EVANS TOWN DITCH
The Evans Town Ditch was constructed in the 1880’s to provide irrigation water to the area. As recently as the 1980’s there were approximately 1,700 acres of land that could be served from the ditch, of which approximately 900 acres were within the City limits. Water from the ditch is still used to this day to irrigate both agricultural land and urban landscaping within the City.
The system originates approximately five miles west of Evans at the Big Thompson River, and runs parallel to the Big Thompson and the South Platte Rivers in an open canal into town. The ditch divides in two at 42nd Street, just east of 17th Avenue. The southern portion of the delivery system parallels 42nd Street, and flows easterly under Highway 85, irrigating the southeastern portion of the community. The northern branch continues north from 42nd Street to 31st Street where it is piped under Highway 85. This branch of the system irrigates the northeastern area of the community.
The City of Evans presently owns the original water right of 29.28 cubic feet per second of water for use within the City of Evans. This right is relatively senior in Colorado’s water rights priority system and as such has considerable value to the community.
Current water usage is primarily for parks, lawn, and garden watering with some irrigation for small fields. It is the City’s intent to utilize this valuable resource well in to the future and provide its benefits to its citizens.
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