Frequently Asked Questions

There are several common reasons your delivery may be zero or very low:

• River call: A senior water right holder downstream has placed a "call" on the river, requiring junior rights — including ours — to stop or reduce diversions. This is the most common cause of no water during dry periods.
• Low stream flow: When the source stream is running low, the company may divert less than the full decreed amount, reducing everyone's pro-rata share proportionally.
• Rotation: During low-flow events the ditch rider may be running a rotation schedule — each shareholder receives the full available flow for a concentrated time window rather than a trickle all day. Check with the office for your rotation time.
• Headgate issue: Your headgate may be blocked, closed, or damaged. Contact the ditch rider to inspect.
• Off season: The ditch typically runs April through October. Outside that window, the ditch is not in operation.

If you're unsure, call the ditch rider first — they can tell you the current system status within minutes.

Colorado uses the "prior appropriation" doctrine — "first in time, first in right." Every water right has a priority date. When there isn't enough water in the stream to satisfy all rights, the State Engineer's office administers a call: junior (newer) rights are curtailed so senior (older) rights can be filled first.

When a call is placed on our source stream by a senior right holder, we may be required to reduce or entirely stop our diversion. Your delivery drops proportionally. Calls are administered by the Colorado Division of Water Resources and are beyond the company's control. You can view active calls at dwr.colorado.gov or on the live DWR data feed on our homepage.

A rotation is a managed delivery schedule used when available flow is too low to supply all headgates simultaneously — often because hydraulic head in the ditch is insufficient to push water to every gate at the same time.

Instead of everyone receiving a trickle, the ditch rider assigns each shareholder a dedicated time window to receive the full available flow. Your window is proportional to your shares. For example, if you own 10% of total shares and the rotation covers 7 days, you receive water for roughly 16–17 hours during that period.

The ditch rider notifies affected shareholders of their scheduled window. Contact the office if you haven't received notification during a known low-flow period.

The company typically begins diverting water in early April and ceases operations in late October, depending on stream conditions, weather, and shareholder demand. The exact opening and closing dates vary each year and are announced via the News & Notices page and by direct notice to shareholders.

During the off-season (November–March), the ditch is drained, inspected, and maintained. No water deliveries are made during this period.

Contact the ditch rider directly — their name and cell phone are listed on our Contact page. The ditch rider patrols the system daily during irrigation season and can inspect your headgate, adjust your gate setting, and confirm your delivery measurement. For non-urgent issues, you can also email or call the company office.

A mutual ditch company is a nonprofit corporation organized under Colorado law (C.R.S. Title 7, Article 42) for the sole purpose of delivering water to its shareholders. The company exists for the convenience of its members — not to make a profit.

Shareholders own stock in the company. In exchange, they receive water deliveries proportional to their shares and share in the costs of operating and maintaining the ditch through annual assessments. The company is governed by a Board of Directors elected by shareholders.

Colorado's water law is built on the doctrine of prior appropriation — "first in time, first in right." Each water right has a specific priority date (its appropriation date). In times of shortage, older (more senior) water rights are satisfied before newer (more junior) ones, regardless of how much land or property a person owns.

Our company holds a decreed water right with a specific priority date. When the stream can't supply everyone, the State Engineer administers the water according to those priority dates. This means even if you have paid your assessment and your headgate is in perfect condition, you may receive little or no water during a severe drought if our right is junior to active calls.

Shares represent fractional ownership of the company and its water right. Owning shares entitles you to a proportional delivery of the water the company diverts each day.

Shares do not guarantee a fixed amount of water — they guarantee a fraction of whatever is available. If the ditch is running at full capacity, a larger share means a larger delivery. During drought or a river call when little water is available, even large shareholders receive proportionally less.

Shares are evidenced by stock certificates issued by the company. Contact the company secretary to confirm your certificate numbers and ownership record.

Shares in a mutual ditch company are privately negotiated between buyer and seller — there is no formal exchange or listing service. Common ways to find buyers or sellers:

• Contact the company office — staff may know of shareholders wishing to sell
• Neighboring landowners or irrigators in the service area
• Water brokers (licensed in Colorado)

Once a sale is agreed upon, the seller endorses the stock certificate to the buyer and both parties notify the company secretary to update the ownership record and issue a new certificate. There may be a transfer fee.

Important: Shares must remain appurtenant to land within the service area. Consult with a water attorney before transferring shares to a location outside the service area, as this may require a change of use decree from the water court.

