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AND RESERVOIR COMPANY
Serving
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THE BOULDER AND WHITE ROCK DITCH AND RESERVOIR SYSTEM
The Boulder and White Rock Ditch and Reservoir Company and its predecessor
company the Boulder and White Rock Ditch Company have been delivering water
to farmers in Boulder and Weld Counties since 1873. The diversion
point on Boulder Creek, known as the 12th Street diversion is located in downtown Boulder where the ditch crosses
Broadway. This irrigation water flowing through the City of Boulder
and unincorporated Boulder County fills the Ditch Company's two storage
facilities, Six Mile Reservoir and Panama Reservoir.
MODIFICATIONS OF EXISTING EASEMENTS
The Boulder and White Rock Ditch and Reservoir Company hereinafter referred
to as the Ditch Company explains in this memorandum its requirements and
procedures in dealing with those parties seeking modifications of it existing
easements regarding: maintenance, walkways, bike paths, new bridges and
box culverts, utilities, direct storm water runoff, etc. No person shall
encroach on the Ditch Company easement without first obtaining the permission
and written consent from the Ditch Company. Any relocation or improvements
in the ditch must be designed such that there is no loss of flow conveyance
in the ditch.
EASEMENTS FOR MAINTENANCE
The Ditch Company requires minimally a 50-foot easement from the centerline
of the ditch on one side and a 35-foot easement from the centerline on
the other side of the ditch. A determination of whether the uphill or downhill
side will be 50 or 35 feet will based on the topography, access, and other
factors. In unincorporated Boulder County, no structures may be built within
50 feet from the centerline of the ditch. Any bike path or walkway placed
within the easement needs to be designed to withstand the loading of a
Drott 50, as the Ditch Company will not be liable for damage to the path
as a result of their cleaning and maintenance processes.
NEW BRIDGES AND BOX CULVERTS
New bridges built over the Boulder and White Rock Ditch must be of a clear span design such that no obstruction from any bridge support or low chord shall be within the cross section of the ditch and the low chord must be a minimum of 18 inches above the low side ditch bank. If a bridge is supported by drilled piers or caissons, they must extend a minimum of three feet below the ditch invert. If a bridge is supported by footer or a pad, bank protection must be provided upstream and downstream of the bridge to prevent the ditch banks from eroding and undermining the bridge
Box culverts must be designed to convey a minimum of 200 cfs (cubic
feet per second) while maintaining a minimum of 18 inches of freeboard.
The design must be based on the ditch restrictions (cross section, slope,
etc.). For the sake of illustration, if the flows in the ditch in a particular
reach of the ditch have a velocity of four feet per second, you must provide
a minimum of 50 square feet of opening plus the 18 inches of freeboard.
Inverts of box culverts shall be set with the flowline of the culvert a
maximum of two feet below flowline to allow for future cleaning of the
ditch (this applies to areas that have not been recently cleaned). The
area below the ditch flowline does not count toward the required opening
area. Headwalls and wingwalls, or other approved bank protection are required
on the upstream and downstream ends of the culvert.
UTILITIES
All utilities crossing the ditch must be cased and installed at an elevation
that leaves a minimum clearance of five (5) feet between the flowline of the
ditch and the top of the casing to allow for future cleaning and maintenance of
the ditch. All sanitary sewers crossing the ditch must be ductile iron pipe. The
pipe encasement shall extend beyond the ditch bank side a distance such that the
slope from the ditch bank to the pipe does not exceed 1:1. The encasement length
is necessary to prevent shoring of the back side of the ditch if repair work on
the pipe is necessary when the ditch is running water. All open cuts shall be
replaced with a 4-inch thick impermeable soil barrier placed on the ditch bottom
and banks. The barrier material shall meet soil classification CL, CH, or SC and shall be compacted to 95
percent of the standard proctor density. Utilities installed during the
irrigation season, or when water is flowing in the ditch must be bored
so as not to interrupt the ditch service. Utilities installed in the off
season may be allowed to be open cut, but they still must be cased so future
maintenance of the carrier pipe will not interfere with the ditch operation.
The Contractor shall install the pipe and back fill the trench and ditch
banks in a good and workmanlike manner so as to minimize seepage from the
ditch at the pipeline crossing.
DIRECT STORM WATER RUNOFF
The Ditch Company has serious concerns about direct storm water runoff
and requires all direct storm runoff into the ditch and all storm drainage
systems discharging into the ditch be designed so that the peak flows will
be no more than the historic flows into the ditch nor adversely impact
the historic quality of the water entering the ditch. Detention ponds must
be designed to handle the ten-year plus the 100 year storm events. These
criteria are stricter than the City of Boulder and the County of Boulder.
The Ditch Company will not be liable for facilities not designed to Ditch
Company standards. The ditch banks and ditch bottoms must be adequately
protected from erosion from the discharge of pipes that outlet into the
ditch. The Ditch Company also discourages building detention ponds in its
easement as these can interfere with the cleaning and maintenance process.
COSTS
The developer or owner is responsible for reimbursing the Ditch Company for
its costs associated with: reviewing plans and specifications for bridges, box
culverts, utilities, storm water discharges, etc. and approving any ditch
easement agreement. These costs include fees and expenses of the Ditch Company,
attorney fees, engineering fees, and any other associated costs. Attorney and engineering fees are at their
established rates. Additionally, there is a $1,000 fee for each pipeline
or cable crossing or drainage pipe acceptance; a $1,000 fee for each culvert
or bridge less than 25 feet wide; and a $1,500 fee for each bridge or culvert
greater than 25 feet wide. The developer or owner of the improvement will
be responsible for the cost of construction and future replacements and
repair work. If the ditch is put in a culvert or pipe, or a bridge is built
over the ditch, the developer or owner is responsible for all cleaning
and maintenance associated with the pipe, culvert, or bridge. Before the
Ditch Company examines any plans, they will need some assurance from the
developer or owner that Ditch Company expenses, attorney, engineering and review
fees will be reimbursed whether or not the project is approved or built.
REVIEW PROCESS
It is the desire of the Ditch Company that the review process can be handled in an efficient and timely manner; any efforts directed towards saving time, money, and reducing complications are greatly appreciated.
All correspondence and sets of plans should be sent to the following
individuals: the Ditch Company's president, attorney and
engineer.
Jules Van Thuyne President Boulder and White Rock Ditch and Reservoir Company 10323 Monarch Rd. Longmont, CO 80504 Tel (303) 652-2012
David N. Sonnesyn The Sonnesyn Law Firm 655 4th Avenue Suites 1&2 Longmont, CO 80501 Tel (303) 776-5077 Fax (303) 684-0654 Michael J. Ballantine, P.E. Deere & Ault Consultants, Inc. 600 S. Airport Rd. Bldg. A, Suite 205 Longmont, CO 80503 Tel (303) 651-1468 Fax (303) 651-1469 E-mail: mike.ballantine@deereault.com
Negotiations, ditch easement agreements, and other legal documents will be handled by the Ditch Company's
attorney, David Sonnesyn. The design of any structure or matter needing engineering review
will be submitted to the Ditch Company's engineer, Mike Ballantine. These
matters will then be submitted for approval to the president or board of directors of
the Ditch Company. If the plans and agreements meet the Ditch Company's
approval and are accepted, a letter and an initialized set of plans will
be given to the County or City upon receipt of review and crossing fees
and the execution of the ditch easement agreement or other required legal
documents by the parties.
