Irrigation Ditches in Lakewood, Colorado


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Irrigation Ditches in Lakewood, Colorado

Satellite photo courtesy Google Earth. Other photos by David Barth.
Text courtesy Water Colorado; also, ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06701.html in an article entitled "Irrigation Ditches and their Operation" by R. Waskom, E. Marx, D. Wolfe, and G. Wallace (2/11).
Edited by David Barth 6 April 2014.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
When the Everett land consisting of two sections (1,280 acres) was sold off for housing and Addenbrooke Park, the ditches were abandoned because farming ceased.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This ditch is beginning to get filled in by the ravages of time.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.


Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
Notice the offshoots from the ditch. The first is a corrugated metal pipe and the second is, perhaps an older, concrete diversion.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This gives details about the construction of the ditch. What can be read: "Ideal Portland Cement, Laid by Louis. . . 19. . . Unfortunately, the year is obscured.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This may be where two water sources were brought together. There is no gate, so it is assumed that whatever water flowed in the two ditches, met and continued down-ditch.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This is a closer view of the corrugated metal pipe, the purpose of which may have been to return unused water to the main ditch. Note the vertical steel rebar that runs through the concrete slabs to stabilize them.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
Garrison Street, the eastern edge of the Everett/Addenbrooke farms, is in the background. At this point, the ditch ran beneath Garrison Street to provide water to downstream water right holders. It was blocked off when the Addenbrooke Farm ditches were abandoned.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This view is looking back, up-ditch, toward the water source.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This appears to be a mainline ditch by its size.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This is another view of the ditch that left the Addenbrooke Farm and headed east, beneath Garrison Street.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned gate along the main water ditch
on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
Water fed the east side of Addenbrooke Farm from this main, north-south ditch which still exists and is used. In March, when I took this photo, the ditch was dry because the planting season had not begun. This gate that fed abandoned Addenbrooke ditches has been sealed. It used to have a wheel on top of the vertical bar that, when turned, pulled open the cover to the Addenbrooke ditch.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned gates along the main water ditch
on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
These are other gates to the Addenbrooke Farm that have been sealed. The gate in the foreground still has a wheel on it, but it is locked shut.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned gate along the main water ditch
on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
Another view of the gate. The chain and lock are on the left side.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Main water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This is a main ditch, still used. In March, when I took this photo, water had not been routed to the ditch system..

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned gate along the main water ditch
on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This is another defunct Addenbrooke Farm gate.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned gate along the main water ditch
on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This is another locked gate.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Abandoned water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This is a small ditch that used to be fed from a gate along the large ditch. The box at the right has an unknown use.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Main, live water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This is another unused gate, locked, along the main water ditch.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Unused gate along the main water ditch
on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This is the other side of the unused gate.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Main water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
This an old, abandoned wooden gate.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Live water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
Another view of a locked gate. When the main ditch is dredged, the soil next to the gate doesn't need to be removed.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Live water ditch on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.
Another view of the old, unused gates.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Unused gate along the main water ditch
on the Everett/Addenbrooke Farm.


Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Water ditch that runs through JCRS.
This ditch, still in use, runs through JCRS, east of 1600 Pierce Street.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Live water ditch along First Avenue and Garland
Street along the Mercy Grove property.
Note that recently installed 4 x 4 beams have been placed to keep soil from falling into the ditch. The steel plate for the gate is out, but connected to the gate so that it won't be swept downstream when the water is running. Later in the year, when water availability decreases, the gate might be closed by sliding it down the metal guides. The text, below, describes how water is apportioned and who controls it.

Map of Lakewood Historical Society Sites
Live water ditch along First Avenue and Garland
Street along the Mercy Grove property.
This is a small ditch system with PVC pipes carrying water beneath the street. Where the ditch has a turn or angle, concrete is used to prevent soil erosion. Maintenance and operation of ditches is a major concern in arid places like Colorado.

