Ridgway is under an extended emergency disaster order after extreme rain over the weekend destroyed the Beaver Creek diversion system which feeds into the Ridgway Ditch and ultimately Lake Otonowanda, the town’s primary water source.
Town Manager Preston Neill issued the order Wednesday morning, and presented the council with it Wednesday night at their regular meeting.
The declaration follows a county-issued emergency disaster order on Wednesday morning for damage resulting from a slew of thunderstorms starting Aug. 5, which caused damage across the county. The order is good through Sept. 12.
THE DAMAGE
The town discovered the extent of destruction during a routine visit to the Beaver Creek site on Monday. Neill said town staff hasn’t seen such significant damage in more than 45 years of observing the creek.
In a normal rain event, the increased flows in Beaver Creek can wash out the diversion, but high flows typically remain in the creek, he said.
This week, damage appeared to be caused by a dam that formed in the creek, which then breached.
The resulting slug of water and mud demolished a screen – which filters water from the creek into the headgate – and a pipe running over the creek, which feeds water from other springs into the ditch, Neill said.
The creek itself was undercut, widened and leaving its banks unstable and tree roots exposed. A bank-to-bank mud slurry filled the Ridgway Ditch for hundreds of feet.
Until the Beaver Creek system is fixed, the town will source water from the Happy Hollow Ditch, which is located along Cottonwood Creek, rather than Lake Otonowanda, unless a call is placed on Happy Hollow. In that situation, Lake Otonowanda will supply the county with water for around 100 days.
But Neill cautioned residents about being alarmist and that the town is not on a countdown, as it still has water resources through its diversion at Happy Hollow.
LONG-TERM FIX
For now, the emergency disaster order allows the town to deploy state and federal resources to resolve the issue.
Restoring the diversion for long-term performance will be a big challenge and an expensive task, Neill said. Restoring the creek could take years, he said.
“It’s likely that the long-term fix for diversion will need to be something that takes into account extreme weather events and that can handle the normal fluctuations, flows, gravel loads,” Neill said.
Neill said in discussions Tuesday, he threw out $2.3 million as an estimated starting point for a fix.
He said from his understanding, Federal Emergency Management Agency dollars only pay for restoring systems to their former condition, but that might not be possible in this situation.
The town may have to look at alternatives, he said.
Bobbie Lucero, a regional manager with the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said the town is still in the early stages of damage assessment.
Glenn Boyd, Ouray County emergency manager, encouraged residents to document damage to private property in the event that Federal Emergency Management funds become available to them.
Residents can submit evidence of damage to a portal here and the county’s emergency management department will follow up to ensure all necessary information is included, he said.
Councilor Polly Kroger asked Neill if town irrigation should be cut to a bare minimum.
Neill said yes, but there is still work to be done to coordinate efforts and make sure as many conservation measures are in place as possible.
The town is still under voluntary water restrictions, which were enacted last month, and Neill recommended those restrictions be revisited after a full damage assessment.
