The Grand Valley Drainage District serves over 60,000 Grand Valley residents from Palisade to Loma that are north of the Colorado River – including Fruita, Clifton and most of the city of Grand Junction.

The movement of water as it returns to the Colorado River can have many effects on the paths it travels. Besides increasing groundwater, drainage is also affected by and connected with:

• Pollution
• Paving & urban development
• Waterlogging
• Increased salt levels
• Weather, especially storm events

The Drainage District has installed hundreds of miles of drains with 42 direct outlets to the Colorado River. You can help ensure water’s safe return to the river with the following tips:

• Don’t throw trash or lawn clippings in any ditch
• Properly dispose of chemicals and other hazardous materials
• Keep orchard clippings an other materials out of ditches
• Clean cars at a carwash to prevent harmful runoff into drainage systems
• Adjust sprinklers to keep water on the lawn. This keeps water waste down and helps prevent pollutants from washing off of concrete and asphalt and down into storm drains.