Sustainably Managing Water: Inside the John Denver Sanctuary’s River Cleanup Project

The John Denver Sanctuary is nestled in the heart of Aspen, next to the Rio Grande Park, where summer theater takes place, families picnic, and tourists come to admire the lush gardens.

Years ago, there was one significant problem affecting the Roaring Fork River: it was polluted.

In a session at Greenbuild titled Sustainably Managing Water and Waste: Stormwater Treatment and Green Restroom Facilities, speaker Clean River Program Manager April Long discussed what went into cleaning up the river. This month, we're revisiting this session to revisit how their strategy was so successful.

The Pollutant of Concern

Among the problems affecting the water quality, stormwater runoff was the main concern for aquatic life within the park river. Specifically, the pollutant of concern found in their water test samples was TSS (Total Suspended Solids/Sediment). Essentially, TSS particles can consist of sand, sediment, algae, bacteria that can be classified as toxic compounds detrimental to aquatic life.

TSS can cause a range of problems for aquatic life causing murky water which slows photosynthesis for aquatic plants, clogging fish gills, as well as harmful affects for humans.

The source of the elevated levels of TSS in the water were traced back to the stormwater runoff from excessive rain and snow melting from the previous winter.

Taking Action

The parks department created a plan of action to make the river cleaner and healthier for the water surrounding wetlands and for visitors.

The plan's first step was removing impervious areas where hard surfaces couldn't permeate, causing excess runoff into the river while mimicking nature as much as possible.

The parks department created a treatment facility tasked with removing the sediment to make that water quality cleaner and healthier. The water treatment facility was built in underground vaults to treat the river water before it enters the river flow.

As water exists, it goes right into the park, where it settles in forebays where the larger minerals can drop to the bottom, lined with grout so that any excess particles can be vacuumed out.

In Conclusion

The John Denver Sanctuary initially saw 100mg per liter of TSS entering the treatment facility and leaving discharging 4mg per liter (96% removal rate).

As the water level rises from stormwater runoff, the overflow will infiltrate mini wetlands that filter the pollutants and slow the water down, making it a very scalable strategy.

The river cleanup project greatly benefited the park and surrounding areas. Park staff reported seeing the return of pollinators and animal life return to the area now that the water quality has vastly improved. Park staff have even indicated that visitors can swim in the lower parts of the river.

For more information regarding the John Denver Sanctuary, visit Aspen Chamber’s website: https://aspenchamber.org/plan-trip/trip-highlights/john-denver-sanctuary