kawanee gardens mutual irrigation company
ABOUT US
Kawanee Gardens Mutual Irrigation Company was formed in 1928 and was incorporated by the State of Colorado in 1953. It became a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation in 1996. It has been in continuous operation to the present day.
The company draws water from the Agricultural Ditch & Reservoir Company, who in turn draws water from Clear Creek in Jefferson County Colorado. KGIC primarily serves the Kawanee Gardens neighborhood in Lakewood, Colorado between Iris Street and Estes Street, and between 26th Avenue and 20th Avenue. KGIC also serves as the 'carrier ditch' for several individual Ag. Ditch shareholders along the upper main lateral and the Westmoor Ditch Co. (northside). The main KGIC lateral branches off into four individual laterals east of Kipling St.
Individual KGIC shareholders draw their water according to the Lateral Schedules which are updated and published each season. Only Shareholders in 'good standing' can draw water. The season lasts from late April or early May, depending upon instructions from the Ag. Ditch Co., and ends some time in October. Water flow is dependent upon snowpack levels and each shareholder receives a pro rata share of the available water.
Shares in the ditch company have no par value and are considered private property. Most shares are transferred with a property sale. Shares may be bought or sold by property owners, as long as they follow company guidelines. The company requires stock transfers only within the same lateral. Access to the Lateral is also required. Stock can not be transferred outside the KGIC ditch system. These policies contribute to longevity and benefits of having enough water to use by all KGIC shareholders.
A map of the KGIC Laterals may be found in the Company Documents section. Like many other ditches in Colorado, the KGIC ditch system may not appear in entirety on city maps or property deeds. Ditches are established by their historical use the ditch routes are recognized as being prescriptive easements. Colorado law has long recognized the right of prescriptive easements for irrigation companies. The prescriptive easement, or right-of-way, allows ditch company the use of land to transport irrigation water. It also allows company representatives reasonable access to the ditch for the purposes of monitoring, maintaining, or repairing the ditch.