From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):

The $350,000 request is part of a $1 million project that includes a test of a 30-foot collector near the confluence with the Arkansas River to remove sediment from flowing water in Fountain Creek in order to preserve the ability of the levee system to protect homes and businesses from flooding.

The larger project also includes a detention pond in north Pueblo that is designed to reduce the peak flow of moderate floods. City, state and federal funds are being used to finance the effort. On Thursday, Pueblo stormwater consultant Dennis Maroney presented commissioners with a list of projects that could qualify for funding under a $2.2 million settlement reached by the county with Colorado Springs Utilities last year. The money fulfilled the commitment by Colorado Springs to pay for dredging Fountain Creek through Pueblo under the 1041 permit for the Southern Delivery System. The sediment collection system is the most immediate need. Maroney requested about $350,000 to cover costs to complete site preparation, install the collector and haul sediment to nearby land the city owns on Joplin Avenue.