No more empty lakes in Monument Valley Park in Colorado Springs, with restorative face-lifts underway

Mar. 16—Birdsong and duck calls at two historic lakes in Colorado Springs that have been lacking their centuries-old picturesque charm have been overpowered in recent months by sounds from construction equipment excavating, tons of dirt being moved, trees being toppled and other revitalization work.

But soon, Shadow Lake in Monument Valley Park, adjacent to the main pavilion, and the nearby Duck Pond again will wear the glory of community pride that Colorado Springs city founder, Gen. William Jackson Palmer, intended.

"It's a (Gen.) Palmer deeded park — it's so special to the city," says Jacob Butterfield, capital projects coordinator for Colorado Springs' Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. "If we could bring back those lakes, it's going to make that place so beautiful."

Palmer donated the land for a "park for the people," which completed in 1907 with stunning walkways, gardens and other attractions.

But Shadow Lake and other park features were destroyed during the great flood of 1935, when Monument Creek rose above its banks and two of the park's four original lakes washed away.

Today, the busy Monument Valley Park, at 170 W. Cache la Poudre St., draws many recreationists year-round, who enjoy picnicking areas, playgrounds, pickleball courts, an outdoor swimming pool, basketball courts and a baseball stadium.

The 148-acre park also is known for its demonstration garden maintained by the Horticultural Art Society of Colorado Springs, and walking, jogging and bicycling trails that are frequently used for charity runs.

Views of Pikes Peak in the background and Monument Creek in the foreground complete the all-Colorado scene.

But in recent times, the park's two small lakes south of Uintah Street have been smelly eyesores.

More than a decade ago, the city stopped topping off Shadow Lake with fresh water, Butterfield said. Water from the lake was leaking back into the ground, and once the lake drained, it wasn't refilled. Weeds overtook Shadow Lake, and it's been dry except for snow and rain.

Water also seeped out of Duck Pond, a known duck habitat, but city workers had been refilling it as needed, until last year.

Because Monument Valley Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties, projects are bound by a covenant and monitored by an archaeologist, Butterfield said.

For example, Shadow Lake's center island must stay and be the same height, size and shape as before, Butterfield said.

But during the renovation, Shadow Lake has been dug deeper than it was, to about 10 feet, he said, and topped with a new rubber liner and more dirt.

The lake will be filled with non-potable, not fresh, water, Butterfield said, which is cheaper. An aeration system is being installed to provide oxygen for the entire lake and keep it healthier, he said. It will not be stocked with fish, according to Butterfield, but it will have concrete viewing platforms.

Grass, trees, wetland vegetation, other landscaping and irrigation also is planned for the $1.2 million project, which is being funded with 2019 voter-approved retention of the city's overage of revenue as defined by Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, or TABOR amendment.

Over the past 10 years, the Friends of Monument Valley Park, a nonprofit organization that financially supports park projects, has raised $500,000 through grants and donations to restore historic masonry around the park, said President Teri Peisner.

A $400,000 donation from Lyda Hill Philanthropies passed through the organization to the city to refurbish a brick wall that runs along the east side of Shadow Lake and reset the stonework around the lake's perimeter, which was removed for construction, she said.

"Shadow Lake and Duck Pond are an important part of our heritage and history," Peisner said. "They connect us to our past, and it would have been very sad to let them remain unkempt. Restoring them will attract more people and make the park safer."

Butterfield also believes more people will come, once the lakes are completed.

"There are already tons of people using Monument Valley Park," he said. "I could see that number easily doubling because it's going to be so beautiful again."

He wants to have Shadow Lake refilled by June.

The bids to redo Duck Pond were higher, between $1.5 million and $1.6 million, Butterfield said, and the city is still working on getting all its ducks to pay for that restoration.

City crews have started preparing Duck Pond by cutting down cottonwood and willow trees around the lake.

Some were diseased, others were at the end of their lifespans, and all will be replaced, some with cuttings the city horticulturist took from the old willows, Butterfield said.

"I know it was a big impact, but it's part of the project," Butterfield said. "We couldn't determine historical significance, and we're still keeping the same intent."

There's no timeline for the completion of the new Duck Pond, which will have a fountain and concrete viewing platforms, he said.