Looking after your stretch of the ditch

No ditch experience needed. This is a small, neighborhood water system — the water flows through people's yards and into little ponds along the way. It isn't a big agricultural irrigation setup; it's something the whole community shares and keeps running together. Here's what looking after your part actually involves.

How the ditch works

• When the water is turned on for the season, it flows downhill on its own, moving from one property to the next along the ditch.
• Along the way it runs through open ditches, through buried pipes where it crosses driveways and yards, and into small ponds.
• Everyone shares the same flowing water. If one section gets clogged, the neighbors below it get less water — or none. So keeping your section clear helps everyone downstream of you.
• The water is untreated and meant for outdoor use — it is not drinking water.

The part on your property

The ditch where it crosses your land is yours to look after. Some of it may be open ditch, some may be buried pipe, and you may have a pond. Looking after it is mostly simple: keep it clear of leaves, branches, mud, and built-up dirt so the water can move freely.

Clearing an open ditch

• For open (uncovered) ditches, a shovel is usually all you need — scoop out sticks and leaves, and the mud and sand that settle on the bottom over time.
• For a long stretch or a lot of buildup, a backhoe can clean it out quickly.
• Toss what you dig out well back from the edge so it doesn't just wash straight back in the next time the water runs.

Clearing a pipe

• Where the ditch runs through a buried pipe, debris tends to jam up at the openings.
• Start by reaching into the end of the pipe and pulling out whatever you can by hand.
• For a clog further inside, push a long piece of PVC pipe through to break it up and shove it out the other end. (That tip came from a neighbor on the Facebook group.)

Ponds

The ditch feeds small ponds along its route. Keep the spots where water flows into and out of your pond clear so it doesn't back up or go stagnant. If you'd rather hire the work out, someone was advertising ditch- and pond-cleaning this spring — ask on the Facebook group for a current recommendation.

Pitching in together

• This is a neighborhood system, and it works best when neighbors pitch in. Team up with the folks just above and below you to clear shared sections — it's faster and everyone benefits.
• The Facebook group is where neighbors trade tips, organize clean-up days, and share who to call.
• Hit a blockage or washout you can't handle yourself? Let us know from the contact page before it backs up.

The best time to work: fall and winter

The water is shut off in the fall, so the ditch sits dry for months. That's the easiest and best time to do the bigger jobs — dig out ditches, clear pipes, and shore up the banks — so everything's ready when the water comes back in the spring. If we all pitch in, we can keep the water flowing.

What it costs

$35.00 per year per connected parcel

Covers your share of operating and maintaining the community ditch system. Billed by the Association.

Effective January 1, 2026.