CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A Cheyenne creek known by residents for its frequent flooding and overgrown vegetation is getting an upgrade.
The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to adopt the 2023 Dry Creek Drainage plan, a report drafted by the Cheyenne-based GLM Design Group that provides an updated flood-control and creek restoration plan for the Dry Creek Basin.
Dry Creek, which is located on the north and east side of Cheyenne, is a tributary of Crow Creek and has its headwaters located on F.E. Warren Air Force Base. The city has experienced drainage issues along the creek that can be attributed to multiple factors, including historically poor drainage planning and a low maintenance budget. As a result, the channel is overgrown with vegetation and filled with sediment, restricting the flow of the creek and causing flooding.
The most recent major flood event was in August 1985, when an intense thunderstorm produced 7 inches of precipitation in the downtown area. The event caused flash flooding across the city and in nearby Crow Creek and Dry Creek. The floods left behind 12 fatalities, 70 injuries and $61 million in damages. The last drainage plan was made in 1988 but was never fully implemented due to funding limitations, according to the 2023 report.
Before the 2023 plan was approved by the council, several community members came forward during a public hearing to express their support for it.
Among them was Harry LaBonde, former director of the Wyoming Water Development Office. The retired civil engineer previously served as Public Works director for the City of Riverton and Laramie. LaBonde reviewed the plan and encouraged the council to adopt it. He was concerned, however, that the financial restrictions would prevent the plan from being implemented.
“Putting forth an updated plan is a good first step,” he said during the meeting. “but as we all know Implementing that or features of the plan is really where the rubber meets the road.”
LaBonde suggested that the city create a separate utility fund targeted toward stormwater management. Those funds can help with creek maintenance and also be used to match federal or state grants, he said.
Those who came forward at the hearing also agreed with this idea, including resident Steve Acker. Acker is an avid supporter and user of the city’s Greenway along Dry Creek, and doesn’t like to see the pathways flooded. He believes taxpayers should be responsible for paying for the creek’s upgrades, instead of the city requesting funding from the state or federal government.
“I think it would be a good way to step up to the plate and show that, as a community, we are willing to pay for improvement we want … and not force our improvements on to others,” he said during the meeting.
Taking residents’ concerns into consideration, Councilmember Pete Laybourn reminded the council that the city recently experienced one of its wetter springs. According to the National Weather Service in Cheyenne, the city received approximately 25% of its yearly average rainfall in the month of June, which is tied for third most on record. July also set records for the area, as the year-to-date precipitation of 10.51 inches was 2.29 inches above average. A flood like the one in 1988 is a likely possibility, he said, and the city needs to be prepared.
“It isn’t a question of if, it’s a question of when,” he said during the meeting. “With the adoption of this plan we have the beginnings of a program to over time deal with the issue.”
