EXISTING CONDITION Landscape Condition
Summary of Landscape Characteristics Boyd Smelter/ Mill Site is a two-acre archeological site and public open space on Boulder Creek, located adjacent to Canyon Boulevard and west of Boulder Municipal Court. The site is owned and operated by the City of Boulder and is designated as a local historic archeological landmark. Boyd Smelter/ Mill Site is on the north bank of Boulder Creek. Its embankments are covered with riparian species including cottonwoods, willows, and dense multi-stemmed shrubs. The majority of the site is a large open level area with trees and covered in tall grasses where smelter operations and reservoirs were located. 20 During construction of Canyon Boulevard in the 1960s, excess material from roadway construction was deposited on the smelter site. As a result many features associated with smelting and milling, including the buildings foundations and reservoirs, were buried under fill material. Natural Systems Boulder Creek was historically, and continues to be, the major stream in the Boulder area. Beginning high in the Rocky Mountains, this segment of Boulder Creek was an ecologically diverse stream with riparian and wetland vegetation that supported a wide range of wildlife. By 1873, the banks of Boulder Creek resembled an industrial site more than a stream. 21 Boulder Creek was the ideal location for smelting and milling operations in the late 19th and early 20th century due to the abundance of fresh water needed for industrial operations. Portions of Boulder Creekâs banks were altered for smelting and mining operations. Sunshine Creek is a stream flowing into Boulder Creek. It was diverted into a canal to accommodate these operations. 22 The canal was eventually removed and Sunshine Creek returned to its approximate original channel. 23 The appearances of Boulder Creek and Sunshine Creek have changed since the period of significance. Although the river channels have changed, both waterways retain historic qualities and are character-defining features of Boyd Smelter/ Mill Site. Topography The site topography north of Boulder Creek is man-made, having been altered by smelting and mining operations historically and by Canyon Boulevard construction and changes to the river channels. Many original features and landforms were buried under fill material that was spread across the site during the 1960s. 24 Historic photographs of the site indicate the area was open with two reservoirs located west of the smelter building during the mining operations. Reservoir No. 1 and Reservoir No. 2 were enclosed by earthen berms on the south side and concrete dam/headgates at the east and west ends. The reservoirs were filled in the 1960s. Portions of the earthen berms remain visible, but are obscured by dense vegetation. 25
Figure 1-3. Boulder Creek, 2020 (source: Mundus Bishop)
Circulation
20 Smith, Cultural Resource Survey , 4. 21 Mundus Bishop, Boyd Smelter Site , 5. 22 Ibid., 7. 23 Smith, Cultural Resource Survey , 4. 24 Mundus Bishop, Boyd Smelter Site , 9. 25 Smith, Cultural Resource Survey , 9.
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