Harvard Gulch flood work grows again: $4.7 million more, and a five-year-old agreement passes $15 million

The Denver City Council on Monday, Nov. 2, takes the first of two votes on adding $4,685,000 to the city's agreement with the Mile High Flood District for drainage and flood control work on Harvard Gulch, downstream of Colorado Boulevard in southeast Denver.

Why it matters to neighbors: Harvard Gulch runs through parks and neighborhoods in District 6, represented by Council member Paul Kashmann, on its way to the South Platte River. The work under this agreement includes removing sediment to improve how the gulch drains, according to the city's bill request. The district manages the project through design and construction.

What the amendment does

26-1521 is the fourth amendment to an intergovernmental agreement that started June 30, 2021. According to the request:

• The flood district adds $1.25 million and the city adds $3,435,000.
• The city keeps $400,000 of its share to handle buying the easements the project needs.
• The new total is $15,404,205.
• The term does not change. The agreement runs until three years after construction is complete.

The money comes from several city capital project accounts. Because it is an agreement between two governments, it was not competitively bid, the request says. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved it by consent on Oct. 21 (matter record).

What our records add: how the agreement grew

Each amendment has gone to the Council for a vote:

• 2021: The original agreement, at $200,000.
• November 2022: 22-1296 added $85,000 from the city and $3 million from the flood district, for a total of $3,285,000.
• November 2024: 24-1462 added $4.3 million from the city and $1,084,205 from the flood district, for $8,669,205.
• June 2025: 25-0697 added $2.05 million from the flood district only, for $10,719,205.
• Pending: 26-1521 would add $3,435,000 from the city and $1.25 million from the flood district, for $15,404,205.

The $200,000 starting figure is derived from the 2022 amendment, which added $3,085,000 for a new total of $3,285,000. The 2022 version described the work as being in Districts 4 and 6; later versions list only District 6.

Adding up the amendments since 2022, the city has committed $7.82 million and the flood district $7.38 million, with the split of the original $200,000 not stated in the bill titles.

A separate agreement covers a nearby piece. In June 2025 the Council passed 25-0727, adding $740,000 in city money and $750,000 from the flood district, for a $1.6 million total, for flood control improvements on Harvard Gulch and replacing a pedestrian bridge at DeBoer Park.

The bigger picture

Harvard Gulch is also part of a larger federal and city flood study. In 2024, the Denver Post reported (republished by Phys.org) that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not find an economically feasible plan to buy homes along Harvard Gulch and instead recommended voluntary flood-proofing, such as raising lots or filling basements. That report was mostly about Weir Gulch in west Denver, where dozens of homes had been identified for possible purchase. The Post said the city's Waterway Resiliency Program was estimated at $550 million overall.

The agreement on Monday's agenda is a separate, district-managed project focused on the reach below Colorado Boulevard.

What's next

• Monday, Nov. 2: First reading (agenda).
• Nov. 9 or later: Final vote.
• After that: The flood district continues design and construction. The city will use its $400,000 to acquire easements from property owners along the project.