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Feasibility Study for the Plaza Project — Phase 2: McDonald Ditch Implementation Project <br />5.3 McDD Diversion and Headgate Current Condition <br />The McDD Diversion functions poorly and negatively influences the condition of the Rio Grande. <br />The diversion is built from concrete rubble, dirt, wooden debris, and a bridge pier from the old <br />Sevenmile Plaza Bridge. The diversion is inefficient, aging, and requires annual maintenance. <br />Additionally, the diversion is poorly placed in the river and, due to the angle of the dam, pushes the <br />flow of the river into the opposite bank. This results in bank instability and erosion, negatively <br />impacting the power poles and road atop the bank. The headgate contains a single slide gate that is <br />set back from the river and screened by a fence gate. Without a sluice, sediment is trapped in the <br />inflow of the headgate, which has been raised many times in the last decades to overcome sediment <br />accumulation. The gate often becomes filled with trash and debris and requires constant <br />maintenance and cleaning. Because of these issues, the McDD diversion dam and headgate were <br />highlighted as structural priorities for rehabilitation in the 2001 Study. <br />Figure 7. McDonold Ditch Diversion (Looking Downstream) <br />t - <br />e _.A <br />Figure 8. McDonald Ditch Headgate <br />13 <br />tia . <br />4 <br />13 <br />