South Platte Park Timeline

South Suburban trail system map. Four decades of partnership between the City of Littleton, South Suburban Park and Recreation District, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the citizens of Littleton and numerous private property owners have resulted in one of the most magnificent natural areas in the country.

Extensively gravel-mined for more than 30 years, the 100-year flood plain is now home to more than 225 species of birds including bald eagle, red-tailed hawk and great blue heron. Wildlife includes beavers, muskrats, skunks, raccoons, deer, coyotes and foxes. Lizards, toads, snakes and frogs occur along with 23 species of fish.

As the Denver area continues to grow, the wildlife, open space, and recreational opportunities offered by South Platte Park are more important than ever to thousands of visitors. The City of Littleton, South Suburban Park and Recreation District and the people of Littleton who love and have built the park are pledged to protect it, while balancing the needs and interests of city tax payers and adjacent property owners.

The evolution of South Platte Park has been painstaking. Today, the park is home to more than 350,000 annual visitors and an abundance of wild life. A model of cooperation, perseverance and community pride, South Platte Park will inspire many generations to come.

Timeline

1965

14 inches of rain precipitate the flooding of the South Platte River. 10 square miles of homes, businesses and factories are destroyed at a cost of $325 million.

1968

The Army Corps of Engineers announces plans to build Chatfield Dam and channelize the river to provide downstream flood control. The City of Littleton and citizens begin a campaign to preserve the area now known as South Platte Park.

1971

Littleton citizens approve a $400,000 bond issue to begin land acquisition.

1973 to
1975

The city wins matching Open Space Land Acquisition Grants totaling $483,000 from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The city acquires five parcels of land for South Platte Park, which total 199.1 acres.

1974

As a direct result of the city's efforts, the U.S. Congress approves the Water Resource Development Act, which instructs the Corps to work with the city to achieve non-structural solutions to flood control. The law also directs the Corps to consider non-structural alternatives for ill any future flood control projects nationwide.

1974 to
1977

City negotiations with the Corps lead to agreements on erosion protection to save trees and the Master Plan, which identifies uses permissible in the park.

1979

The city adopts the first in a series of annexation ordinances to include the park within the city boundaries so that laws prohibiting trash dumping, hunting, and trapping may be enforced.

1980

The city purchases 112 acres from Cooley Gravel Company at a cost of $28,000, marking a major step forward to prevent mining east of the South Platte River. An additional 12 acres are acquired at a price of $26,000.

1981

Seven more acres, costing $56,000 are purchased, a portion of which is the present site of the Carson Nature Center.

1982

The "crowning year" in land acquisition: 294 acres are acquired from four owners at a cost of $533,000. Another major achievement is the agreement that specifies an end to mining operations, provides for a favorable land purchase price and calls for Cooley to reclaim their land at the conclusion of mining.

1983

Formal dedication of the park. The Ensor family donates a .86-acre parcel. The first full-time supervisor is hired. The Master Plan is approved by the South Suburban Board and the Littleton City Council. South Suburban begins management control of the park under a contract with the city.

1985

South Platte Park named winner of the Wildlife Conservation Award by the Wildlife Society and the National Sand and Gravel Association. Storm drainage standards adopted to protect Class One Cold Water Stream classification for the park.

1986

The city successfully negotiates the dedication of 7.5 acres from the Newton Trust. The Carson House is moved from its location on Jackass Hill to its present site west of Aspen Grove. The cost for relocation, building the foundation, renovation, constructing the parking lot, and other related expenses amounts to $178,000 for the city and $143,000 for South Suburban Parks and Recreation.

1988

RTD Park-n-Ride plans approved authorizing weekend use for park visitors. Mining operations ended at the Cooley Gravel Company and seeding began.

1989

Park officially named "South Platte Park — A Natural Area." Cooley Gravel Company ends mining and reclaims Cooley Lake site.

1990

Formal dedication of Cooley Lake. South Platte Park named first recipient of Governor Romer's Celebrate Colorado Environmental Award and semi-finalist in the U.S. Department of the Interior's Take Pride in America Award. Cooley was released from their Mined Land Reclamation Bond late in 1990. However through negotiations with the City and South Suburban staff Cooley continued to mow this area for three years to control noxious weeds.

1990 to
1991

Rock weirs are placed to improve pool habitat, several deflectors are created to inhibit erosion and reduce sedimentation, boulder clusters are in stalled to improve fish-rearing, two stone revetments are built to protect a valuable habitat area. Spending for the improvements totaled $200,000.

1990 to
1992

The 10,000 Trees project taps grants, lottery funds, corporate sponsors and thousands of volunteers to restore natural vegetation.