Courtesy Water Colorado:

COLORADO'S INTRICATE DITCH SYSTEM HAS HELPED AGRICULTURE IN COLORADO THRIVE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS
Many early ditches in Colorado were constructed by miners to divert stream water for their mining operations without regard for water access rights. Others were constructed by farmers who moved north from Mexico and implemented their traditional irrigation systems. One of these systems, the San Luis People's Ditch in the San Luis Valley, has been in operation since its construction in 1852 and is the oldest irrigation system in continuous use in Colorado.

Today it is no longer legal to go out and dig a diversion ditch and help yourself to water from a river or stream, even if it crosses your property. Water projects, no matter how small, involve a complex legal process of determining what water is available to appropriate, or use. That's where ditch companies can be useful in providing water access rights to their owners.

Ditch companies in Colorado purchase water rights and develop storage and delivery systems to their members, generally for irrigation purposes. Farmers or ranchers purchase stock in a ditch company and then are entitled to a certain amount of water from a ditch based on how much stock they own. They also pay annual fees that cover the use and maintenance of the ditch system, which includes the services of the ditch rider who is responsible for regular maintenance and operation of the head gates.

Persons who hold shares to water access rights on a ditch that runs through their property have a deeded right to use a certain amount of water during the irrigation season. Persons who do not own shares on a ditch that runs through their property cannot take or divert water from the ditch in any fashion, yet they must allow the ditch owner or representatives to access the ditch for maintenance.

Courtesy http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06701.html
Irrigation Ditches and their Operation by R. Waskom, E. Marx, D. Wolfe and G. Wallace (2/11)
Quick Facts. . .
  • Water rights in Colorado are considered a private property right. Water rights can be sold or inherited, and prices may vary according to supply and demand.
  • Ditch companies coordinate the use, ensure proper maintenance and efficient operation of surface water irrigation systems and conveyances.
  • Ditch companies have the right to enter your property to maintain the ditch and ditch banks and perform "reasonably necessary" operations.

WATER LAWS AND REGULATIONS
Current western water law originated during the California gold rush in 1848. Back then miners would divert water from streams while mining for gold. Just like the claim on a mining stake, a rule was established stating that the first miner to use the water had the first right to it. After the first miner's right was established, the second miner's right was recognized, and so on. Claims left abandoned were available to others. Miners brought this system to Colorado during the gold rush of 1859. This system became known as the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation (also called the Colorado Doctrine because it first became law in Colorado with the writing of the state constitution in 1876).

Water in Colorado is still administered according to the Doctrine of Prior Appropriation. The basis of this doctrine is the concept of first-in-time, first-in-right. Water rights are established when water is put to beneficial use. The person or organization that is beneficially using the water may request the water court to officially recognize the right by decree. This judicial process is called adjudication. In Colorado, water courts have jurisdiction over all applications for decree of absolute water rights, conditional water rights, changes of use, exchanges, and augmentation plans.

A new water user can no longer appropriate water by simply going out to the stream and digging a diversion ditch. Water projects now involve a complex process of planning, permitting, and engineering to prove that unappropriated water is available for use. If the water court approves a conditional decree, the project must be carried on with due diligence until its completion. Otherwise, the water right is forfeited. In addition to a priority date, a water right is recorded based on the location where the water will be diverted or withdrawn, the amount to be withdrawn, and the beneficial use to which it will be put.

In Colorado, water rights are considered a private property right. Water rights can be sold or inherited and prices may vary according to supply and demand. The consumptively used portion of a water right may be transferred to another area or use with approval of the water court, with the stipulation that other water rights are not injured.

The value of a water right is based on its amount and availability. It is important to understand that the priority of water use is based on seniority. "Senior" water rights are the oldest and hence have first priority in times of shortage. Senior rights holders are entitled to receive all available water in their ditch or diversion before any junior water rights holders. During times of water shortage, a senior water right holder may place a "call on the river." When a call is established, any upstream junior right holder must stop diverting water until the senior user receives their full decreed entitlement. This call system is applicable to waters that are a natural part of the stream system.

