The board of directors meets regularly, as needed. The annual meeting is held early in the spring every year to establish an opening schedule, elect officers, discuss finances and budgets and any other items necessary to maintain the District. Special meetings are held as needed. All meetings are open to all.
April 26, 2024 The Headgate has been opened. Expect water any day now. Please be sure to remove any pet barriers or fences you may have put up over the winter. If you have grass clippings, horse manure or other waste products in the ditch please remove those as well. April 18, 2024 The Big Flat Irrigation District annual meeting will be held Monday April 22, 2024, 9:00 A.M. at 1400 Valley Wind Ln. 406-370-1041 for directions. You can find the official agenda posted at the Hellgate Conoco, The Trough, the County Courthouse, or at right. March 25, 2024 We are doing some dredging this week. Additionally, our workers are doing the spring cleanup on the ditch including burning, tree and debris removal and repairs. Please allow them access to do so. Also, it's time to remove any pet barriers or fences you may have put up over the winter. If you have grass clippings, horse manure or other waste products in the ditch please remove those as well. Thanks in advance! September 27, 2023 The Big Flat Irrigation District will be shutting down the ditch Sunday, October 1st for the season. August 7, 2023 The bulk of the dredging is complete. With the increased flow we have to recalibrate all of our gates. Expect some fluctuations this week as we work our way towards an adequate water level. August 3, 2023 We will be dredging the head-gate area Monday August 7. This may cause silt to flow. If you are concerned, you should shut your pumps off during that time. July 22, 2023 We were able to restore regular flow. Rationing order is rescinded. July 21, 2023 Today the Bitterroot Rivers level is at 44% of normal. I met with an excavator to see about dredging our main canal above the headgate. Like every contractor he is booked but will try to fit us in. In the meantime, our crew is hand pulling the aquatic weeds to try and improve flow. We usually do this around September so that shows you what we are facing. This may temporarily improve flows. In the interest of fairness, we are going to try a voluntary rationing system. We will divide the system into 3 sections: 1: Headgate to the lateral splits on Valley Wind Ln; (Use water on Mondays and Tuesdays) 2: The "East" lateral (Windermere, across Kona Road); (Use water on Wednesdays and Thursdays) 3: The "West" lateral (Valley Wind split to Dora Ln, Virginia, back to Big Flat Rd) (Use water on Friday and Saturday) and ask that all refrain from watering on Sundays. The ditch rider will be closing and opening the lateral gate for sections 2 and 3 so it is likely your lateral will be completely dry on the other days. This will begin on Monday, July 24. As not all are online, please advise your neighbors, as needed. July 20, 2023 The Bitterroot Rivers level is dropping quickly this year. Currently it is at 65% of normal. This has impacted our ability to draw water from the river. Some parts of the ditch may be running dry. Please protect your pumps accordingly. I am meeting with an excavator on July 21st to see if there is anything we can do to increase the flow. Rationing may also have to occur. I'll try to update regularly. June 5, 2023 The Big Flat Irrigation District annual meeting will be held Thursday June 8, 2023, 4:00 P.M. at 1400 Valley Wind Ln. 406-370-1041 for directions. You can find the official agenda posted at the Hellgate Conoco, The Trough, the County Courthouse, or at right. April 26, 2023 The cool wet spring has put us a little behind. While the Headgate will be open by May 1, expect water in the main ditch a little later. You should see first water sometime during the week of May 1st. Please be sure to remove any pet barriers or fences you may have put up over the winter. If you have grass clippings, horse manure or other waste products in the ditch please remove those as well. April 12, 2023 Our workers are doing the spring cleanup on the ditch including burning, tree and debris removal and repairs. Please allow them access to do so. Also, it's time to remove any pet barriers or fences you may have put up over the winter. If you have grass clippings, horse manure or other waste products in the ditch please remove those as well. Thanks in advance! April 2, 2023 The Big Flat Irrigation District will hold a special meeting Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 5:30 PM at 1400 Valley Wind Ln, Missoula. The agenda is attached. It is also posted at the Hellgate Trading Post at 6265 Mullan Rd, Missoula, The Olde Dairy at 2106 Clements Rd, Missoula and the Missoula County Courthouse. September 30 2022 The Big Flat Irrigation District will be