HIGHLIGHTS: BRIEF OVERVIEW OF DITCH SUPER OPERATIONS
CLEAN YOUR LATERAL AND DITCH BOXES REGULARLY
IF YOU HAVE’T NOTICED… WE’RE IN A DROUGHT
DO NOT STEAL WATER… THAT MAKES YOU A THIEF
APPROXIMATELY 45 DAYS OF WATER RUNS REMAIN
Good morning to you all. Bill and I are doing our best to conserve and manage our (your) water and ensuring consistent on time delivery for each division… on the appropriate day. We are making multiple decisions every waking hour of every day of the week… not just on run days… on how to maintain ditch and reservoir levels to best utilize the available water. With the automation of the dam outflow valves and the main diversion gate on Grape Creek, and the constant monitoring of our measuring systems we are able to make adjustments to the inflows within a tenth of a cubic foot per second (CFS) in the main ditch. A CFS of water delivered for a 24-hour period equals 1.983-acre feet of water that can be “charged” against the Deweese winter storage account, so even a few tenths of a CFS conserved over a day is worth the effort. Additionally, the distance from the Deweese Reservoir to our main diversion is approximately 27 miles, which equates to about 20 – 24 hours travel time for water to be available at our diversion. This time lag creates challenges for water delivery timing for filling local reservoirs and shareholder usage on all three divisions. Finally, it takes another 4 – 6 hours to reach the end of the main ditch at Brookside after the water enters the main diversion on Grape Creek. So… it can take up to 30 hours total to fully open the ditch to provide sufficient flows.
Both the Arkansas River Call and Grape Creek Call dates affect how much of our 23CFS dam outflow is credited back to reduce our usage of stored water. This “credit” is based on the inflows into the Deweese Reservoir in Westcliffe, higher inflows equal lower charges to the Deweese account. If the River/Creek call is more favorable, then less water is deducted, if less favorable… then we use stored water much more rapidly which shortens the season. Historically, from 1992 to 2026 the June daily range of inflows into Deweese Reservoir is between 70 and 100CFS with about 20CFS carrying through the remaining summer months. For reference, last year the average inflows to the Deweese Reservoir were 34CFS for the month of June dropping to 4.7 – 5.3CFS July through September. This year on 1 June the inflow was 10.7cfs and today they are at 3.29cfs, with the highest inflow recorded on 4 June at 12.2cfs. The inflows from the Sangre De Cristos to the Deweese Reservoir this year contain .04% - .15% of the historical lowest average inflows and .03% to .10% of the historic highest daily average. It’s safe to say… we’re in a severe drought condition… so if your water is a little lower, we probably already know it before you even think to call the ditch phone!
As of yesterday, the estimate by our division 2 water commissioners based on current usage shows we should make it at one time a week until the end of August… anything beyond that is a bonus but not necessarily a reality because our water usage always accelerates through July into August. Again, it is extremely important… every shareholder needs to realize this is a “closed system” of water delivery with an equal and opposite reaction to changing flows… more now means less later! This brings me to my next point. It is your responsibility as a shareholder to conserve and manage the water that is delivered to you… so please be mindful of this.
Now, on to the rest of the story.
First and foremost, IF YOU STEAL WATER, AN ENTIRE SECTION OF THE DITCH WILL SUFFER NOT JUST THOSE DIRECTLY DOWNSTREAM FROM YOU… REMEMBER THIS IS A CLOSED SYSTEM. Recently someone shutoff the inlet to the Little Reservoir overnight, preventing it from filling, and sending water down to 3rd division all night. The division one shareholders on the Little Reservoir had about 60% of the water they should have had for their run. Additionally, the Middle Reservoir was affected by this theft because the following overnight fill to it had to be reduced to try to refill the Little Reservoir even close to a usable level for a division two run the next day.
Knowingly and willfully stealing water makes you a thief, and if you are caught your water season will be over a lot sooner than you think. Bill and I both have already found several instances of water thieving on multiple sections of the ditch to include the following: Placing an obstruction in a ditch or a divider box to direct more water to your cut; Opening or closing a gate or bulkhead to direct more water to your lateral and division box; Propping up a gate or bulkhead to redirect water from one lateral or division box to yours.
We cannot be everywhere and it is vital that all of us be aware of water theft. If you see something… say something. It also follows here that I mention this too. If you notice you have water in your lateral or division box on a day that you shouldn’t, please let us know so we can investigate and correct the issue as soon as possible.
Second, we will not “turn up” water delivered to a specific lateral area due to shareholder neglect of routine maintenance in that section of the lateral. As I said… this is essentially a closed system and a change in water delivery to one area will require a reduction of water to another. So, keep your laterals and ditch boxes clean. If you don’t want your water, remember you are allowed to block off your division box cut and send it downstream to others who may be able to use it instead.
Lastly, there may be a shareholder that has seen a water season as bad as 2026… but I have not spoken to one yet! This is a severe drought, and we are blessed/lucky to have the water we do and the ability to manage it to sustain our season as long as possible. It is entirely possible that your water will be lower than you see in a normally good season, especially if you are a main ditch shareholder.
