The canyon was just one of the many areas along the Front Range that were devastated in the September 2013 flood . While not as intense as the 1976 flood , the storms that caused the flooding in 2013 still sent enough water down the canyon to wash out the highway in many places . The flood also damaged the US Bureau of Reclamation 's Dille Diversion Dam . The biggest infrastructure casualty , however , was the City of Loveland 's hydroelectric plant ( rebuilt after the 1976 flood ) ; the Idylwilde Reservoir was completely filled with silt and rocks , the Idylwilde Dam broke free of the bedrock , and the hydroelectric plant in the Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park was filled with water and silt . The dam was in the process of being relicensed with the FERC , but it was instead demolished , the dam material and contents of the reservoir being used as fill for highway repairs . The park is currently being redone in such a way to better withstand future flooding
September 2013 flood
2013 Colorado floods
Big Thompson River