According to the U.S. Climate Data, Cheyenne’s average annual precipitation is 15.94 inches. However, from the beginning of the year until August 4, the city has seen 16.85 inches of precipitation. That’s a lot of water, and we’re only a week shy of making it halfway through the year.
With all the rain we have been receiving this summer, the city is struggling to keep certain areas of the Greenway dry. Much of the problem is because many of our Greenway underpasses tend to be in flood-prone or low-lying areas that are next to creeks. For these areas, flooding of the Greenway really depends on the amount of rain and the creek levels. Many areas flood when the creek levels get too high and start seeping onto the path or underpasses. Many of our underpasses have pumps to help remove water, but if water continuously flows back into them, running these pumps doesn’t help and will ultimately burn the pumps out. Pumps are costly to repair or replace.
New pumps were recently installed at the underpass at North College Drive, and we are working to get these up and running. We believe we have a clogged or, more than likely, a crushed drainpipe that will need to be replaced, and we are working on it for the underpass at Dell Range Boulevard. At the underpass at Yellowstone Road, the creek remains higher than the discharge pipe, and we will need to wait for the creek level to lower at the underpass at U.S. 30; the pumps are working, but the creek remains higher than the path. For all underpasses, users can expect these flooded areas to dry out once the rain stops.
Now for some good news: we have been working with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, which intends to reconstruct a portion of U.S. 30 near the U.S. 30 Greenway underpass starting in 2024. With this project, we will fully rebuild the underpass to remove it from the bottom of the creek. This reconstruction should keep the new underpass mostly dry instead of almost always wet.
For now, the city asks that when water is present in underpasses, use caution in crossing the water as the sediment buildup tends to be a bit slick, and choosing not to enter the water might be your best choice. If you are using the Greenway for recreational purposes, can you turn around and head in the direction you came from? If you must cross over a busy street, please find the nearest signalized intersection to cross safely.
We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through the heavy rain and flooding issues. It would be great to have the rain stop for at least a little while!