For the main ditch shareholders, the delivery of your “share” of the water on any given run depends heavily on the available water in Grape Creek. The stream flows fluctuate constantly every hour of the day due to temperature, sunny or cloudy conditions, and evaporation/transit loss over the 26 miles of creek from the dam in Westcliffe to our diversion. We cannot control these factors, but we can ensure our diversion is taking all the available water it can. Again, we have a closed system to include the outflows from the dam in Westcliffe and If we just “turn up” the outflows from our normal 23CFS release… then our season will be shortened even more.
For those shareholders coming off our 3 local reservoirs you should see near normal runs, but this is not guaranteed. We do our best to keep the reservoirs as full as possible but like the main ditch… the fill levels considered “full” are affected by higher or lower flows in the main ditch also.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Bill and I are fully aware of the difficulties that we face daily by keeping adequate water flowing in the system and providing it to each of our shareholders. However, shareholders must realize, the water you get is a “share” or a portion of the water that is available on that day and that time… it is not always consistent nor is it ever the same as it was “last time”. Please remember… it’s not city water that you can just turn on a tap and then turn it off… it’s a living and breathing thing that at best we can try to keep flowing for the foreseeable future.
Hello Shareholders!
The Board has discussed changes to the water delivery schedule, and have voted on the following:
Effective immediately as of June 1, 2026: we will run one time per week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only (12-hour runs) until further notice. We need to be able to run in accordance with the river call and will need to make further changes on short notice. Please refer to the website frequently (located at: www.deweeseditch.com), as we will post changes as they occur. Email notifications are no longer utilized in contacting Shareholders, as all notices will be posted to the website. We realize this may not be convenient for Shareholders, but we do not have much choice in regulating and maximizing the use of our water resource. We would also like to remind everyone that we are in drought conditions and our Supers are doing their best to maximize the use of our water in accordance with the current conditions. Feel free to share this information with any Shareholder who may need it. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we work thru the 2026 irrigation season!
Due to an issue at the gate located at the dam, water flow on the third division main ditch today will be reduced drastically. The supers are working to remedy the issue, but there is no estimated timeline when flows will return to normal, if at all today. Please share with any shareholder who may need this information. Thank you,
DITCH SUPERINTENDENT NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS 14 MAY 2026
PLEASE READ!
CLEAN YOUR LATERALS-WORK WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS-USE ONLY YOUR WATER!
As usual, during the opening and for the past full week and a half of running ditch water, Bill and I have encountered the same issues with the same laterals due in large part to shareholders on those laterals not taking part in maintaining them to allow optimal water flows. There have been a few bright spots where the individuals living on a known “hard to maintain” lateral have helped tremendously and are committed to keeping those laterals clear during the water season. THANK YOU to those groups… you know who you are. And for those who cleaned their laterals we didn’t see doing so… THANK YOU TOO!
NOTE: If you are a new shareholder or have never been on a ditch system before please ask questions about your rights and responsibilities. The Deweese web site (deweeseditch.com) has all the info you need, but if you need additional assistance please call the ditch phone and leave a message for us.
It goes without saying, this is already an extremely difficult water season… it doesn’t appear to be getting any better either. There will be more low flows than usual because there is less water in both the Grape Creek drainage and in our main ditch. In the effort to preserve, conserve, and appropriately manage our water resource, we as ditch supers will work diligently to get as much water to everyone as physically possible.
What can you, as a shareholder, do to properly use your water?
First off, CLEAN YOUR LATERALS… we WILL NOTincrease flows beyond normal and may have to reduce flows to laterals that do not comply with this CLEAN YOUR LATERALS instruction. It’s not too difficult to partner with your neighbors who share a common lateral and as a team effort, keep them clear. CLEANING LATERALS is not a one and done prospect… it needs to continue throughout the entire water season as grass and weeds continue to grow back.
Additionally, by Colorado law, you are authorized as a ditch shareholder using irrigation water to clean or clear your ditch lateral “upstream” from your point of diversion utilizing the ditch right of way and the most direct route possible. Anyone attempting to prevent you from doing so is in violation of state statutes. If you encounter one of these people not allowing you on the ditch right of way on their property… it is a civil matter and to prevent violence, a call to the Sheriff may be your last option. Notify us on the ditch phone, we try hard to respond to all of these confrontations… but we cannot “beat” your neighbor up or forcibly make them comply. It is best to keep calm and try to work out the issue before involving the authorities or the ditch supers.
Finally, if you are one of those who thinks no one has a right to maintain a ditch that crosses your property… maybe you need to change your attitude and understand you can be held liable both civilly and if you threaten to harm someone, then potentially criminal charges can be brought against you. If you don’t want anyone else cleaning the ditch on your property then maybe just clean it yourself? It’s your choice to do the right thing or not.
Second, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TAKE WATER YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO USE
Water STEALING will be dealt with as quickly and harshly as possible.
