Construction Nearly Complete for Maybell Diversion on the Yampa River

Today, Maybell Irrigation District, The Nature Conservancy and JHL Constructors announce the near final completion of construction on a $6.8 million project to update the Maybell diversion and headgate on the Yampa River. This week’s milestone will highlight the first remote operation of the headgate in over 126 years, as the water users prepare for the irrigation season.

Maybell has one of the largest irrigation diversions on the Yampa River. It provides water to about 2,000 acres of irrigated hay meadows in northwest Colorado through a series of lateral ditches that come off the Maybell diversion located just west of Craig toward Dinosaur National Monument.

For generations the water users manually operated the headgate, which required a hike over three miles round trip and the use of special tools and equipment in the river to open the gates to the ditch. This tiresome process meant that the water was not always being used at the most opportune times for ranchers or with the most efficiency. In addition, the Maybell diversion posed challenges for both fish and recreational boat passage through that part of the river in Juniper Canyon.

“We are excited to have this project completed,” said Mike Camblin, president of Maybell Irrigation District. “Water is a precious resource and this project allows us to manage the water that the 21st century demands. Our partners in this project have been great to work with and we would like to give a special thanks to TNC for putting this project together, JUB for their engineering and JHL for doing such an excellent job in constructing this project. We also certainly appreciate all of the funders who realized that this project was a benefit to stakeholders within the Colorado River Basin.” 

The Maybell Diversion project was designed to modernize infrastructure, enable remote operation of the headgate to the Ditch and improve control of water delivery to agricultural lands. In the past, fish movement was constrained by low flows in the river, especially during irrigation season (April – October). The project will facilitate fish passage during low flows to allow movement through the diversion and throughout the Lower Yampa. The Maybell reach has been considered a recreational use hazard due to landslides, large boulders that blocked the river and push-up dams that hindered fish and boaters alike. The redesign will connect two sections of floatable river with a constructed riffle at the diversion.

“The Nature Conservancy took on this project due to the community-driven priority to improve control of irrigation water and passage for Colorado Pikeminnow, native suckers and other threatened and endangered fish species,” said Jennifer Wellman, freshwater project director for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. “We are thrilled that the contractors were able to complete a substantial piece of construction this winter and we can’t wait to hear feedback from recreational boaters about their experience floating the Lower Yampa River.”

JHL Constructors began construction in September 2023 with a completion timeline of December 2024. Due to last fall and winter’s relatively mild conditions, JHL was able to work on the in-stream structures and pour concrete for the headwall through December 2023. They documented the project throughout construction, offering perspective on how much work and dedication went into following the project’s plans and specifications, and their approach to the very complicated but important changes that led to restoration and modernization of the diversion and headgate.

"Throughout my career, this project stands out as the most technically demanding, yet remarkably smooth, thanks to the strong relationships cultivated among team members,” said Charles Bisbee, senior project manager for JHL Constructors. “The level of trust is unparalleled, with everyone consistently delivering on their commitments. I truly believe that the entire team, being local, including our suppliers and subconsultants, shares a genuine passion for making this project exceptional because it's our home." The project received funding through private donations and local, state and federal grant programs, including the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program, the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, the Yampa River Fund, the Colorado River Water Conservation District and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s RESTORE Colorado Program.

“Support for this project has been inspiring,” added Wellman. “It has been a huge lift with many people working together, but means so much for the community, heritage ranching, fish, recreators and the river itself.”   

Photos of construction project documented by JHL Constructors can be found on their website: www.jhlconstructors.com/maybell-diversion-restoration/