Water users are the bedrock of a ditch company. Users put irrigation water to beneficial use on their land, a basic requirement of the water right. They also provide the money and labor to maintain the ditch, to hire the ditch rider, and to keep the water flowing. Ditches require constant annual maintenance. Without active water users, ditches fall into disrepair and can no longer transport water safely.

Above: Silver Lake Ditch users haul rubberized liner up the mountain and down the ditch to repair leaky areas in 2005.