Passengers in a hot air balloon last week got a bird’s-eye view of Resilient St. Vrain project work along the St. Vrain Creek east of County Line Road. The brown fabric pieces along the creek bank are erosion control blankets placed to stabilize the area until native planting takes place this fall. The erosion control blankets will safely biodegrade over time.

The hazy skies from western fires lend a sunset feel to this photo, despite being taken early in the morning. The erosion control blankets shown here have been placed atop buried soil riprap, chunks of rock buried deep to help strengthen the creek bank and help prevent it from washing away in future floods. Flood mitigation work such as this helps increase the creek’s resiliency and protect trails, access roads and infrastructure.