Assessment of ditch damage under way

One of the users of two Woodfords ditches that failed on Monday is working to get water flowing to their fields.

Both ditches convey water for the South Tahoe Public Utility District.

The district is the main user of Snowshoe Thompson 1, which sends water to Indian Creek Reservoir, according to district assistant general manager Paul Sciuto.

The Millich Ditch serves three users, including the district, and provides water to fields in Diamond Valley.

Sciuto said the district has brought in an engineer to examine where the ditches failed and how to correct the problem.

"We need to repair the ditches and get the water flowing," he said. "We're working to mitgate any other damage and puut a plan together."

A report of the first ditch failing was received by Alpine County emergency services at 6:30 a.m. on Monday. Water from that ditch poured into a lower ditch, which failed about an hour later, flooding the parking lot of the Woodfords Inn. Water from the flood poured back into the West Fork of the Carson River.

Snowmelt has increased the water flowing through the river. According to the river gauge at Woodfords, the river hit a peak of 12.41 feet early Wednesday morning. Flood stage is 14 feet. Cooler temperatures are expected to slow snowmelt as the week continues with the river dropping back down below 11 feet by Sunday.