Dove Creek Channel Restoration

Designing a High Functioning Low Maintenance Channel

Collaboration across various entities helped restore 2,200 feet of the Dover Creek stream channel and corridor, transforming a degraded portion into a resilient, lower maintenance ecosystem. Using a natural channel design, RESPEC sized a stable bankfull channel and overbanks capable of conveying a wide range of flows without excessive erosion or deposition. Step-pool structures were incorporated to manage shear stress and forebays were strategically placed to capture sediment and improve long-term water quality.

RESPEC provided both design and construction oversight, coordinating closely with Concrete Express Inc., the Southeast Metro Stormwater Authority (SEMSWA), the Mile High Flood District, and the Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority to keep the project running smoothly from start to finish. Our team maintained strong communication across partners, inspected construction progress, and adapted design details in the field to improve constructability, enhance practicality, and reduce costs without compromising quality or function.

Working with our environmental subconsultant, CORVUS, RESPEC also identified an innovative Clean Water Act Section 404 compliance strategy that secured a jurisdictional determination and saved SEMSWA more than $200,000 in compensatory wetland mitigation costs.

Reduced Maintenance and Improved Performance Along Dove Creek

The restored Dove Creek corridor now functions as a resilient stream system that supports habitat, improves water quality, and reduces maintenance demands. Recognized with the 2025 American Public Works Association Award for Large Environmental Project, the work demonstrates how collaborative, process-based design delivers durable results for both agencies and the communities they serve.