In May 2006, a foe unlike any other challenged the project and the wits of Colorado's restoration team. The city of Black Hawk contracted with ACC to mitigate approximately half an acre of wetland damaged by the construction of a water treatment plant on the north fork of Clear Creek. Begun in May of 2006, the wetland mitigation was a $53,000 project with a May 2007 completion date.

What began as a routine reclamation, erosion control and seeding project on a small parcel of land became difficult when a homesteading beaver family laid claim to part of the creek.

“A beaver built a dam across Clear Creek to divert the water to his new pond,” said Lynn Venter, project manager for the city of Black Hawk. “We drained the pond, installed outflow pipes under the beaver dam to regulate the level of water and thought our work was done.”

The team returned to the jobsite the following week to discover that the beavers had rebuilt the dam over the weekend. They had also plugged the outflow with branches.

The crew knocked down part of the beaver dam in the creek and used sandbags to cut back flow into the pond. A coconut turf reinforcement mat was used to protect the face of the dam holding the beaver pond.

“ACC provided extra sandbags and made extra trips to the site to assist in the maintenance effort,” said Lynn.

Another challenge on the project was the late start. The willows onsite were budded out, so the city collected dormant willows from higher elevations. ACC planted the willows and fenced off selected areas to prevent the beavers from harvesting them for their dam construction. The areas of fencing created a checkerboard effect over the site.

Despite an obvious communication barrier between the beavers and the ACC team, there were no lost-time accidents or injuries to humans or beavers.

Black Hawk Wetlands
Black Hawk

Silver Hard Hat Award

Magic Sky Ranch, built by Heath Construction for the Girl Scouts Mile High Council, is the largest outdoor resource for girls in Colorado. The $8.2-million, multi-building, 750-acre environmentally friendly mountain campus is located near Red Feather Lakes northwest of Fort Collins. Heath constructed 14 ADA-compliant structures under extreme conditions and met all architectural requirements demanded by the unique mountain setting.
 
The 10,000-sq-ft dining center presented the greatest structural challenge. An immense 53-ft-high stone fireplace and chimney anchors the building’s southwest corner. The walls are raked and non-parallel, creating a vaulted ceiling and corner that rise to accentuate the fireplace.

Extending beyond the chimney, the roof features a seven-ft, bi-directional cantilever supported by tube steel. The majority of the roof is supported by 55 long-span trusses, graduating in size from 60-ft to 80-ft lengths. The center’s west side is a radius wall and covered, wrap-around deck.

Heath also built:

• An 8,000-sq-ft activity center with rock-climbing wall, classrooms, indoor/outdoor stage and amphitheater;
• A 42-stall equestrian center;
• Six all-weather, 24-person cabins;
• Four seasonal, 16-person cabins;
• A shower/bath house and boardwalk system linking to cabins. 

Heath installed and managed every aspect of the camp’s environmentally friendly, self-contained operation, including:

• efficient, in-floor radiant heat in the cabins;
• excavation rock reused for retaining walls;
• an onsite sewage treatment plant that returns purified water to the creek;
• a riding arena base and walkway surface material mined and processed onsite.

Magic Sky Ranch
Red Feather Lakes

Bronze Hard Hat Award

Trail Ridge Road, located in Rocky Mountain National Park, is the highest continuously paved road in the continental United States. Because of the high altitude reaching 12,183 ft—and exposure to the elements, park roads are subject to strong winds and rapid weather changes. Trail Ridge Road is the main road that connects Estes Park on the east side to Grand Lake on the west side of the park.

Kiewit Western Co. was contracted for the $10.1-million project to complete critical safety repairs on the 75-year-old road. Construction began in April and was completed in fall 2007.

Heath installed and managed every aspect of the camp’s environmentally friendly, self-contained operation, including:

• Reconstructed and resurfaced approximately 7.8 mi. of road between Deer Ridge Junction and Rainbow Curve;
• Leveled six roadway spots totaling 1.5 mi. between Forest Canyon Overlook and the Colorado River Trailhead, where the road buckled from freeze-thaw conditions;
• Completed 34 subexcavation locations in the lower mainline section and an additional eight locations in the spot-repair areas;
• Installed 623 ft of CMP drainage pipe;
• Placed 24,000 tons of Superpave pavement. Signing and striping occurred throughout the project.

Wildlife, subalpine and alpine ecosystems are located within the work zone. The project used proven best management practices such as limiting the disturbed work area and preserving and relocating fragile tundra to maintain the integrity of the local environment.

Because of the elevation, the only time to complete major construction is during the summer. Before the road reopened to visitors in May, lower portions were closed at Deer Ridge Junction for construction.

Trail Ridge Road
Rocky Mountain National Park

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