Restoring Jamestown After the 2013 Flood

“I am amazed at how many people still want to come up to Jamestown to help and we so appreciate the assistance. It brings hope to our residents that things can get back to normal, but we still need a lot of help.”

Nina Andaloro, Jamestown Volunteers and Donations Coordinator says the town is recovering after the flood of 2013 destroyed many houses and displaced 90% of the community. While the majority of residents have returned, there is still much work to be done. The Town has developed a comprehensive plan to bring back Jamestown’s natural beauty after the devastating floods and is now putting out a call for green-thumbed volunteers to participate in its “Bringing Beauty Back to Jamestown” project, an effort to restore the vegetation on private property along its flood-torn riparian way. Volunteers will be directly assisting homeowners with landscaping and gardening tasks each Saturday in May and June from 9:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.

The Colorado State University Extension Office in Boulder County, Horticulture Program, has been providing expert advice regarding plant and tree choices as well as resources. Last month, residents attended a workshop under the guidance of local Landscape Architect Becky Martinek to get residents started on creating design plans for their yards. Recently, a team of Landscape Architect volunteers met privately with residents to answer questions and give them suggestions on how to stabilize soil, provide proper drainage and to provide ideas on how to beautify their land.

Jamestown is also working with Garden to Garden, a group from Boulder, which has pulled together resources to bring plant donations to the Lyons and Jamestown Communities on May 31st. In addition, the Town is working with RETREET, a nonprofit group based in Texas that focuses on restoring trees in disaster areas, to host a volunteer tree planting weekend June 20th and21st. This group will work with a local nursery to purchase approximately 100 trees, which volunteers will then plant on private property.

The Town has also purchased a native seed cover crop by recommendation of soils scientist, Dr. Jean Reeder to restore nutrients and provide aeration for the flood damaged soil.

To address the issue of public land restoration, the Town has met with CO State Forester Keith Wood to help the Town choose trees appropriate for its region area and altitude. Jamestown Elementary School has also joined the effort with a strip of Town land granted to them by the Town Board to restore as part of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Project. The children have begun their analysis and will plant native species in the next few weeks.

Individuals and groups interested in lending a hand in any of the projects mentioned should contact Jamestown Volunteers and Donations Coordinator Nina Andaloro at [email protected] or 303-449-1806.

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