For those on the Main Ditch… from Grape Creek Drive to the inlet to the Little Reservoir at 1432 Cedar Avenue… this also includes opening up your diversion box inlet or headgate prior to the 6:20 am opening time or leaving them open after the 6:20 pm shutoff time. This action removes water from the main ditch and impairs our ability to refill the reservoirs overnight during ditch shutdown times.
Third, REPORTING FLOODING is always encouraged and will be responded to ASAP. Also, if you are seeing water when and where it is not customary to do so… please call the ditch phone and let us know. Mistakes are made (including ditch supers too!) and sometimes water goes where it shouldn’t and it’s helpful for us to know this.
However, calling continuously about your water being “low” is not an emergency and honestly, we probably already know that it is low. Additionally, if you don’t have water or it’s low… go “upstream” on your lateral and at least attempt to locate the problem and remedy it before you call the ditch supers. Help yourself to help yourself and your neighbors by being aware of your ditch lateral grates, screens, and areas that tend to clog up on a regular basis. Truth is, it probably isn’t the first time it has happened.
Lastly, due to the lack of any “excess” water this season combined with the usual difficulty of the first month of wetting the ditch and the reservoirs to hold and transfer water, we will not be able to “add” or “increase” flows beyond the normal set points. It is entirely possible we may have to reduce some flows at times. The balancing of main ditch, laterals runs, and then refilling all three reservoirs from ditch shutoff until ditch open the next morning is difficult at best. A prime example is the Little Reservoir on Cedar/115… it is increasingly difficult if not almost impossible to fill and keep at operating level.
We, your ditch supers, will work as hard as we can to ensure the water is delivered from the main ditch and from the reservoirs at approximately the same time, every run, every division… but you have to remember… THIS IS NOT CITY WATER. It is not a simple matter of just turn it on and turn it off and it will then react exactly the way you want it to… that is not possible.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We as ditch supers cannot run this entire system perfectly or to its maximum potential without every shareholder’s participation. Assist where you can, partner with your neighbors and work together to make this incredibly difficult water system the best it can be for all shareholders.
Thank you,
Marc Thompson
Ditch Superintendent/Deweese Board Member
Ditch Super Phone 719-276-8568
The 2026 irrigation season is off to a rough start. There are low inflows from Grape Creek so Shareholders should expect to see less water. Please do not call the Super due to low flows, as we are not able to create more water. This is going to be a rough season because we are in drought conditions. We are thankful for any water, so please understand and help us to work through this season. Please share with anyone who may need this information.
We will be running water the week of May 4, 2026 regardless of the rain and/or snow. Please monitor your laterals and your pumps. We have to run water during the rain and snow events this week due to storage and water operations. Please share with any Shareholder who may need this information.
President Bolkema called for a motion to approve water start-up date of May 4, 2026, to run 2x a week at 12 hours per day for the month of May, then cut back to 8 hours a day 2x a week. Director Thompson moved to approve the plan, Director Brogoitti seconded, and all voted in favor. This schedule will be subject to change according to conditions.
Thank you!
Good evening Shareholders!
The Board has decided to begin the 2026 irrigation season on May 4, 2026. We will begin our season with normal runs of twice a week for the month of May. This schedule is subject to change according to conditions impacting our water. There will be zero tolerance of receipt of too much water, and any Shareholder found taking too much water will be sealed off immediately. This is a critical year for all of Colorado for water and we all need to be vigilant in making the most of our water resource. Anyone who has not paid their 2025 assessment will be sealed from water delivery until back assessment has been paid, per our by-laws. Please share with any Shareholder who may need this information. We appreciate all you do to help DeWeese conserve and make the best use of our water. We look forward to the 2026 season!
Thank you!
Good evening Shareholders!
We will begin flushing our system tomorrow, Thursday April 30, 2026. We are not flushing by Divisions, so if you see water in your lateral at any given time, you can use it to flush your laterals in preparation of water delivery. Please share with anyone who may need this information. We are hopeful for a good season, but will definitely need rain!
Thank you,
Hello Shareholders!
We will begin our flushing and cleaning of the main ditch this month. Please begin cleaning your laterals in preparation of water delivery. We will let you know once a date has been set to begin irrigation season via notification on our website.
Please make sure to send in your check or money order by July 1, 2026, otherwise water delivery will be terminated. We are not set up for online or credit card payments, so please mail your payment or set up a bank draft through your bank.
Beginning in the 2027 irrigation year, assessments will be due March 15th of each year for that calendar year.
Going forward, our Superintendents will not respond to calls about Shareholder laterals. Laterals are the responsibility of the Shareholders, per our By-Laws. DeWeese is only responsible for cleaning, repair, and maintenance the main ditch. If you have a problem with your lateral, you will need to repair it and/or work with your fellow shareholders on your lateral, in accordance with our by-laws.
Email notifications will NO LONGER be utilized due to email limits. Going forward, ALL notices will be posted to the website, please refer to the website often for all Shareholder notices.
We look forward to a successful irrigation year for 2026!