The UAWP worked with the Sunnyside Ditch Co. and other stakeholders to improve a section of the Sunnyside Ditch that parallels the Arkansas River northwest of Salida. The challenging project involved excavating a section of the ditch, lining it with a 48 inch diameter pipe, and burying the pipe. This project addressed several problems including ditch blowouts, difficulty accessing the ditch and challenging maintenance issues. Many of the irrigation ditches in the Upper Arkansas Valley were dug by hand in the late 1800s and the Sunnyside Ditch is over 130 years old.
Funding and in-kind support for the project came from the Upper Arkansas Conservation District, Central Colorado Conservancy, Chaffee County Common Ground, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Reserve Fund, and the Colorado Cattlemen's Ag Water NetWORK.
The UAWP will continue working on ditch projects with agricultural producers throughout the Upper Arkansas River Valley.
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