The month of August brought with it a huge challenge for the
Superintendent to manage. The first week of the month the creek held steady
with 13 c.f.s. the second week increased to an average of 23 c.f.s. and the
third week started the challenge with creek jumping up to 71 c.f.s. in one day
and back down to 42 c.f.s. the next. This occurred again the end of the 3rd
week with the creek increasing up to 69.70 overnight. Needless to say; this calls
for numerous trips to the diversion to either open or close it down. Along with
that adjusting irrigation schedules to accommodate the increase and distribute
as much as possible to our shareholders. Capturing and distributing the water
is not an easy task. Many shareholders are not available to receive the water,
or have not paid the second half of their assessments to permit them to receive
the water. As always; the challenge trickled down to the ditch riders who have
made every effort to distribute the water. Actually; this challenge is a good
one, we have water to distribute!
We additionally had the reservoir level rise up 7 ft since
June when we shut it down. This increase was primarily due to run off from the
rains we received. In effort to take the burden off the upper canal transfers
the reservoir was opened to re-establish irrigations from the lower canal. This
also proved to be a challenge when a significant rain storm occurred and Bear
Creek flooded down into our lower canal causing debris plugging up the screens
and flooding issues. It was necessary to shut down the reservoir for a week to
enable clean-up on the lower canal before re-starting. As of 8/19, seven more
shareholders were started from the lower ditch with second irrigations as the
upper canal shareholders continued receiving irrigation.
Temperatures in Penrose were interesting also with several
days in the high 90’s and some days in the mid 70’s. We did get the benefit of
rain, and depending on where you are located some shareholders have reported
receiving up to 2 inches of rain or more. However, the AG Met sensor in Penrose
has only recorded a total of 1.08 inches of moisture. The difference may be
that the sensor is recording moisture content and not what rain gages have
accumulated.
Reminder to all the shareholders who have not paid their
second half of the assessments, the assessments were due August 1st.
If your account is not in good standing, you will not be entitled to receive
irrigation water. Accounts not paid in full by 8/31/22 will be charged interest
for the month.
A HUGE THANK YOU GOES OUT TO BEAVER PARK WATER’S
SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF FOR RISING TO THE OCCASION OF THE SOMETIMES DIFFICULT
AND OVERWHELMING CHALLENGES DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
As Always, pray for rain and carry an umbrella.
