Berry Creek Water Users

Berry Creek Water Users Berry Creek Water Users maintains and operates a historic water flume/aqueduct system in Butte Count Berry Creek Water Users, Inc.

is a non-profit, 501(c)(12) - we can gratefully accept donations of labor, money or supplies, but donations are not tax-deductible.

A few examples of winter 2026 damage we've been working through.
04/23/2026

A few examples of winter 2026 damage we've been working through.

This winter was brutal for the Berry Creek Ditch, as all winters have all been since the fire.After we get fallen trees,...
04/23/2026

This winter was brutal for the Berry Creek Ditch, as all winters have all been since the fire.

After we get fallen trees, limbs, landslides and berry vines removed, at the bare minimum, before we can convey water, we’ll need to:
1) Remove and replace a 20’ section of steel pipe on a trestle that was crushed by a dead-fall tree.
2) Remove and replace 40’ of 24" corrugated steel pipe that has completely rusted through.
3) Put new pipe onto a newly built trestle and water-tight both ends (photos below).
4) Lay somewhere between 60’ and 100’ of new pipe north of the trestle and pipe we installed last year. (Windblown treefall roots pulled up the embankment so it won’t hold water).
5) Repair a breach where a concrete clean-out destabilized and fell completely out of the ditch, leaving a giant gash in the ditch.

Grateful for the California Conservation Corps again in 2026!
04/23/2026

Grateful for the California Conservation Corps again in 2026!

11/19/2025

We have shut down for the winter.

Bracing for many more fallen trees again. Lots still coming down since the fire, and there are some scary big ones just waiting for the right wind.

We'll need to do some serious mini-excavator work again in the Spring to dig out hundreds of feet of rice cutgrass, cattails and smartweed. Of course, there are always blackberry vines to hack back, too.

We feel for the folks on the other side of the lake that used to be served by the Miocene Canal before the Camp Fire ... it's clear now that canal will never be restored. We remain grateful for all who supported our efforts to restore our ditch after the 2020 Bear Fire.

Ever since the fire, with more sunlight hitting the Berry Creek Ditch, invasive rice cutgrass has been taking over.It's ...
08/03/2025

Ever since the fire, with more sunlight hitting the Berry Creek Ditch, invasive rice cutgrass has been taking over.

It's so bad now that it is stopping water flow, and we have a mile-long infestation. It stands well over head high when standing in the ditch trying to beat it back to clear the channel.

The grass gets so thick that it forms a continuous mat in the water that slows water flow to nearly a stop.

We were making progress on grants from the USDA NRCS to help buy pipe to solve this problem, as well as to conserve water, but the Trump administration has ended all that.

Thanks to a lot of hard work by some of our members and their families, water flows again in the Berry Creek Ditch for t...
06/02/2025

Thanks to a lot of hard work by some of our members and their families, water flows again in the Berry Creek Ditch for the 173rd year!

No small feat.

This year, we had to tackle multiple, knock-on effects from the 2020 fire (fallen timber, landslides, and invasive weeds loving the loss of a shady forest), and aging infrastructure (old, iron pipes collapsing after 100 years).

By summer's end, invasive berry vines and rice cutgrass will be neck-high here, and the water will not be visible at all.

We rely on members' dues, donations, grants if we can find them, and volunteer labor. Message us if you'd like to make a donation or volunteer, or if you own a parcel of land that adjoins the ditch or Canyon Creek and want to become a member.

This is what it looks like when the CCC crew has cleared the ditch of fallen trees, invasive grass, and vines. We have ...
03/26/2025

This is what it looks like when the CCC crew has cleared the ditch of fallen trees, invasive grass, and vines. We have other, significant maintenance to do in difficult locations before water flows through for 2025.

Here's a look at what this year's CCC crew is taking on. Winter storms continue to drop trees killed by the 2020 fire. ...
03/26/2025

Here's a look at what this year's CCC crew is taking on. Winter storms continue to drop trees killed by the 2020 fire. Worse than ever. So, trees, on top of invasive grasses and berry vines.

The California Conservation Corps is back! We are so grateful for this crew and all of CCC.
03/26/2025

The California Conservation Corps is back! We are so grateful for this crew and all of CCC.

Time to start working on the ditch for 2025. It's another wet Spring, so in preparation for CCC crews, a few of our mem...
03/22/2025

Time to start working on the ditch for 2025. It's another wet Spring, so in preparation for CCC crews, a few of our members worked together this morning to create a temporary diversion. The diversion takes this spring's runoff out of the ditch so the CCC crews can work in the ditch below this diversion to clear fallen trees and invasive berry vines and grasses. Thanks guys!

It's that time of year again. Ditch cleaning. So grateful for the men and women of the California Conservation Corps. ...
04/24/2024

It's that time of year again. Ditch cleaning. So grateful for the men and women of the California Conservation Corps. In addition to blackberry vine thickets, lots of trees killed by the 2020 fire fell into the ditch this winter ... some enormous. The CCC crews are tackling it!

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PO Box 311
Berry Creek, CA
95916

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