Sloan's Lake covers 177 acres and draws about 2 million visitors a year for boating, kayaking, paddleboarding and fishing. Most of that water is now about as deep as a kitchen counter is high. The City of Denver says large parts of the lake average 2.5 to 3 feet deep. Historically it ran 8 to 12 feet.
The city's September 2 announcement proposed $50 million to start fixing that. Up to $40 million of it would come from the redevelopment of the former St. Anthony Central Hospital site, just south of the park. The new apartments and the movie theater on that site are on track to pay for most of the first round of lake repairs. That first round is only part of the full job.
Sloan's Lake is a drain for much more than its own neighborhood. The Denver Post reported that large parts of Denver, Edgewater, Lakewood and Wheat Ridge drain into it, carrying sand, sediment and street grime that settle on the bottom. According to Colorado Politics, the thickest sediment sits in the western part of the lake near Sheridan Boulevard.
Shallow water warms up fast. The city says the sediment contributes to poor water quality and harmful algal blooms, which lower oxygen levels and kill fish. The Colorado Sun reported that a heat and algae fish kill in July 2024 killed more than 2,000 carp and crappie. In 2025, Denver Parks raised concerns about dead fish, warm shallow water, blue-green algae and untreated runoff, and the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival moved to September that year, the Denver Post reported in May. The 2026 festival ran August 29 and 30. Denver Parks planned phosphorus treatment beforehand and held off on other lake event permits through the first weekend of September.
The city has already made smaller fixes, including reshaping parts of the shoreline and installing aerators, Denverite reported. Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval, whose district includes the lake, told the Denver Post that a cleanup has been in city plans since at least 2002.
In 2013, the Denver Urban Renewal Authority approved tax-increment financing, or TIF, for the former St. Anthony Central Hospital site. That 32-acre area sits between North Perry and Stuart streets and between West Colfax and 17th avenues. The Denver Post explains TIF this way: when property values rise because of redevelopment, the extra property tax that growth produces helps pay for parts of the project. In this district, TIF has helped fund the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, The Raleigh at Sloan's Lake apartments and Vida at Sloan's, a Denver Housing Authority building for seniors and people with disabilities.
The district is bringing in more than planned. Mayor Mike Johnston said the project has been "so successful ahead of schedule that we have additional dollars we can allocate," according to Denverite. To use that money for the lake, the mayor's office is asking DURA to add the lake to the district.
| Proposed source | Amount |
|---|---|
| St. Anthony Urban Redevelopment Area | Up to $40 million |
| Vibrant Denver Bond, approved by voters in 2025 | $5 million |
| City Wastewater Enterprise Fund | About $5 million |
| Total | About $50 million |
The city says this funding will not raise taxes or affect the city budget. Councilwoman Jamie Torres, whose west Denver district sits just south of the lake, called the approach "incredibly innovative" at a time when sales tax revenue is flat, the Denver Post reported.
The Denver Post reported that the full lake restoration has been estimated to cost at least $130 million. That puts the proposed $50 million at a little under 40% of the total. A city spokeswoman told the Post the goal is to get as much of the overall improvement plan done as possible. The city calls the work a starting point. It will begin removing sediment while Denver develops a long-term way to maintain the lake, and it will test dredging methods that could be used at other Denver lakes.
The order of the work matters because of how the lake fills in. Denver Parks' Sloan's Lake Environmental Assessment lists eight types of fixes. They range from bank restoration and wetlands to nutrient treatments, sediment capture and dredging. The assessment warns that dredging alone won't solve the problem unless the stormwater flowing in is also treated. For that reason, the proposed project pairs dredging with shoreline and habitat restoration meant to filter sediment before it reaches the lakebed.
Denver Parks Executive Director Jolon Clark told the Denver Post that the lake would not need to be drained. Some sections may be walled off from the rest while crews work in them. He said he hoped to keep as much of the park open as possible. Denverite reported that dredging and the related improvements are expected to take 30 months once they start.
The finished lake is meant for boats and paddleboards. Clark said the goal is for visitors to paddleboard and boat safely, not necessarily to swim, because swimming requires much higher water quality.
The city's announcement says that if the funding is approved, a contract would be issued and permits completed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2027, and work would start in 2028. The Colorado Sun reported the same 2028 start. The Denver Post put the estimated start of construction a year earlier, in 2027, and said design and construction together would take about two and a half years. Clark told Denverite: "So in the very short term, not a lot of changes."
Before any dredging, Denver Parks has three projects on its Sloan's Lake Neighborhood Projects page that affect the walk around the lake:
The maintenance yard and the most heavily silted water are both on the western side near Sheridan. This winter's trail detours and the eventual dredging start in the same corner of the park.
The funding still needs approval from the DURA board and Denver City Council. DURA put a funding commitment for a St. Anthony Urban Redevelopment Area project on the agenda for a September 14 special board meeting. On November 5, when DURA named Kenneth Ho its next executive director, it listed "the proposed restoration of Sloan's Lake" among its current initiatives.
Kurt Weaver, executive director of the Sloan's Lake Park Foundation, asked the community at the announcement to keep advocating for the project through construction, the Denver Post reported. The foundation turns 10 this year.
The Sloan's Lake Citizens' Group meets Tuesday, November 17, at 7 p.m. in the Merritt House Sanctuary Building, 2246 Irving St. Eighteen days later, the Denver BAZAAR Sloan's Lake holiday market comes to 1611 N. Raleigh St. on Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's free and dog-friendly, and 61 makers had signed on as of October 28.
If you're starting a hospital role in Northwest Denver, or deciding which side of Sloan's Lake fits your commute and routine, the timing of these park projects is worth knowing before you settle on a street. Steve Charlett can walk you through what's scheduled near the blocks you're considering and help coordinate your move around your start date. Contact Us when you're ready to talk.
