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DENVER — If you pass over the Speer viaduct, you probably have noticed the South Platte is flowing fast and high with all the recent rain. So, too, is Cherry Creek, making for water over bike paths and even green space.

“We are using some $4.2 million to re-do Shoemaker Plaza, which sits just west of the river,” said Mark Bernstein with Denver Parks. “The old ramps were not ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, so those will be changed. Grassy areas will be put in and new areas to sit and hang-out will be put in as well.”

Denver continues to add acres to the Urban Park System, which now totals more than 6,000 acres of ‘traditional’ parks, parkways, and natural areas. Eighty percent of that land is dedicated and protected for generations to come.

Denver Parks’ history goes back 146 years, from the first park created in 1868 to nearly 20,000 acres of urban and mountain park land today. From Sand Creek to the Confluence Park downtown, the city is adding parks and trails to the system.