Rain backs off after wet start to week

The intersection of Highway 24 and 26th Street was temporarily a lake during a rainstorm the afternoon of July 16. The photo looks from the southwest. The cloudburst capped several straight days of similar weather, resulting in periodic closures of roads up Ute Pass or into Manitou Springs. The forecast had called for more of the same through the weekend, but the forecast changed to sunny weather, although isolated thunderstorms are possible. Westside Pioneer photo

Finished less than a month ago, the new Camp Creek sediment basin/detention pond at the north end of the Garden of the Gods “reduced the velocity and flow of water along the Camp Creek drainage” during a major rainfall July 16, a city press release states. Otherwise, assessments from the City Streets Division “show minor debris in reported locations, mainly in north and west Colorado Springs,” the release notes. “There was no major damage to the stormwater infrastructure and the system remains functional and intact.” Also according to the release, Public Works crews were cleaning up areas all over the city “where debris flowed into streets and the public right-of-way.” About four acres in all and 10 feet deep, the Camp Creek pond's purpose is to slow the water long enough to settle out much of the dirt it's carrying, city engineers have said. This photo was taken from 30th Street. Westside Pioneer photo

(Posted 7/16/14, updated 7/18/14; Community: Ongoing Issues)

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