Plan to Expand Colorado Reservoir Appears Abandoned

Community opposition and lack of funding halt proposal to significantly increase capacity of Bear Creek Lake in Lakewood

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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A plan to significantly expand the size of Bear Creek Lake in Lakewood, Colorado has been effectively abandoned, according to officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Colorado Water Conservation Board. The proposal would have increased the reservoir's capacity by up to 20,000 acre-feet, raising the water level by 64 feet and flooding 500 acres of the popular Bear Creek Lake Park. However, a lack of federal funding and strong community opposition have led the agencies to scale back the plans to only a 300 acre-foot increase, which would raise the lake level by just 3 feet and flood an additional 6 acres.

Why it matters

The proposed reservoir expansion had raised concerns among local residents and environmental groups about the impact on the heavily used Bear Creek Lake Park, including the loss of trails, trees, and wildlife habitat. The decision to abandon the larger expansion plans is seen as a victory for community advocates who argued the project was not worth the significant environmental and recreational trade-offs.

The details

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Colorado Water Conservation Board had been exploring options to increase the capacity of Bear Creek Lake, which was originally created for flood control purposes. The larger 20,000 acre-foot expansion plan would have come at a cost of $148 million, while a more modest 300 acre-foot increase is estimated at $3.5 million. However, the Corps has now indicated it will only pursue the smaller 300 acre-foot expansion due to a lack of additional federal funding.

  • The proposal to expand Bear Creek Lake has been under consideration for several years.
  • In early 2026, the Colorado Water Conservation Board was informed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would not be providing any additional funding beyond what was already budgeted to study the feasibility of the project.

The players

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The federal agency that had been exploring options to expand the capacity of Bear Creek Lake.

Colorado Water Conservation Board

The state agency that had been partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the reservoir expansion proposal.

Katie Gill

The director of the community group Save Bear Creek Lake Park, which opposed the reservoir expansion plans.

Erik Skeie

A staffer with the Colorado Water Conservation Board who provided updates on the status of the project.

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What they’re saying

“This is what gets preserved. Almost all of this.”

— Katie Gill, Director, Save Bear Creek Lake Park (cbsnews.com)

“We are fortunate that the costs were in our favor. But the Corps did take into account public opinion, and the opposition made a difference.”

— Katie Gill, Director, Save Bear Creek Lake Park (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Colorado Water Conservation Board will continue a feasibility study on the more modest 300 acre-foot expansion plan, but even that smaller project would need additional funding to move forward.

The takeaway

The decision to abandon the larger reservoir expansion proposal demonstrates the power of community advocacy to influence infrastructure projects that could have significant environmental and recreational impacts. It also highlights the challenges of balancing water storage needs with preserving public lands and natural resources.