Short-term, informal arrangements between shareholders to temporarily use each other's water are common and generally permitted under the company's bylaws, provided the water is used within the service area. Notify the ditch rider of any such arrangement so delivery can be adjusted accordingly.

Longer-term or more formal leases may require board approval. Contact the company office before entering into any multi-season arrangement.

The annual assessment is a per-share charge levied on all shareholders to fund the company's operating costs for the year. As a nonprofit mutual company, the assessment covers only what it costs to deliver your water — there is no profit margin.

Assessment funds typically pay for:

• Ditch rider wages and mileage
• Headgate and ditch maintenance and repairs
• Equipment (excavators, trucks, hand tools)
• Water right administration and legal fees
• Insurance and administrative costs
• Capital improvements approved by the Board

The amount per share is set by the Board each year based on the projected budget and approved at the annual shareholder meeting.

Shareholders who do not pay their assessment are considered delinquent. Under Colorado law and the company's bylaws, the company may:

• Assess a late fee for each month the payment is overdue
• Suspend water delivery until the balance is paid
• Place a lien on the shareholder's shares
• In extreme cases, pursue legal action to collect the debt

If you are experiencing financial hardship, contact the company office before the due date — the Board has discretion to arrange payment plans in appropriate circumstances.

Assessment obligations follow the shares, not just the property. If shares were transferred to you with an unpaid balance, you may be responsible for that balance as the new shareholder of record. Always confirm that assessments are current before completing a real estate transaction involving ditch shares. Request a balance statement from the company secretary as part of your due diligence.

Generally, the shareholder is responsible for the headgate structure on their property — the gate itself, its hardware, and the measuring device (flume or weir). The company is responsible for the main ditch channel and the primary diversion headworks.

However, practices vary. Contact the company office if you're unsure about responsibilities for a specific structure on your property. The ditch rider can also advise during a site visit.

Any modification to a headgate structure requires prior written approval from the company. Unapproved modifications that affect flow measurement accuracy, the ditch channel, or neighboring deliveries will be required to be corrected at the shareholder's expense.

If your headgate is aging or difficult to operate, the company may be able to assist with replacement planning. Contact the office to discuss.

Contact the ditch rider immediately. Do not attempt major repairs yourself without notifying the company first, as improper repairs can affect your flow measurement and neighboring deliveries. In an emergency where the ditch is being flooded or water is being wasted, contact the ditch rider's cell phone — listed on the Contact page.

Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 37-86-103, the company holds a statutory right-of-way over all land through which the ditch passes. This easement extends beyond the ditch bed to include all ground reasonably necessary for:

• Operating and maintaining the ditch
• Accessing the ditch with equipment
• Placing spoil from ditch cleanings
• Making emergency repairs

The width of the right-of-way is established by historic use. Typically it extends 15–25 feet on each side of the ditch centerline, but this varies by location. See our Easements & Right-of-Way page for full details.

Any permanent structure — fence, retaining wall, building, landscaping, irrigation equipment — within the company's right-of-way requires prior written approval from the company. Structures that obstruct equipment access or ditch maintenance can be removed at the landowner's expense without notice.

Trees and large shrubs within the right-of-way may be removed by the company as needed. If you're planning any project near the ditch, contact the office before breaking ground.

Yes, but a crossing permit is required before any work begins. The permit process requires submitting an application, a site plan, and receiving written approval from the company. Work may not begin until the permit is issued and a five-day advance notice is given to the ditch rider.

See the Ditch Crossings page for requirements and the application process.

No. Only water delivered through a properly permitted and measured headgate may be diverted. Taking water directly from the ditch channel without authorization is a violation of Colorado water law and the company's bylaws and may be subject to legal action. All diversions must flow through your designated headgate so the amount can be measured and credited to your allocation.

The company holds a perpetual easement (right-of-way) over your property for the ditch. You own the underlying land, but the company has the legal right to access, maintain, and use the ditch corridor. You may not alter, fill, or obstruct the ditch without the company's written consent. Colorado courts have consistently upheld ditch company right-of-way as a strong and enforceable property interest.

The company is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of five shareholder-elected directors. The Board sets policy, approves the annual budget and assessment, and oversees company operations. Day-to-day management is handled by the company secretary/treasurer and the ditch rider.

See the Board of Directors page for current members and contact information.