Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering hosted the first-ever Hydrology History Bike Tour to promote the upcoming Hydrology Days 2026 conference.
The tour began at the Daryl B. Simons Engineering Research Center at the CSU Foothills Campus. Participants heard about current research in the Hydraulics Lab from Ph.D. student Sam Kraus.
“In Dr. Chien-Yung Tseng‘s lab, we study flows around vegetation,” said Kraus. “We use fluorescent dyes and laser sheet optics to obtain turbulent velocity and concentration measurements. This can improve our knowledge of contaminant transport and mixing around aquatic plants.”
Professor Neil Grigg served as the guide for the scenic 10-mile bike route along the Overland Trail and Cache la Poudre River. The group visited the historic 1883 Water Works, the first public water supply system for the City of Fort Collins. Dick Spiess with Friends of the Water Works shared the history of the buildings, original pumps, and the canal and dam outside.
They made their way to Watson Lake to visit the Bellvue Fish Hatchery, built in 1924. The hatchery produces more than one million trout each year. The group saw firsthand efforts at ecologic restoration and adaptive design concepts, such as a nearby fish ladder on the Cache la Poudre.
The group then pedaled to the New Belgium Brewery for a well-deserved cool-down and social hour.
“The tour was fun, relaxed, and educational. I especially enjoyed sharing the experience of learning about the 1883 Fort Collins Water Works – hydrology and history in one place!” shared Ken Reardon, associate dean for research in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering.
Hydrology Days organizing committee chairs Carl Patterson-Markowitz, Alexandria Rodgers, and Michael Talbot created this opportunity to celebrate the department’s strong history of water and bring the community together.
“The bike tour was an amazing way to experience the unique history of our community and the university that helped shaped this region’s water access,” said Rodgers. I am beyond thankful to share my time at CSU with such an adventurous group and am thankful for everyone who came out to support the event!
“Studying the history of hydrologic and hydraulics research in Colorado is a fantastic reminder of just how far we’ve come, both scientifically and technologically,” said Talbot. “That perspective feels especially valuable as we face an uncertain future for water resources in the western U.S.”
