LYIP Crew Restores Main Canal

Most readers know that the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project's (LYIP) main canal suffered a 45 foot wide washout in late June near the Marlow Iversen farm south of Savage. Readers also know that this washout disrupted irrigation for many farms during the time span it took for crews to repair the blowout, refill the canal, reprime the laterals, and reschedule water deliveries.

What many readers may not realize, however, concerns the hard work, long hours, and dedication to restoring water delivery as quickly as possible that the entire LYIP staff displayed during this time.

The main canal washout occurred at approximately 4:30 am on Thursday, June 28. Water master Don Mastvelten arrived on the scene within minutes of receiving a call from the Sheriff's department that water was running over the road on County Road 104. Mastvelten immediately called ditch rider Pat Micheletto and had him shut down the gates at Intake. Micheletto and Mastvelten then opened spillways between Intake and the main canal break and shut off the Savage and Thomas Point pumps to drain the canal as quickly as possible. Because of the large quantity of water stored in the main canal, it took hours for the break site to drain sufficiently so that work on repairs could begin. While waiting for the water to subside and for the area to dry sufficiently to support heavy equipment, LYIP foreman Bill Hamburg organized operators and crews to move the dozer, track hoe, and compactor to the site and ready the gravel trucks for action.

LYIP received many offers of assistance during this waiting period, a fact that LYIP Manager James Brower greatly appreciates. "In the time it took to shut off Intake and for the canal to drain, what began as a 20 foot washout eroded to become a 45 foot washout," he comments. "The County phoned and volunteered the use of their large sheep's foot compactor, and delivered it on site for us. Utilities responded quickly and located lines for us, and many farmers and local businesses offered use of equipment. I truly appreciate the offers of help and the way that the community joined together to offer assistance."

Work began with the excavation of spoiled material that made up the original bank. Using the track hoe, operators removed 20 to 25 feet of bank on both sides of the washout to reach stable, solid bank. Crews then began the lengthy process of hauling rock from the Fisher pit, and using the hauled material to reshape and slope a new bank and to key this new material into the solid ends of the washout. An operator on the dozer spread each load as it arrived and the compactor operator drove back and forth on site to pack this new material into a solid, sturdy bank.

The crew worked until 9 pm on Thursday the 28th, went home filthy with dust and grime, and tired to the bone. They had only enough energy to shower and have a quick bite to eat before falling into bed. They all returned to the job site to resume working by 5 a.m. on Friday morning.

On Friday the work of hauling material, spreading, shaping, and compacting the new canal bank continued. The crew remained on the job until 8:30 Friday evening, when they finished the job and water once again flowed through the main canal to serve farmers and ranchers in the valley.

However, the work had only begun for water master Don Mastvelten and the ditch riders. Mastvelten began priming the main canal on Friday afternoon and worked nearly non-stop through the weekend and into Monday July 2 to stabilize the canal and ensure water delivery. Once the canal was primed, ditch riders began a long week of hard work to make sure individual users received water. This process took time because of high demand, and also required some water rationing to enable ditch riders to get water to all users in need. "Don (Mastvelten) worked without a break for three days," Brower notes. "Because the heat, there was an enormous demand for water during this time, so it took a week to stabilize water levels in the main canal and the laterals. Because of this high demand, water rationing was introduced for a week. Farmers cooperated during this time and coped with the fluctuating water levels."

He adds, "Historically, this was one of the shortest water outages we have had for a washout on the main canal bank."

Brower feels the entire LYIP crew deserves a word of praise. "These men are heroes for working so hard to restore water to the users," he remarks. "They did a fantastic job of getting water back in the canal so quickly."

Following the washout incident, Brower and Mastvelten spent three days inspecting the entire canal, looking for damage and evaluating high water marks. They found several areas in need of cleaning and maintenance, so the LYIP plans to initiate serious canal maintenance work in the fall and over the coming winter. "It is important to minimize damage and flooding in emergencies, so we will do main canal maintenance and clean drains and laterals to reduce this potential damage," he comments.

Brower and Mastvelten also examined the records for the past three years and determined that this year's water levels were normal or below previous years' high water marks.

The LYIP work crew spent a lot of time and energy to ensure water users could resume irrigating as quickly as possible. They all deserve a word of thanks and a pat on the back for their tremendous effort.