1992

Carson Nature Center dedicated and opened to the public.

1994

City council approval of Polo Reserve/Sanctuary reduces density from 915 residential units to 61. Approval includes requirements for dedication of an additional six acres of open space adjacent to the park, preservation of the Nevada Ditch and on-site storm water detention and treatment.

1995

City council amends the Management Plan to protect the wildlife habitat surrounding Cooley Lake, restricting access to viewing from the Mineral Avenue trail and to staff-led tours. The city applies for guaranteed minimum stream flow levels for the South Platte River to protect habitat and recreational uses.

1996

City council annexes the adjacent 78-acre Newton Trust property. Planned development/industrial zoning is approved following significant citizen input. Amendments include height limits and increased setbacks from the park boundary. The action eliminates the proposal made to Arapahoe County to zone the property residential, protecting the park from 24-hour-a.day, 7-day-a-week impacts by neighbors and threats to wildlife from domestic animals. City council allocates $100,000 in matching funds for open space acquisition. The William F. Peacock Memorial Wildlife Viewing Blind is constructed and interpretive panels are installed the following year.

1998

Nearly 19 acres buffer land is purchased from the Newton Trust property in a partnership with Great Outdoors Colorado, South Suburban Parks and Recreation, and the South Metro Land Conservancy and added to the borders of the Park.

1999

Ten year study of the impacts of alluvial ground water pumping on wetlands and cottonwoods ends and an irrigation system is installed east of the river and south of Mineral Avenue to mitigate the impacts of ground water pumping by Centennial Water and Sanitation District.

2000 to
2001

Large raw water pipeline crosses the south end of park to supply water from the yet to be developed South Platte Reservoir to McLellan Reservoir for use by Centennial Water and Sanitation District. Restoration of the Nevada Ditch, prairies, cottonwood forest, and a section of the Platte River were completed because of impacts by this project. A small wetland was developed to receive water from the South Platte Reservoir site.

2001

Aspen Grove Lifestyle Center is constructed on the Newton Trust property, and an RTD light rail station and Park-n-Ride lots are developed at the intersection of Santa Fe and Mineral Avenue. The Newton buffer property becomes home to a water retention wetland built to slow drainage and improve water quality running off from new development, and quickly becomes a hotspot for migrating sparrows.

2002

The Stampede for Open Space event becomes a popular part of the City’s Western Welcome Week celebration, as South Metro Land Conservancy and park staff create a Trail Through Time venue with free gold panning. Worse drought year on record in Colorado, yet successful native prairie restoration occurred.

2003

The city pledges $7,500 towards a capital improvement project to update the Nature Center exhibits. This becomes the seed money for a challenge grant project that eventually brings in partners such as Great Outdoors Colorado, Whiting Petroleum, South Suburban Parks and Recreation, and the Gates Family Foundation. The project eventually grows to $236,300 to double the classroom space, improve signage, repair aging resources, and updates exhibits.

2004

The City again partners with South Suburban Parks and Recreation and South Metro Land Conservancy to protect one of the few remaining open space properties around the park, purchasing 22 acres on the northeast border that will eventually provide new trail access. South Platte Park receives an award from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education for Excellence in Educational Programming and a Columbine Award from Colorado Parks and Recreation for a parent/child volunteer program. The park founds a region-wide celebration on biodiversity called the All Species Count, involving the National Wildlife Federation and over 20 local parks and nature centers. Santa Fe Drive widened and the park received a one-third acre wetland as mitigation from impacts of the road improvement.

2005

South Suburban installs a parallel crusher-fine trail as well as roundabouts to control trail speed on the Mary Carter Greenway Trail as popularity of the park skyrockets. Construction of exhibits and classroom are completed. Integrated weed management makes great strides with knapweed, thistles, Russian-olives, and other invasive plants, reducing their populations to a fraction of previous levels. Ecological restoration projects successfully reintroduce 20 species of native wildflowers. Healthy populations of rare plants such as American black current and giant bur-reed are restored. The 7-11 Gulch bypass channel is completed as a part of the South Platte Reservoir development project. The cities of Littleton and Centennial, and South Suburban Parks and Recreation negotiate an intergovernmental agreement for the management of the 212-acre site as a part of South Platte Park. Xcel Energy cuts hundreds of maturing cottonwood trees under power lines because of a new federal clearance regulation.

Today, South Platte Park totals 672 acres, has over 6.5 miles of trails, and has five lakes and 2.5 miles of river open to fishing. Over 11,000 people visit the Nature Center each year, 2,500 school children enjoy field trips to the site annually, and nearly 1,000 people participate in popular nature programs and hikes in the park each year.