The Kilarc Project

Ditches

Ditch Diversions are part of the fish problem and therefore are part of the solution. KC LLC will work to discuss ideas, and designs on the screening of the ditches and how they can be maintained. We welcome ideas and input. Especially we wish to talk to ditch owners and people who maintain the ditch diversion dams.

The Problem

Ditches divert flow from the various braches of the Cow for purposes of water rights holders. This means that juvenile fish migrating downstream are at risk of being sucked into these diversions, eliminating their return to the sea, especially in the summer and fall. A key question is what are the possibilities of maintaining the ditch flows while protecting the downstream migration of fish.

Solutions

Screening the ditches is effective if the screens are properly designed and maintained to avoid interruption of flows that may be caused by flood damage, riverbed changes, and plugging from debris. Maintenance service has to be performed year-round – cleaning and rebuilding as floods impact equipment.

Several different designs can be considered. We are looking for advice and input from all concerned to identify the best design for each diversion where a screen could be used to redirect migrating juvenile fish toward the sea.