Every year during the irrigation off-season, the District typically converts a number of open waterways to buried pipelines. Often these are done for one of two reasons; operation and maintenance problems or water conservation. Operation and maintenance problems that may warrant the piping of a waterway can include excessive vegetation, erosion, access limitations, susceptibility to windblown material and debris and safety concerns. Many waterways are piped in an effort to achieve some amount of water conservation. Depending on the underlying soil conditions in the area where a waterway is constructed, seepage rates can vary widely. The District attempts to pipe a number of these waterways each year based on the severity of seepage.
Grant funding is often available to help offset the cost of these projects that result in a quantifiable amount of water conservation. Typically, these projects will be completed by a combination of District forces and through contract with a private contractor. If you know of a ditch that might meet these criteria and should be piped, contact your local Watermaster.
