Harriet Crittenden Lamair: The Visionary Revitalizing The High Line Canal

Photos courtesy of High Line Canal Conservancy | Executive director of the High Line Canal Conservancy, Harriet Crittenden LaMair has helped ensure the canal greenway is a gift for all to enjoy

When Harriet Crittenden LaMair speaks about the High Line Canal, her eyes light up with passion. For her, the 71-mile corridor is not just a historic feature of Colorado’s landscape—it’s also a living, breathing treasure.

“The High Line Canal is more than a trail—it’s a bridge between history, nature and people,” says LaMair. “It’s a place where you can find peace, inspiration and connection.”

Built in the late 1800s as an irrigation channel to support Denver’s farmlands, the High Line Canal quickly became much more than a waterway. Over time, it evolved into a beloved greenway, drawing walkers, cyclists and wildlife enthusiasts to its trails. Today, it threads together more than 15 communities, 24 schools and 8,000 acres of open spaces.

A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO NATURE

Crittenden LaMair’s connection to the canal is deeply personal. Raised in Anchorage, Alaska, she grew up surrounded by the grandeur of nature before settling in Colorado. Later, as a mother of three, she found inspiration walking along the canal with her children. “It was a favorite place to connect with nature close to our home, for reflection and conversations, for frog, bug and snake hunting, running and exploring,” she recalls. “I’ve cherished memories of taking our boys down into the canal—when it was only damp—to explore the wildness and mystery that lives inside it. We found salamanders, beer cans and water plants. One day while walking the canal, I went into labor with my daughter! When I look back on those years, I know this old canal played a formative role in the passion that our children now have for nature. That alone was reason enough for me to care about its future.” 

As her children grew, so did Crittenden LaMair’s imagination about the canal’s untapped potential as both a natural sanctuary and a community resource. She would walk the canal daily with friends and neighbors, and together they witnessed the deep connection between the canal and the communities along the trails. They were profoundly impacted by the poor condition of the canal in some of the underserved and racially diverse communities, where garbage and grocery carts littered the canal.

Together, the group of nature lovers decided to take action to reimagine the canal as an inclusive and sustainable greenway. What began as a local effort of concerned friends soon became a regional movement to protect the canal as an ecological and recreational gem, and in 2014 the High Line Canal Conservancy was founded.

In the 1800s, the 71-mile irrigation channel brought water to communities throughout the Front Range. Today, it’s a way to connect with nature over 8,000 acres of open space

LEADING A BOLD VISION

As the executive director of the High Line Canal Conservancy, Crittenden LaMair has spent nearly a decade transforming the canal into a beloved community greenway. Under her leadership, the conservancy developed the High Line Canal Vision Plan, an ambitious road map for transforming the canal into a sustainable, multi-use trail. The plan involved extensive community engagement, with Crittenden LaMair and her team holding hundreds of public meetings to gather input.

“At the conservancy, we are not only preserving and protecting the canal; we are also building a stronger, more connected community,” she explains. “We are creating spaces where people can breathe, reflect and find peace. And in a time when many feel divided, that is something truly powerful.”

Accompanied by, from left: Connie Brown (of Connie Brown Way), Amy Mower, Julie Mirr and Lisa Gould, Harriet Crittenden LaMair is walking the entire 71 miles of the High Line Canal over the next few months in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the conservancy

One of the conservancy’s greatest milestones came in June 2024, when Denver Water transferred 45 miles of the canal to Arapahoe County under a conservation easement managed by the conservancy. This historic agreement guarantees that the canal will remain a public open space while continuing to serve essential stormwater management and utility functions. It also highlights Crittenden LaMair’s dedication to ensuring that the canal remains a public asset for generations to come, blending conservation with practical utility in a way that few urban greenways achieve.

“The easement is a lasting gift that will forever improve the quality of life in the Denver region,” Crittenden LaMair says. “It’s a testament to what can happen when communities come together with a shared vision.”

“Harriet has a way of inspiring people,” says Dirk McDermott, a conservancy board member. “She’s tireless and passionate like all entrepreneurs, and it’s hard to say no to her vision.”

Crittenden LaMair’s warmth and down-to-earth demeanor have endeared her to the community she serves. She is as likely to be spotted chatting with walkers on the trail as she is presenting at board meetings or planning major projects.

Reflecting on her journey, she is quick to credit the community and her team for the High Line Canal Conservancy’s success. “This has always been a collective effort,” she says with a smile. “The canal is a gift to us all, and it’s our responsibility to care for it together. As Margaret Mead’s words remind us: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.’” For Harriet Crittenden LaMair, that change is already in motion—one tree, one trail, one community at a time. 

THE HIGH LINE CANAL CONSERVANCY 

Holly Shrewsbury loves bringing big ideas to life, crafting stories that connect people and inspire action. When she’s not creating campaigns or building partnerships, you’ll find her exploring the outdoors with her family, coaching dance to youth or planning her next adventure.