lake Park located within Jefferson County remains cloudy as the summer season begins. The park is run by the city of Lakewood but it's federal land, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will determine whether more water should be added to the reservoir for storage.
Katie Gill is on a crusade called, "Save Bear Creek Lake Park." The yard signs are hard to miss.
"The core of the park, really the heart and lungs of the park, (will) be inundated with stored water," she told CBS News Colorado.
It seems water is almost as valuable is gold these days in the West. There is a critical gap between supply and demand.
Bear Creek Lake is being studied to determine if and how much, water can be added to the lake to help fill in that gap.
Drew Sprafke is the supervisor of open space parks for Lakewood and notes the highest levels would have the greatest impact.
"There is no way we could replace the amount of acreage in the trails that would vanish with that, so it would definitely reduce the amount of trails and change the experience dramatically," Sprafke said.
This park has been called a hidden gem. It is a haven for birdwatchers, cyclists, hikers and other nature lovers.
But the value of the water the reservoir could hold may have to erase some of that. The existing dam provides a way to store more water at a reasonable cost.
Gill is looking for compromise.
"This park could provide a contribution to the states. Water conservation goals, and still preserve this really important community asset," she said.
The rains from spring have already left part of the park underwater. It perhaps is an unintended sneak preview of how adding more water may change the picture.
