Boulder’s Greenways System is a series of corridors along Boulder Creek and its 14 tributaries, which provide an opportunity to integrate multiple planning objectives, including habitat protection, water quality enhancement, storm drainage and floodplain management, recreation, and bicycle and pedestrian transportation routes.
The purpose of the Greenways Program is to extend the stewardship of the City of Boulder to the important riparian areas along the tributaries of Boulder Creek. Development of the Greenways program is the result of strategic and interdepartmental planning initiated based on the vision of Boulder’s City Council in the mid-1980s. It was created on the basis of recognition that stream corridors are a vital link in the larger environmental system and that each stream is a natural and cultural resource.
The Greenways Program is administered by the Public Works Department in conjunction with the Planning, Open Space and Mountain Parks, and Parks and Recreation Departments. Funding for the program stems from different sources including the State’s Lottery Fund, the Stormwater and Floodwater Management Utility Fund, the Transportation Fund, and the Open Space and Mountain Parks department.