40 miles from Ridgway, high in the San Juans a water diversion structure diverts water into a pipe that then fills the storage reservoir for Ridgway's water treatment plant.
When a massive storm tore through the drainage in August 2024, it destroyed the town’s main water diversion system. More than a year later, construction is finally underway on a new, more resilient setup to keep clean water flowing.
Town Manager Preston Neill says the storm caused an “unbelievable amount of water” to surge down Beaver Creek. The force of the water filled the diversion point and part of the Ridgway ditch with mud, boulders, and debris. The creek widened, undercut the diversion, and rerouted itself below the level of the town’s intake infrastructure, making it impossible for water to reach the town’s storage reservoir. Town staff said it was the most severe change to the creek in over 40 years.
“The Creek and the Ridgway ditch are no longer aligned,” Neill said in an interview with KVNF. “That just became buried in feet of boulders and mud and other debris.”
The town is now building an entirely new diversion system designed to withstand future high-flow events. Construction began in mid-August 2025, almost exactly one year after the flood. Neill says that timeline reflects the complex process of coordinating with state and federal agencies and securing funding.
The bulk of the estimated $3 million project is being covered by outside sources. The Natural Resources Conservation Service is expected to reimburse up to 75% of construction costs, with the rest split betweenother agencies (both state and federal) and the Town of Ridgway. All engineering and pre-construction work has been reimbursed at 100% by federal funds.
In the meantime, Ridgway has relied on a backup water source, Cottonwood Creek. In July, Public Works crews installed a temporary piping system to restore flow to the Ridgway Ditch. Stage III water restrictions were also necessary this summer to ensure demand did not out-strip supply.
Neill praised Ridgway residents for their cooperation and thanked agency partners for helping make the rebuild possible.
“It’s important for everybody to be in the know and pay attention,” he said. “And do their best to accommodate restrictions when they come up.”
Construction began on August 11, 2025, starting with access road improvements to the remote site, located about 40 minutes from town.
You can get more detail on the project here: https://townofridgway.colorado.gov/beaver-creek-diversion-restoration-project