shutting down the ditch Saturday, October 1st for the season. September 6, 2022 At this time the ditch is scheduled for turnoff on October 1. July 17, 2022 There will be a Special Meeting of the Big Flat Irrigation District on July 19th at 5:30 P.M. The agenda is attached. It is also posted at the Hellgate Trading Post at 6265 Mullan Rd, Missoula, The Olde Dairy at 2106 Clements Rd, Missoula and the Missoula County Courthouse. June 14, 2022 Be prepared for flow variations as we try to compensate for rapidly changing river conditions. June 5, 2022 Water levels are fluctuating with the rise and fall of the river levels due to rain and run off. Be sure to call if you see any indication of high flows in your ditch! April 27, 2022 We opened the head-gate today and water is flowing to Mclay Flats. Depending on your location you could see water as early as tomorrow. At this time, it is imperative that all animal gates and obstructions are removed from the ditch. Expect to see a crew coming through at anytime! April 16, 2022 The Big Flat Irrigation District annual meeting will be held Thursday April 21, 2022 4:30 P.M. at 1400 Valley Wind Ln. 406-370-1041 for directions. You can find the official agenda posted at the Hellgate Conoco, The Trough, the County Courthouse, or at right. March 27, 2022 The Big Flat Irrigation District spring cleaning crew is hard at it. This week they have been pretty visible along Blue Mountain Road near Maclay Flats. Please slow down if you see their traffic cones! They will also be cleaning the length of the ditch throughout March and April. If the ditch crosses your property please remove any yard debris, horse manure or wind-blown trash that may have accumulated over the winter. We appreciate it! September 23, 2021 The Big Flat Irrigation District ditch will be turned off on October 1st. We will be performing various maintenance activities along the entire ditch system after that, as weather permits. July 29, 2021 The head-gate section of the ditch was dredged yesterday. This morning you should notice considerably better flows. With the low water of the past week algae has grown substantially and now the increased flow has dislodged it, pushing it downstream. I suggest you check your pump screens and any other obstacles in the ditch and remove the debris. In consideration of your downstream neighbors, please remove the debris from the ditch rather than sending it down the channel. Thanks, Jeff Koch, President, Big Flat Irrigation District July 15, 2021 We will be dredging the head-gate area Tuesday July 27 and Wednesday July 28. This may cause silt to flow. If you are concerned you should shut your pumps off during that time. Until then the ditch flow will be below normal, as it is now. If possible, avoid drawing water in order to keep the ditch flowing. I have stopped drawing water as of last Thursday. Thanks, Jeff Koch President Big Flat Irrigation District June 22, 2021 There will be a Special Meeting of the Big Flat Irrigation District on June 24th at 10 A.M. The agenda is attached. May 19, 2021 At the request of attendees at the Big Flat Irrigation District (BFID) annual meeting on May 4, 2021, there will be a tour of the ditch system on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 2:00. The tour will highlight the work that has been done on the system infrastructure over the past three years as well as review upcoming projects and needs. Big Flat Irrigation District Commissioner Jeff Koch will host the tour which will begin at the school bus turn around at the end of the paved portion of Big Flat Road, (on the way to the Deep Creek Shooting Range, the intersection of Big Flat Road and Sherman Gulch Road). RSVP is requested but not required to 406-370-1041 or [email protected] Dress for the weather. You will drive from point to point in your own vehicle. We will be walking some medium distances and mud boots are suggested. This tour is intended to give the commissioners of the BFID a snapshot of the ditch infrastructure as of the tour date. However, any BFID members are welcome as well. Since this is strictly an informational tour, no BFID business will be conducted and it is not a public meeting. Tour time is estimated at 2 hours. Presidents report, April 28, 2021: We will be turning on the water in stages beginning April 29, with the full ditch anticipated to be on May 1. It will take a few days to run clear. Please clear the ditch of weeds, trees, and obstacles in your area that may hinder the flow. Please remove any pet barriers you may have installed over the winter. Next Board meeting: Tuesday May 4, 2021 Our Board will meet Tuesday, May 4th at 3:00 P.M. at 1400 Valley Wind Ln. The agenda for the annual meeting is attached in the adjacent screen and is also posted at the Hellgate Trading Post at 6265 Mullan Rd, Missoula, The Olde Dairy at 2106 Clements