Canal Shutdown Comes at a Critical Moment
The Fire Mountain Canal, which carries irrigation water diverted from the North Fork of the Gunnison River and delivers it to roughly 488 water users between Somerset and Hotchkiss, is fully shut down following an emergency hillside slippage discovered this week. The location of the issue is approximately here (google maps link).
What Happened
A ditch rider noticed cracking in the canal road and a bank slipping on the downhill side of the canal. The canal was quickly drained and shut off before the slope failed further. Overnight, the hillside dropped another 18 inches, confirming the severity of the situation. The quick response likely prevented a catastrophic failure.
The Fix
The Fire Mountain Canal and Reservoir Company is working with the Bureau of Reclamation on a repair plan. The Bureau has been involved with the canal since the construction of Paonia Reservoir. The solution calls for installing roughly 200 feet of eight-foot-diameter pipe to bridge the unstable section and anchor into solid ground. Superintendent Steve Fletcher said the pipe had to be sourced from Texas.
Worst Possible Timing
The shutdown comes as North Fork growers are already managing through a severe drought year. Snowpack in the Gunnison Basin is currently at just 17 percent of normal — meaning a typical year holds nearly six times more water than this one. The canal had started deliveries earlier than usual this spring in an effort to capture early runoff, and growers have been planning for a water-short season. Now they face a complete halt in deliveries for an estimated two to three weeks.
What's Next
Fletcher estimates the canal could be back online, "in two to three weeks" which is sometime between April 30th and May 7th. He asks water users to be patient. KVNF will continue to update this story as repairs progress. You can also follow the Fire Mountain Canal and Reservoir Company on Facebook for updates.
