Park Projects

May 27, 2020: The Bergen Ditch and Reservoir Company (BDRC) recently learned that it received a FEMA grant to provide funds for planning and engineering analysis on the Hine Lake Dam through the offices of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (CDNR), Dam Safety Branch.

BDRC owns and operates the dam to provide water to Foothills Park & Recreation District in order to irrigate Robert A. Easton Regional Park and the Meadows Golf Club.

As of last year, when some minor seepage was detected, the State had required BDRC to restrict the lake level until further analysis and any necessary repairs be made to the dam.

BDRC originally wanted to begin some investigation of the outlet structure and clean out the channel below the dam, however the State asked BDRC to hold on the work so those costs could be part of the grant funds. When the grant is fully signed by all parties involved and consultants are chosen, BDRC will begin the work in conjunction with the CDNR Dam Safety Branch, hopefully later in the year.

In the meantime, the lake level will be restricted until planning and all necessary repairs are complete.

Winter/Spring 2020: Channel cleaning

April 12, 2019: Foothills Park & Recreation District has been notified that the following operation will occur at our property, Robert Easton Regional Park.

The owners of the Polly Deane Dam and Reservoir also known as Hine Lake, located in the Robert Easton Regional Park, have continued to monitor the seepage area on the dam and are in the process of lowering the water level to help reduce seepage and allow for repair of the dam. The dam structure has been reinforced and officials have been attempting to lower the water level to allow for further evaluation and repairs. Unfortunately, the dam outlet capacity and other contributing factors do not allow sufficient drainage flow to meet State regulations in a timely manner. Therefore, within the next couple of days, an additional pumping operation will commence which will use an auxiliary pump to increase drainage flows which will meet the State Engineer’s requested time frame. This pumping will release water through the spillway and water will flow through channels and greenways situated east of the dam. View a map of the direction of anticipated flows. This operation will likely continue for several weeks. Residents will notice increased construction activity around the dam, and more water than is typically seen in the waterways downstream from the dam. Engineers will calibrate the amount of water to be released so as not to cause damage and flooding. The flow areas will be monitored daily and pumping rates adjusted as needed to avoid unintentional flooding As water continues to be released, additional investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of possible damage to the dam and what mitigation efforts will be required to be performed by the owner.

Jeffco Emergency Management, Colorado Dam Safety, and the Colorado Office of Emergency Management will continue to monitor the situation at the dam and provide updates as needed.

April 8, 2019: The Polly Deane Dam and the body of water known as Hine Lake is located in Robert Easton Regional Park which is a Foothills owned and operated park facility. Though the dam is owned by the Bergen Ditch and Reservoir Company, the District has some ownership of the company for irrigation purposes and is working closely with Bergen and State of Colorado Dam Safety officials to monitor and assist with necessary repairs to the dam.

The following press release was issued on Friday, April 5, 2019 from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office:

“Emergency Management has been monitoring a dam safety issue with the Polly Deane Dam, also known as Hine Lake,  located in the Robert Easton Regional Park. On March 28, during a routine inspection of the dam, Bergen Ditch & Reservoir Co. (the owner) noted seepage in the area of the spillway. They notified the Colorado Department of Natural Resource’s Dam Safety Division and began monitoring the situation. Over the next 48 hours, increased soil erosion was observed and triggered an “Unusual Conditions Alert“ at the state level. Further investigation of the dam found that tree roots had grown into a seepage discharge pipe and allowed water to escape around it. This situation was deemed to not be an imminent threat to the surrounding community.

The owners and Dam Safety engineers have devised a mitigation plan to stem the flow of water and allow for repair of the dam. They reinforced the dam structure and officials are now lowering the reservoir to a point where they can access the weakened area and fix it. The water is currently being lowered and this will continue for up to several weeks. Residents will notice increased construction activity around the dam, and more water in the waterways downstream from the dam. There is no indication that a significant release of water or a dam failure is likely.

Jeffco Emergency Management, Colorado Dam Safety, and the Colorado Office of Emergency Management will continue to monitor the situation at the dam and provide updates as needed.”