Rd, Missoula and the Missoula County Courthouse. If the weather cooperates we will hold the meeting outdoors to facilitate social distancing. If not we will have indoor space. Please bring your own chairs and sanitizer and wearing masks is still mandatory in Missoula County. Please do not park on the grass. Presidents report, May 3, 2021: The entire ditch system is flowing, right on schedule. Expect fluctuating levels as we try to compensate for the rising river levels, the increasing demand of our system users as the weather warms up and any rainfall we may see. If the grate or culvert on your property is clogged, please remove the obstruction or let us know about it if you are unable to do so on your own. Presidents report, April 24, 2021: We have been doing the spring clean-up since March and while I would like to be further along, weather and employee issues have slowed us somewhat. Nevertheless we are anticipating a May 1 turn-on. Treasure State Tree will be working in the flume area April 26-30 so please avoid that area then. At our annual meeting the board will be hiring the Ditch Rider and Secretary/Treasurer for the upcoming year. These are paid positions. A list of duties and qualification criteria is attached. If you have interest in either position contact me, or one of the Board of Commissioners (on the "About" page.) Jeffrey J, Koch President Big Flat Irrigation Ditch Association 406-370-1041 [email protected] |
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Current Events April 24, 2021 Our crews will be burning next week. We will begin flows Thursday April 29, Please clear the ditch of weeds, trees, and obstacles in your area that may hinder the flow. Please remove any pet barriers you may have installed over the winter. Treasure State Tree will be removing trees in the flume are the week of April 26-30. Please avoid the flume road that entire week. March 16, 2021 Our crews will begin working this month to clear the ditch of weeds, trees, and obstacles in order to achieve our goal of turning the ditch on, on May 1. This includes burning. Our crews work in a hopscotch pattern depending on variables such as wind, precipitation and access. Please understand it is not possible for us to always notify you when we will be accessing the ditch on your property. Of course, you are welcome to clear the ditch on your property yourself, benefitting both you and the association. I ask you to remove any animal barriers you may have put up over the winter, remove any obvious waste, especially horse manure, and keep an eye out for us. Thanking you in advance, Jeff Koch President Big Flat Irrigation District. September 23, 2020 We will be turning the ditch off the morning of October 1, 2020. September 30th will be the last full day of flow. However, residents on the west lateral, west of 3200 Big Flat Road,will be without water for the rest of the season as of today. That section is overflowing from vegetation taking over the ditch. May 18, 2020 The flow has stabilized but with the anticipated rain we may be doing some adjustments, May 3, 2020 Monitoring flow levels and a lot of debris cleanup still. May 1, 2020 Water is flowing again. April 27, 2020 The ditch is turned on. April 1, 2020 We are still hoping for a May 1 turn on. September 19, 2019: The ditch will be turned off the morning of Tuesday, October 1, 2019. June 2019 On June 11, the Bureau of Reclamation (who holds title to the ditch and all its assets, including the water rights) came for an inspection. They do this on a 5 year cycle. Our ditch-rider Al, and myself met Alan, Sarah and Sandy from the BOR and toured the ditch with them. They said there were no issues that they would cite us for. A report should arrive in August. March 2019 There is an opening for a commissioner position this year. If you are interested contact a current board member. (Position filled) September On September 11, 2018 the Board of Directors met to discuss the Districts financial picture. After deliberation it was clear the District is sorely underfunded. With due deliberation the board voted to increase the annual fee for each water right from $25.00 to $40.00. Users should see this increase on their next tax statement. A 310 permit has been approved for the repairs to the July blowout and a vendor has been chosen. Work should commence in October. July 2018 We had a big blow-out in July near the midpoint of the ditch. Repairs were made sufficient to get the water flowing again for the season, however the District faces a more permanent repair after the water is turned off for 2018. We have 2 estimates and it appears it will be around $5,000.00 to repair this area. Ongoing MaintenanceThe headgate area needs periodic removal of silt from the riverbed. This should be done every 2 years or so. It will need to be done in 2019. |