An extensive network of reservoirs and water conveyances has been developed in Colorado since the middle 19th century. In many cases, a system of reservoirs, pipes, and/or ditches had to be built to store and divert the water to where it could be used by farmers. The construction of water delivery systems was in many cases handled by a water district or a water company. The water users hold shares in the company that may be bought and sold. Depending on the company, shares may vary in amount of water and price. The amount of water stored and delivered to shareholders each year depends largely on the snowpack in the mountains and the amount of runoff in the spring. Annual fees are assessed to pay for the use of the facilities, their maintenance, and for the services of the ditch rider.

DITCH OPERATIONS
Ditch companies and associations exist to acquire water rights, develop storage, and deliver surface water to their members for irrigation and other purposes. Early on, farmers and landowners realized that the value of their property was directly related to a common system bringing water to their land. Even today, it's the water that makes land productive, stable, and aesthetically pleasing.

Ditch companies generally own and maintain ditches from their head-gates to an established point where the individual landowners or lateral ditch associations manage the smaller ditch systems. Lateral ditch associations generally have by-laws and rules of cooperation in order to keep the lateral system functioning and to avoid conflicts. Ditch associations are often the basis for a sense of community among neighbors in rural areas.

Generally, if you hold shares to water rights from a ditch that runs through your property, you will have a deeded water right that entitles you to water during the irrigation season. There are also certain responsibilities associated with these rights. Water users are often expected to attend work days, annual meetings, and even serve as the ditch captain in smaller ditch associations that cannot afford a paid ditch rider. Responsibilities also include coordinating with neighbors when you wish to run water in addition to keeping the ditches that run through your property free of obstacles. Annual maintenance costs are typically shared by association members in proportion to the number of shares held.

If you do not hold deeded water rights on a ditch that runs through your property, you cannot take water from the ditch in any fashion. You also must not obstruct the ditch nor deny access to the ditch owner or their representatives when they need to enter the property to perform maintenance operations. Livestock or vehicles must not cause damage to a ditch or its right-of-way.

Questions and Answers

Water law and irrigation ditch management in Colorado is complex. Resolving site-specific water issues often require consultation with an attorney or engineer. This fact sheet provides general guidelines on the rules and practices that govern ditch operations in Colorado. If you have an irrigation ditch on your property or if you are in the process of purchasing a property with an irrigation ditch or creek on it, the following questions may be helpful.

Q: An irrigation ditch runs through my property but I don't use it. Am I responsible for ditch maintenance?
A: No. The ditch company and water users are responsible for ditch maintenance, but you must not damage or obstruct the ditch.

Q: Does my neighbor have the right to enter my property to access the irrigation ditch that runs through my property?
A: Yes, if your neighbor uses the ditch to deliver water to his/her property, he/she has a right-of-access to enter with the equipment needed to maintain or repair the ditch. Irrigators frequently check ditches upstream to see how they are flowing, clear debris from the ditch, or adjust flows at measuring structures that may be on your land.

Q: Does the ditch company have an easement through my property? How can I identify the width of the easement? Do I have to let them enter and tear up my property?
A: Ditch rights-of-way can be owned fee simple or by easement. When owned by fee, the ditch owner holds title to the land where the ditch runs and has absolute control. The width of a ditch owned by fee is usually described in the deed. If the ditch runs through an easement, then the ditch owner does not own the land containing the ditch, but they do have access and use rights. The ditch owner has the right to enter your property to maintain the ditch and ditch banks and perform "reasonably necessary" operations, even if that means disturbing land within the easement. The easement is as wide as is reasonably necessary for ditch maintenance and operation. This is often determined by historic practices and is not always described in a deed.

Q: My neighbor wants to replace the earthen ditch that crosses my property with a concrete lined ditch or a pipe. Can my neighbor make the change even if I disapprove?
A: Yes. Changes that increase the efficiency of water delivery, such as installing concrete ditches or pipes, are considered reasonably necessary. The ditch owner can make these changes even if you disapprove. If they wish to move or realign the ditch, however, they must negotiate with you and receive your permission.

Q: Can I build a fence across an irrigation ditch to contain my animals?
A: As a general rule, the ditch company and water users have the right to prohibit or set conditions for fences that enter the ditch right of way or cross the ditch. Fences can hinder maintenance operations and collect trash thus clogging the ditch. You might be able to work with the ditch company for permission to build a moveable fence that can be removed during ditch maintenance.

