By Shannon Lukens.
As the snow melts, waterways are riding. Sand stations are being set up in Steamboat Springs at Stehley Park and Short & James streets. The city streets division will provide sand and sandbags as needed, but the homeowner has to fill them up and place them. The list is below where other sand stations may be set up during peak runoff.
Press release from the City of Steamboat Springs; April 11, 2024.
Sand Stations Strategically Located Near Key Waterways
City Residents Must Obtain Bags, Fill Them & Place
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-April 11, 2024-The city’s sand stations ebb and flow just like the waterways they are located near. In anticipation of rising water, the first sand stations at Stehley Park and Short & James have been established and are standing by should anyone need sandbags as run off season starts churning.
“During runoff, different areas surge at different times with the Yampa River generally hitting its peak in late May or early June,” commented Streets Superintendent David Van Winkle. “Since we’re only into early April and with a lot of snow remaining at higher elevations, we’ll be monitoring areas for flooding until those peaks are reached over the coming months.”
This week, the Yampa River is hovering around 300 cubic feet per second but swelled to 600 cfs over the weekend. Water temperatures have remained very cold, fluctuating between 30-45°F for the past week. Waterways will continue to rise with melting snow and area precipitation, which remains in the forecast.
The Streets Division supplies sand and sandbags for residential properties within city limits that need them on a case-by-case basis. The homeowner needs to fill and place sandbags. Commercial properties and residential neighborhoods with frequent needs must acquire their own sandbags.
Typically, the following sand stations will become available as needed to city residents when different streams and creeks move toward peak runoff:
- Stehley Park
- Crawford and Pahwintah
- Honeysuckle Lane
- Short and James
- 9th and Pine
- Meadowwood Lane
- Pamela Lane
- Stone Lane
Contact Streets at 970.819.2291 during office hours, or dispatch at 970.879.1144 after hours (after trying the Streets’ number) to access materials. If calling Dispatch, it’s important to leave your name, address, and callback number. If you are experiencing a flooding emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
If outside city limits, check with your local municipality or Routt County on availability of sand and sandbags. The USGS monitoring site on the Yampa River at the 5th Street Bridge tracks water temperature, discharge, and gage height among other data.