GOCO grants $2.5 million to Fountain Creek watershed projects
Improved trails, parks and other projects along Fountain Creek are planned as part of a $2.5 million Great Outdoors Colorado grant announced Tuesday.
Plans include a natural playground at America the Beautiful Park, improvements to the Front Range trail and an expansion at the Fountain Creek Nature Center.
Great Outdoors Colorado awarded the grant to the Fountain Creek Watershed Trails and Recreation Project, one of eight Colorado projects that will receive a total of $30 million in state lottery grants. Five are in Front Range urban areas, three in mountain areas. All focus on the lure of water.
“It’s a good grant,” said Larry Small, executive director of the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District, formed in 2009.
The district sponsored the grant application with the cities of Pueblo, Fountain and Colorado Springs and El Paso and Pueblo counties. The initial proposal asked for $5 million.
Projects include:
• El Centro del Quinto Sol Recreation Center in Pueblo will build a skate park adjacent to Fountain Creek with access to trails.
• A berm adjacent to Fountain Creek at America the Beautiful Park will be removed, and a natural playground, with a tree swing and boardwalks, will be built.
• The Front Range trail through Colorado Springs will be improved to include a concrete 12-foot-wide trail to run from Woodmen Road to Leon Young Sports Complex.
• Clear Springs Ranch, also known as Hanna Ranch, will build a 4 1/2-mile trail, now in the design process. The area is near the Ray D. Nixon Power Plant on the east side of I-25, south of Colorado Springs.
• The El Paso County Nature center in Fountain will be expanded, and the Front Range trail in Fountain will be extended.
The GOCO board members will attend the Fountain Creek Watershed board meeting Friday at 1 p.m. at Fountain City Hall to officially notify them of the grant.
After that, Small said, the projects can start immediately. “It’s going to be exciting to get started.”
The Denver Post contributed to this story.
Other Great Outdoors Colorado grants• Poudre River Trail Corridor Improvement Project — $5 million.
• Denver South Platte River Vision Implementation Project — $4.6 million.
• Plains to Peaks Trail in Clear Creek Canyon — $4.6 million
• Triple Creek Greenway Corridor Project in Aurora — $3.4 million
• Colorado River Conservation and Recreation Project in Eagle County — $3.9 million
• Colorado Riverfront Trail Project in Fruita — $2.9 million
• Yampa River Legacy Project in Steamboat Springs — $2.4 million
Drew Pomeranz (3-4) cruised through the first four innings before pitching his way into a jam in the fifth against Salt Lake on Tuesday night. (AP file) Photo by
Three generations are reflected in a pond at Fountain Creek Nature Center in February 2009. Diane Cavender (left) walked with her daughter, Tabitha Cavender (center) and mother, Ann Bednarcik. Money from Great Outdoors Colorado is slated to be used to expand the nature center. Photo by Gazette file
Bruce Beveridge took off his shoes and ran through the water with his grandchildren at the Julie Penrose Fountain in American the Beautiful Park in May 2010. Money from Great Outdoors Colorado is slated to make better use of the area adjacent to the fount Photo by The Gazette file
Cyclists cross the bridge over the creek to get to America the Beautiful Park in downtown Colorado Springs. Great Outdoors Colorado money is slated to help the region’s residents make use of local waterways. Photo by Gazette file