150 years ago, wetlands were mainly found along creeks in the Boulder area. Now, they are spread across the landscape, along ditches and laterals and into irrigated fields and drainage collection areas.

Some changes:

• Ephemeral creeks like Sunshine Creek, Goose Creek and Four Mile Canyon Creek now flow more permanently because of return groundwater flow from ditches and lawn irrigation.
• About 20 percent of all wetlands on OSMP lands are in fields directly irrigated by ditches.
• Wetlands around lake perimeters, from ditch seepage and from field run-off, account for an additional, substantial amount of total wetlands.
• Some original wetlands along creeks have been lost due to ditches taking water out of the creek

Wetlands are now found in irrigated fields, in drainage collection areas, along irrigation ditches and laterals, and around man-made lakes.

New places to find wetlands:

Left to right: Riparian plants in East Boulder Ditch; Wetlands below irrigated fields; Leaking Silver Lake Ditch pipe, wetlands below