The Community Ditch through Eldorado Canyon was historically one of FRICO’s most difficult sections to maintain of its 400 mile canal system. Bank sloughing, icing, seepage, liner damage and limited access all contributed to operational challenges in this section. FRICO hired ERC to develop a solution that would allow water to be conveyed through this ½ mile section in a more efficient manner. ERC’s solution replaced the open trapezoidal channel with a box culvert. The culvert was designed to fit within the narrow, meandering confines of the old ditch alignment, which allowed for only inches of tolerance in the box design. Maintenance access, which had not existed through this section, was provided on the top of the culvert. Design work included hydraulic modeling, modifications to intake gates and measuring devices, evaluation of rockfall hazards and Boulder County permitting.