Berthoud buys 67-acre Wilson Farm parcel to expand river corridor preservation

The Town of Berthoud closed on a 67-acre portion of the Wilson Farm property in July, using town open space dollars and a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, according to a town news release.

The parcel sits at the south end of 5th Street and extends from Berthoud Parkway along Dry Creek, expanding Hillsdale Park to the south and following Dry Creek to its confluence with the Little Thompson River. The property includes about a half-mile stretch of the river and is now known as the Lewis Valley property.

Town officials said the land has long been envisioned as an open space greenway and trail corridor. The acquisition gives the town the ability to protect and rehabilitate waterways and wildlife corridors, while also creating public recreational opportunities and linking existing trails to the river, the release said.

Berthoud said that from 2022 to 2025 it and its partners permanently preserved more than 400 acres of open space along 1.5 miles of the Little Thompson River. Town Administrator Chris Kirk said the purchase was a team effort and that the town takes its responsibility as steward of the river seriously.