The High Line Canal Lost Its Water. Cherry Hills Village Is Piping It Back at Quincy Farm.

For most of a century, the trees along the High Line Canal got their water from the canal. Denver Water ran irrigation flows down the ditch, and the cottonwoods, the pastures and an old farm pond all drank from it.

That arrangement is ending. On the stretch through Cherry Hills Village, water now reaches the trees and the pond through city projects: a dredged pond, an irrigation line and a planting plan that runs from Belleview Avenue to Hampden Avenue. The best place to see the change is at Quincy Farm, and a November walk this year passes through ground that looks the same as before but is now maintained by the city.

Why the Canal Stopped Doing the Work

The High Line Canal Conservancy has said plainly that Denver Water is relying less on the canal for irrigation delivery. At the same time, the corridor's aging cottonwoods are reaching the end of their natural lifespans. In a 2024 update on corridor restoration, the Conservancy explained what that means for the canopy:

"With less water in the region and in the Canal, these trees are declining and need to be pruned or removed to maintain a safe trail environment."

The canal is taking on a different job. In June 2026, the Mile High Flood District finished the High Line Canal Stormwater Transition and Management Plan. The plan updated the stormwater model for the whole canal, found the places where it lacks capacity for the runoff it already gets, and proposed projects to reduce urban flood risk from overtopping. The canal is becoming stormwater infrastructure, and stormwater planning does not water the trees along its banks. That job now belongs to the cities the canal runs through.

Cherry Hills Village had already seen this coming at Quincy Farm. The city's May 2024 Village Crier said the pond at the farm's south end was originally an irrigation pond fed by the High Line Canal. With Denver Water no longer supplying the canal, the water needed to keep the pond healthy had dropped substantially.

The Pond Was Rebuilt Smaller and Deeper

According to the High Line Canal Conservancy's Fall 2026 Progress Report, the 1930s irrigation pond next to the canal had filled with sediment over the years and become very shallow. In spring 2026, the City of Cherry Hills Village dredged it to make it smaller and deeper.

The work also added aerators and habitat features:

• Aerators to improve water quality
• Restored wetland areas and shoreline habitat
• Native trees, shrubs, grasses and wetland plants for food, shelter and cover
• Floating islands and rock jetties
• Bird and bat boxes

The city and Arapahoe County Open Spaces paid for the project. In the report's words, the pond gives trail users a place to stop along the trail and watch wildlife, and it is right beside the canal south of Quincy Avenue.

A New Bridge Built to Look Old

The same spring, the city replaced the pedestrian bridge between Quincy Farm's east side and the High Line Canal Trail. The new bridge is a similar wooden footbridge, built to match the historic character of the property. The City of Cherry Hills Village and the Conservancy funded it.

That matters because of what the farm is. Quincy Farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Hopkins Farm, and the Conservancy calls it one of the best-preserved agricultural properties along the entire canal. The bridge links a working piece of the canal's irrigation history to the trail that is replacing that history. The city chose to make the new crossing look like the old one, even though the water that once justified it is mostly gone.

The Bigger Project Is Still Underground

The pond and bridge projects are finished, while the irrigation line that covers the most ground is still being built. The Conservancy's fall report says the City of Cherry Hills Village has been installing an irrigation line along the canal and planting trees to restore its diminishing canopy. The city is finalizing designs to irrigate the full length of the canal inside Cherry Hills Village. Plans call for more than 500 new trees, both deciduous and conifers, on the stretch from Belleview Avenue to Hampden Avenue. The city is the primary funder, with support from the Conservancy, and installation and planting will continue in spring 2027.

Cherry Hills Village is not the only city doing this. Greenwood Village finished Phase 1 of its own canal irrigation installation in spring 2026, covering Belleview Avenue to the canal's second crossing of Orchard Road, to help newly planted trees take hold. On both sides of Belleview, cities are running water pipes beside the old ditch.

Here is where each piece of the Quincy Farm stretch stands this November:

The city's Parks, Trails and Recreation Commission meets Thursday, Nov. 12, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 2450 East Quincy Avenue. It is the next scheduled public meeting where the canal work falls within the commission's subject.

Walking the Stretch in Late Fall

The new work is easy to reach, but the farm and the trail have different rules, so a dog walk and a farm visit need some planning.

Getting in. Quincy Farm says its east and west sides are open every day from sunrise to sunset, including days with no scheduled events. You enter from the High Line Canal Trail at Quincy Avenue. The farm has one accessible parking space and no other parking.

What's open. The farm buildings open to the public only during scheduled programs. Cyclists should use the bike rack, because riding on the farm is not allowed. The 2026 program season is over. Quincy Farm's program page now points ahead to Earth Day 2027, after a final 2026 program, Raptors, Ponies and Pumpkins, on Oct. 4.

Dogs. Dogs are not allowed at Quincy Farm. They are allowed on the canal trail beside it, on a leash. The October 2026 Village Crier reminds residents that city code requires dogs to be leashed when away from their owner's property, including in city parks, along trails and throughout the High Line Canal area. It also notes that a leashed dog gives cyclists, equestrians and wildlife room. Concerns go to the Code Enforcement Hotline at 303-783-2752. If you have a dog with you, the bridge onto the farm is your turnaround point. The pond is reached through the farm, so you'll need to come back for it without the dog.

Footing. The Conservancy's How to Walk the Canal page says the trail is open year-round, dawn to dusk, subject to changes by local recreation agencies. For winter it recommends closed-toe hiking footwear and says ice cleats may help but are rarely needed. With sunset arriving early in November, the farm's sunrise-to-sunset hours and the trail's dawn-to-dusk hours make for a short window on weekday afternoons.

The Same Address in December

The walk from the canal at Quincy Avenue leads to the city's next big gathering. Cherry Hills Village holds its Winter Celebration on Friday, Dec. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at City Hall. The October Village Crier lists an outdoor tree lighting, hayrides, face painting, Santa, cocoa, chili, cider and cookies. City Hall sits at 2450 East Quincy Avenue, on the same road as the farm entrance. Installation and planting on the rest of the Belleview-to-Hampden stretch continues in spring 2027.

If you own a home near the canal corridor and are wondering how the city's long-term trail and canopy work affects how buyers will see your property, WrightToSell would be glad to walk you through it. Andrea Wright tracks projects like the Belleview-to-Hampden planting closely because they shape how a neighborhood shows. Request Your White‑Glove Listing Consultation.