Spring Snowmelt, Sump Pumps and Homes Near Little Dry Creek

Englewood's creeks and river

Little Dry Creek flows through Englewood on its way to the South Platte River, passing near downtown and the CityCenter area. A 1974 drainage plan by the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District described a May 1973 storm in which water ponded behind the Clarkson Street roadway fill and flooded nearby houses and a church.

Much has changed since then, and the creek has been the focus of flood control and redevelopment work over the years. One Mile High Flood District project rebuilt roughly 500 feet of channel just west of the Broadway overpass near downtown. It added a naturalized channel, a new outfall and new trails.

The South Platte runs along the city's west side. The June 1965 flood on that river damaged communities including Englewood, and Chatfield Dam was built upstream afterward to control river floods.

Surface flooding, groundwater and sewer backups

The City of Englewood's flood hazard information points out that property can be affected by more than creek flooding. Groundwater intrusion and sewer backups are separate risks, and each needs a different fix.

Surface water comes in through window wells, doors or low spots after heavy rain or fast snowmelt. Groundwater seeps through the floor and walls when the water table rises. Sewer backups come up through floor drains when the main line is overwhelmed or blocked. A sump pump handles groundwater. It does not stop a sewer backup, which is a separate problem covered on our drain cleaning page.

Sump pump upgrades and what they solve

Not every home needs every upgrade. These are the common ones and what they address.

Timing your spring checks

Along the Front Range, March is typically Denver's snowiest month, and heavy, wet spring storms often melt within days. That combination sends a lot of water into the ground quickly, right when many sump pumps have been sitting idle since the previous summer.

A good habit is to test the pump in late February or early March, then again after the first big melt. If you have a battery backup, check it at the same time. It takes ten minutes and catches most failures before they matter.

Window wells and basement doors

Basement window wells collect snow and rain, and a well without a working drain can fill like a bucket and push water through the window. Clear leaves and debris from window wells in the fall, check that each has a drain or gravel base, and consider clear covers on wells that fill often.

Exterior basement stairwells usually have a floor drain at the bottom. If it is clogged with leaves, water pools against the door. Clearing it is a simple spring task that prevents a surprising number of wet basements. While you are outside, check that the sump discharge line is not buried under a snowbank or blocked by ice.

Outside the house: grading and downspouts

Much of the water that ends up in a sump pit starts on the roof. Downspouts that dump next to the foundation send snowmelt and storm water straight down along the basement walls. Extensions that carry water several feet away, and soil graded to slope away from the house, reduce how hard the pump has to work.

Sump discharge should follow the same principle. The IPC (International Plumbing Code) does not allow groundwater to be drained into a sewer meant only for sewage, so the pump should discharge outside, away from the foundation and not toward a neighbor's property.

Flood insurance is separate

The City of Englewood notes that standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood losses, and that flood insurance is available whether or not a property is in a mapped floodplain. Renters can insure their contents even if the owner does not insure the building.

You can look up your address on the Mile High Flood District's flood hazard map, which the city links from its flood hazard page. Check it, and your policy, before spring rather than after water arrives. Sump pump failure and sewer backup coverage are also often separate riders.

If water gets in

Keep clear of standing water near outlets, and cut power at the breaker panel only if you can reach it dry. The city also reminds residents never to walk or drive through moving floodwater, since six inches can knock a person down.

If the pump has failed, our sump pump repair service responds 24/7. Once the water source is under control, drying the basement is a separate job, covered on our water mitigation page.

Homes near Bear Creek in neighboring Sheridan face similar spring groundwater, so the same pump check applies there.