Q: Can I use the water in the ditch that runs through my property?
A: Only if you own water rights or have leased a right to the water. The fact that the water flows through your property does not entitle you to use the water.

Q: Can I take water out of a creek that runs through my property?
A: Only if you have a decreed right to use the water and it is in priority or there is unappropriated water in your creek. The fact that the water runs through your property does not give you the blanket right to divert or use it. In most of Colorado, it is difficult to find unappropriated water.

Q: A ditch crosses my property. I don't own rights to the water, but I want to dig out an area so I will have a pond. Can I do this if the water can flow through my pond and back into the ditch?
A: No. Digging a pond constitutes an impoundment. Forcing water to flow through a pond alters the natural flow and will increase losses to seepage and evaporation, potentially injuring other water rights holders on the ditch.

Q: I bought water rights when I purchased my property but my neighbors downstream are forcing me to shut my headgate and won't let me irrigate my hay. What can I do?
A: Most likely your neighbors' water rights are senior to your right. If this is the case, your neighbors can require you to shut your headgate until they receive all the water they are entitled to. The likelihood of this occurring in any given year depends on water supply and the number of downstream users with rights senior to yours. These situations are best worked out with your neighbors, in consultation with members of your ditch association. If you do not have such an association, you may have to talk to the water commissioner to get an official explanation. Your best solution might be to develop an irrigation schedule with your neighbors and the ditch captain. Your neighbors are entitled to their water first, but you might be able to irrigate between their irrigation times if that does not impact other users more senior to you. If you are still in conflict with your neighbors, contact your local water commissioner to verify the call and to determine when your water might be available.

Q: What is a "call for water"?
A: In areas where water supplies do not meet all of the demands, some water rights holders in the river system may not receive enough water to fulfill their court-decreed diversion amount. Water users then may start to "call" for their water, based on the priority system of "first in time, first in right." This is done with a phone call to the local water commissioner. Water delivery to junior users may be curtailed until the senior water rights holder receives all the water he/she is entitled to receive.

Q: What are diversion records?
A: A diversion record is a record of the daily flow in cubic feet per second for a ditch or other diversion structure. Diversion records are maintained by water commissioners and kept on file at the State Engineer's Office, the division offices, and online at the Division of Water Resources Web site, http://www.water.state.co.us.

Q: What is a share of water?
A: A "share" refers to an interest in a ditch company. It represents a portion of water that flows through the ditch. The amount of water represented by a share varies greatly among ditch companies and from year to year, depending on how much water is available in storage and from the current year's snowpack. You must contact the ditch company to determine how much water is typically allocated per share. Most ditch companies inform water users in the spring how much water per share will be delivered for the coming irrigation season.

Q: Why do different ditch companies have different rules?
A: Ditch companies are owned by the water users they serve. Rules of operation vary depending on the type of water rights owned, size of the company, needs, history, infrastructure, and other factors particular to each company.

Q: How do you change water from one beneficial use to another?
A: You must apply for a "change of use" through the water court. A public notice is then published, allowing for a two-month public comment period regarding your request. After the comment period, the water referee will review your application. The water referee then makes a recommendation to the water court judge. If no protests are filed, the judge of the water court signs the decree with the new beneficial use. If a protest is filed, the matter may go to trial (if the parties cannot settle) before the judge makes a ruling. The water court's ruling can be appealed to the Colorado Supreme Court. The process for a change in water right usually takes between four months and two years.

Q: How long must a ditch remain unused before the associated water right is declared abandoned?
A: A water right is considered abandoned if the water has not been put to beneficial use for an extended period of time, usually at least ten years. Non-use does not necessarily result in abandonment if the non-use is due to circumstances such as a lack of water availability due to a low priority right. The division engineer submits a list of rights that are presumed to be abandoned to the water court. The owner of the water right is allowed a hearing in water court. The water court then makes a ruling regarding the abandonment. If you are unsure about a ditch that runs through your property, contact the appropriate division engineer or check records at the county office to determine the status of the ditch prior to any activity that might be considered trespassing or destruction.

