The Longmont City Manager has issued an emergency order mandating no swimming, tubing, boating, or other form of watercraft or other activity on the St. Vrain and Left Hand Creeks within  the Longmont City limits until further notice. 

The higher than normal spring runoff combined with the unusual increase in rain this spring has contributed to these dangerous circumstances. Longmont Fire Services and the swift water team tested conditions over the weekend and, even with the proper training and equipment, trained professionals experienced turbulent conditions and recommended the city ban.

Last week, Boulder County implemented a ban for the entire county for the St. Vrain River. Longmont’s ban will cover the St. Vrain River in Longmont as well as the Left Hand Creek. “We ask that the general public respect the ban on the City’s waterways for their own safety,” Dan Eamon, Longmont’s Emergency Manager said. “We have implemented a ban because the river currents are dangerously fast right now.” 

Despite the ban on activity on Left Hand Creek and the St Vrain River, Eamon believes there is no current imminent threat of flooding.

An additional danger to swimming, tubing, boating and other watercraft is the large rocks, concrete slabs, fallen trees, construction materials, and other debris that has now created a higher level of risk to users of these two creeks and to the community. 

Given the risks created and increased by the flood, and exacerbated by these channel obstructions and the anticipated higher than normal spring runoff along the St. Vrain and Left Hand Creeks, this order extends to the  Longmont city limits and applies until it is cancelled or revoked by the city manager. When the City enacted a similar ban in May 2014 it was in effect through much of the spring and summer. See the emergency order.

Several areas along the St. Vrain and Left Hand Greenways have been closed. Please respect all closures and use alternate routes; plan ahead with our Trail Status Map at www.LongmontColorado.gov/trail-status.

Residents can find information on flood preparedness and safety, as well as local creek conditions at www.bit.ly/floodpreparedness. It is important that residents stay vigilant throughout spring runoff season and to be informed and prepared as conditions could change rapidly.