Santa Clara Main Irrigation Ditch on Santa Clara Pueblo, NM

Santa-Clara-Pueblo-The project worked around culturally sensitive areas and multiple tribal member allotments.  Riverbend completed an assessment, survey, preliminary design, and detailed cost estimates for all 11 miles of irrigation ditches at Santa Clara Pueblo. This included two diversion headgate structures on the Rio Grande, and the existing diversion concrete dam & sediment weir system in the canyon where irrigation water is diverted into a pipeline. Problems ranged from poorly functioning siphons, to road crossings, and limited hydraulic capacity to deliver water to certain fields. Riverbend staff worked closely with pueblo staff to catalog problems with the existing irrigation water delivery system. This work enabled the Pueblo request funding from the U.S. Congress.  In 2013 the Pueblo was granted Funds for the first phase of ditch replacement work.  The priority reach was the Main Ditch, from Santa Creek downstream for approximately 1.5 miles (with 24 separate diversion points). Riverbend prepared final construction drawings, specifications and construction cost estimates, and was retained to provide construction inspection during the implementation phase.  The final result of the main ditch replacement project is a functional new concrete lined ditch, which meets the hydraulic requirements of the Pueblo water users.