Q: How do I contact the ditch company that controls the ditch through my property?
A: First, try asking your neighbors for information regarding the ditch company or lateral association. If that is not possible, contact the water commissioner or your county's planning department. Most ditches are named and easily recognized by those living in the area. Contact information for many ditch companies can be found online at http://www.watercolorado.com or through the division engineer. Your local USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office or Colorado State University Extensionoffice may also be able to help.

Q: What does the ditch rider do?
A: A ditch rider is hired by the ditch company to maintain the ditch and open headgates as appropriate to divert water for water deliveries in the ditch system. The ditch rider also calculates water volumes and oversees ditch operations. The ditch rider stays in close communication with the water commissioner (a.k.a. river commissioner) during the irrigation season to coordinate diversions and calls on the river. Some of the smaller mutual ditch companies use a rotating ditch captain to coordinate ditch operation and maintenance activities.

Q: What does the water commissioner (a.k.a. river commissioner) do?
A: The water commissioner operates the headgates where water is diverted from the river into ditch systems and is responsible for measuring stream flows and accounting for diversions from the river. The water commissioner reports this information to the division engineer.

Q: Who is the Division Engineer? What does he/she do?
A: The division engineer is responsible for administering water records, flows and diversions within a specific watershed basin. There are seven water basins and division engineers in Colorado (See below.).

WATER BASINS IN COLORADO
BASINWATER
DIVISION
ADDRESSPHONE
South Platte River basin1810 9th Street, 2nd Floor, Greeley, CO 80631(970) 352-8712
Arkansas River basin2310 East Abriendo, Suite B, Pueblo, CO 81004(719) 542-3368
Rio Grande basin3422 4th St., P.O. Box 269, Alamosa, CO 81101(719) 589-6683
Gunnison River basin41871 East Main Street, P.O. Box 456, Montrose, CO 81401(970) 249-6622
Colorado River basin550633 US Hwy 6 & 24, P.O. Box 396, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601(970) 945-5665
Yampa River basin (White River drainage also)6505 Anglers Dr., Suite 101, PO Box 773450 (mail address), Steamboat Springs, CO 80477(970) 879-0272
San Juan/Dolores River basins7701 Camino Del Rio, Suite 205, Durango, CO 81301(970) 247-1845


Welch Ditch History
  • The Welch Ditch is sometimes referred to by its legal name, the Golden Canal and Reservoir Company. All of the shares of the Golden Canal and Reservoir Company are currently owned by the Agriculture Ditch and Reservoir Company of Lakewood, Colorado. Users of the Welch Ditch are contract users or contract holders, and they each have a contract with the Golden Canal and Reservoir Company that requires that company to deliver their water entitlement to them in exchange for the payment of annual fees established by the company. The Golden Canal and Reservoir Company is required to deliver each user's water to them via a specific head gate on the Welch Ditch. In the case where a head gate feeds into a lateral ditch that might supply water to one or more contract users, the users on that lateral are responsible for the maintenance of that lateral.

  • The Welch Ditch Users Association (WDUA) was formed in the spring of 1996 by a group of small users of the Welch Ditch. Over the previous years many of these users had become concerned about the future of the ditch and their water rights on the Welch. Many had seen other small users abandon and/or sell their water rights out of frustration with the owners of the ditch. Until the WDUA was formed, the small users had no knowledge of how the ditch was operated or controlled and had no voice in any ditch matters. The WDUA was formed in the hopes of approaching the owners of the Welch Ditch with a single voice and enter into a meaningful dialogue about the problems of the small users. The goal of the WDUA is to keep the Welch Ditch alive and ensure that it continues to provide a source of irrigation water for the small users and the neighborhoods through which it runs. The WDUA meets annually in the spring and currently has a six member board of directors.

  • Shortly after its formation, the WDUA approached the Golden Canal and Reservoir Company and its owners the Agricultural Ditch Company in an effort to open discussions on matters of concern to the small users. These concerns included how the ditch was operated, how much water the users were entitled to, a complete list of all of the users, when and how the ditch was operated and maintained and how these costs were funded. The primary objective of the WDUA were to (1) produce a formal agreement with the owners that spelled out all of these things and (2) to ensure that the rights of the small users would be protected in the future. On September 25, 1998, after almost 2 years of discussions and negotiations, an agreement with the owners, the WDUA and other interested parties was signed. This historic 20 page Agreement is available for any WDUA member to review at any time.

