Ralston Creek

The City of Arvada and Mile High Flood District (MHFD) are leading the Ralston Creek at Croke Canal Stream Stabilization Project to improve stream health, enhance flood resilience, and restore the corridor’s stability. Naranjo Civil Constructors (NCC) has been selected as the general contractor, with Olsson as the design engineers and Valerian as the landscape architects.

This section of Ralston Creek, located near the Westwoods subdivision just west of the Croke Canal crossing, was heavily impacted by the September 2013 floods, resulting in channel instability, property damage, and embankment breaches along the Croke Canal. This project will address those challenges while also improving pedestrian access and ecological conditions in the area.

Key Project Features

• Channel stabilization and flood resilience by increasing the flow capacity of Ralston Creek at the Croke Canal crossing to reduce future flood risks

• Replacement of the existing pedestrian bridge with a larger, flood-resilient structure to prevent constrictions in the floodplain

• Improvements to the Ralston Creek Trail for better safety, connectivity, and alignment for pedestrians and cyclists

• Vegetation and habitat restoration through the removal of overgrown and hazardous trees while strategically planting new vegetation to support wildlife and stream health

• Natural stream design using sustainable, aesthetic, and resilient stabilization techniques to enhance the ecological function of the creek

This project is a collaboration between MHFD, the City of Arvada, Olsson, Valerian, and NCC to restore Ralston Creek while balancing flood protection, recreation, and environmental stewardship.