McCormick Ditch Restoration Project

n 2013, the Board of Directors for the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition (CCWC) initiated a project to improve and restore the McCormick Ditch on Coal Creek within the town limits of Crested Butte. The CCWC partnered with High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) and the Town of Crested Butte (Town) to design and complete this project.

The McCormick Ditch serves the Town of Crested Butte and the Verzuh Ranch with municipal parks and agricultural irrigation water drawn from Coal Creek.

In 2014, the CCWC hired Crane Associates to design a new diversion structure made of rocks, that would allow some water to bypass the headgate. Town Public Works staff and Zach Vaughter, with volunteers, did the work. Funding was provided by the UGRWCD, the CWCB and the Gunnison Basin Roundtable. Lacy Construction donated some machinery and the rocks were purchased from United Companies.

The McCormick Ditch Restoration Project can be described as a monumental success for the CCWC, HCCA, the community of Crested Butte, and the environmental integrity of Coal Creek. Project implementation resulted in a major improvement from the previous diversion structure and ditch. The final cost of the project came in well under budget by approximately $48,000.00; the final cost of the project was $15,648.33 compared to the original estimate of $63,841.00.

Additionally, the McCormick Ditch Restoration Project implementation achieved the desired deliverables on Coal Creek as outlined in the scope of work provided to the Colorado Water Conservation Board: Gunnison Basin Roundtable, in that this project achieved:

• Cost savings from elimination of need for yearly maintenance.
• Efficient capture of water for diversion and delivery into McCormick Ditch.
  
• Reduction in sediment mobilization and disturbance to the Creek bed.
  
• Visual advantages of a natural looking structure within Town limits.
• Aquatic connectivity for the lower segment of Coal Creek to its confluence with the Slate River.