  • Key points in this Agreement include the following items:
    • 1) The WDUA has been granted a seat on the Board of Directors of the Golden Canal and Reservoir Company.

    • 2) The WDUA has been granted an Advisory Member on the Board of Directors of the Agriculture Ditch.

    • 3) The owners of the Welch are required to provide the WDUA certain operating and financial information on the Welch annually.

    • 4) Welch Ditch water rights may be transferred by sale, lease or gift within the ditch system.


  • At the time the Agreement the was signed, the Welch Ditch consisted of three sections. Since then the two upper sections of the Welch Ditch have been closed. The one remaining operational section is the Lena Gulch section.

  • Currently all Welch Ditch water for the small users is removed from Clear Creek at the Agriculture Ditch headgate in Golden and delivered to the Lena Gulch section of the Welch via a pump in the Agriculture Ditch located near West Colfax and Youngfield.. The Lena gulch section of the Welch starts near Wide Acres and Normandy and runs through the residential area to a point near 6th Avenue and Simms. The major user of Welch Ditch water is the Consolidated Mutual Water Company. Consolidated Mutual removes its water directly from the Agriculture Ditch. At the end of the Welch Ditch near Simms and 6th Avenue the Welch empties into the Agriculture Reservoir Ditch, which is owned and used by the Agriculture Ditch to transport water to its Main and Smith Reservoirs located near Mississippi and Kipling.

  • Currently there are about 60 small users on the Welch Ditch, who utilize their water for lawn and field irrigation. These users are located within the area bounded by West Colfax on the north, 6th Avenue on the south, Hawthorne Road on the west and Simms Street on the east.


OPERATION OF THE WELCH
The normal irrigation season in Colorado runs from April 1- October 31. When the river flow in Clear Creek reaches a sufficient level (usually around 150cfs measured in Golden) the Colorado State Engineer notifies the operators of the Welch Ditch that the Welch rights are "in priority" and that the operator is authorized to take water from Clear Creek through the Agriculture Ditch head gate.

The Welch Ditch has three water rights on Clear Creek:
  • Priority 4- 5/19/1860 right of .225cfs
  • Priority 12- 5/13/1861 right of 1.3 cfs
  • Priority 55- 2/11/1871 right of 26.0 cfs

  • The combined rights to 27.525 cfs are the total Welch rights. Normally the priority 4 and 12 rights are "in priority" all season. Unfortunately, these two senior rights combined are so small as to be insufficient to operate the ditch. It is not until the priority 55, 1871 junior right for 26 cfs comes into priority that it is feasible to operate the ditch.

  • During those periods in the irrigation season that 1871 right is not "in priority" the Welch Ditch loans the senior Welch water rights to the Agriculture Ditch. This water is put into an account that is paid back to the Welch later in the season over a shorter period of time when sufficient water is in the account to allow the Welch to operate for a 2-3 day period. This is referred to as Operating in Rotation and usually occurs during the later part of the summer. During Rotation the Welch will be on for just 2-3 days over a 28 day period.

  • On April 20, 2000, the WDUA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Owners of the Welch Ditch regarding the loaning and paying back of water during early spring and fall (shoulder season) when the priority 55 Welch rights might be in priority and not those of the Agriculture Ditch. Any water loaned during these shoulder periods is also paid back during that irrigation season if possible.

WELCH WATER RIGHTS
There are a total of 1244.925 inches of Welch Ditch water owned by the contract users. The annual entitlement of each Welch user is their pro rata share of the total water diverted during that season. Historically, the total annual diversion of the Welch has been 3,830 acre feet which means that each inch of Welch water has been equivalent to 3.08 acre feet over the season. This results in a Welch inch being equivalent to 1/46 of a cubic foot per second or 9.75 gallons per minute, less ditch loss, of water when all the rights are in priority. Ditch losses have never been accurately determined on the Welch but normally can run can run from 15-30 percent.