Ditch Rider NewsMay 18, 2020 A reminder that it is not only illegal to dump grass clippings into the ditch, it also creates havoc for myself and the crew. The clippings clog grates and culverts causing the ditch to overflow. I, for one, would appreciate not having to be called for just such an emergency service first thing on a Saturday morning, spending 4 hours cleaning up a grassy mess... May 3, 2020 I am happy to report our repairs appear to be holding and the entire ditch system is flowing. Amazingly we were only 1 day off of our opening date. Expect fluctuating levels as we try to compensate for the rising river levels, the increasing demand of our system users as the weather warms up and any rainfall we may see. If the grate or culvert on your property is clogged, please remove the obstruction or let us know about it if you are unable to do so on your own. We have been aggressively clearing trees and brush along the ditch right of way this season and you can expect to see more of that in the near future. Our goal is to reduce the amount of debris in the system, increase flow without increasing pressure on the ditch and reduce the possibility of leaks from tree roots or blockages from falling trees and branches. May 2, 2020 The west lateral is running. Expect fluctuations today as we try and open and flush the east lateral. April 30, 2020 We've had an unexpected infrastructure fail so we are turning the ditch off. April 27, 2020 The ditch is on! As of today the west lateral is running and the east lateral is scheduled for tomorrow. It will take a few days to achieve clear flow. Kudos to Scott and his crew! April 17, 2020 Just a reminder that our crews are working this month to clear the ditch of weeds, trees, and obstacles in order to achieve our goal of turning the ditch on, on May 1. This includes burning. Our crews work in a hopscotch pattern depending on variables such as wind, precipitation and access. Please understand it is not possible for us to always notify you when we will be accessing the ditch on your property. Of course, you are welcome to clear the ditch on your property yourself, benefitting both you and the association. Once again, I ask you to remove any animal barriers you may have put up over the winter, remove any obvious waste, especially horse manure, and keep an eye out for us. Thanking you in advance, Jeff Koch President Big Flat Irrigation District April 1, 2020 We have been clearing the ditch for about a week now. We are deemed an "essential service" so our crew is able to carry on. Over the winter we obtained some product from the Bureau of Reclamation that we are using to patch some of the leaks in the flume. It needs to be 50 degrees or warmer so our tests have been minimal so far, but we are encouraged by the results. After the earthquake on March 31, BFID President Koch walked the flume checking for landslides or damage but none was visible. The snow today will set us back a few days for burning. July 29, 2019 The USGS monitoring station on the Bitterroot south of Missoula shows that river levels have dropped about 10% this past week and todays discharge stands a couple hundred CFS below the 36 year median for this date. The last couple of weeks have been spent chasing the water to maintain system pressure while irrigation usage has gone up markedly. Sunday a couple of us spent several hours manually removing seaweed from the inlet channel to increase flow at the headgate - immediate reports of system levels are encouraging. July 15, 2019 With the rapid drop in the Bitterroot flow, heavy weed loads at all grates and heavy water usage as irrigation for the second cutting ramps up, there is considerable variability throughout the ditch system. Near daily management is being practiced to minimize minor flooding in a couple of areas while trying to maintain sufficient levels in chronic shortage locations. June 12, 2019 Lower water levels in the river have made maintaining the proper flow rate a challenge. May 7, 2019 The ditch is back on. A temporary repair was made yesterday, however a permanent repair still needs to be made in the near future. May 6, 2019 Last years breach appears to be leaking. Turning off the headgate to assess situation. May 5, 2019 Water to the end of the west lateral flowing nicely. East Lateral tomorrow. May 4, 2019 Headgate opened and water to Bradys. April 27, 2019 The tentative date for opening the head gate is May 4th, though water wont be clear until a few days afterwards. |
All board meetings are subject to Montana's open meeting statutes and the public is encouraged and invited to attend. Notification will be made at least 48 hours in advance by posting at the following locations:
The BFID website Hellgate Trading Post 6265 Mullan Rd, Missoula The Olde Dairy 2106 Clements Rd, Missoula Missoula County Courthouse |
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