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Explore South Boulder Creek: South Boulder Natural Area

View overlooking a slow moving creek with trees and tall grasses on either side.

South Boulder Creek Natural Area

South Boulder Creek Natural Area is one of five Colorado Natural Areas designated on Open Space and Mountain Parks land. This statewide program recognizes and protects areas that have unique or high-quality natural features. This area along South Boulder Creek is recognized because of the high-quality ecosystems that lie along the creek, including wetlands and plains riparian forests, and the important wildlife that live here. One of the animals found here is the federally protected Preble’s meadow jumping mouse.

Besides preserving ecosystem and animal habitats, why is it important to conserve areas like this one?

A concrete structure with slots that can be made larger or smaller sits across a shallow stream to divert water.

Changing the Flow

As you head south on the South Boulder Creek Trail, watch for pipes and manmade structures in and alongside the creek. Be sure to turn onto the Goldenrod Trail briefly to admire the view over the bridge and to test out an old ditch headgate. Before crossing under South Boulder Road you’ll get an up close look at a headgate for McGinn Ditch. The wheels on top get turned a certain amount depending on how much water should be going into the ditch. How much water enters the ditch depends on water rights. Want to see more ditches? Take a tour of the ditches that helped develop the City of Boulder.

Using ditches and diversions to move water from where creeks are flowing to where we need it is just one of the ways humans have altered this landscape. How else have humans changed the landscape you’re about to walk through, for better or worse?