Culvert Maintenance: How to Care for Your Culvert

• It is the Property Owner's responsibility to ensure regular maintenance of culverts by inspecting and clearing the first 10 feet on either side to prevent blockages.
• Check for visible light through the culvert as an indicator of unobstructed flow.
  Maintain the downstream area to encourage sediment removal by flowing water.
• Utilize natural water flow to assist in sediment and debris clearance.
• Conduct preventative checks, especially before and after heavy rainfall, to safeguard against flooding.
  
  For more detailed guidance, read below.

Empowering Homeowners: How to Care for Your Culvert

In light of the recent extreme rainfall events in our area (Teller County, Colorado), many homeowners are facing the challenge of managing sediment-filled culverts. It's crucial to keep these culverts clear to prevent flooding and property damage. While you can always reach out to your county for persistent problems occurring outside of your property, be aware there's often a backlog of projects, so it is important to maintain your portion of the right-of-way, including your culverts and ditches.

Here are a few tips to help you to handle any culvert issues:

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1️⃣ Proactive Maintenance: Regular inspections are crucial to catch potential issues early. Homeowners are generally responsible for maintaining the area around their culverts. In Teller County, for example, Property owners are responsible for maintaining the first 10' on either side of their culverts. Look for and remove any sediment or debris that might cause a blockage in the portion of the culvert that lies within your responsibility.

2️⃣ Look for the Light: If you can see a small bit of light through the culvert, that's a positive sign. This means water has a path to flow.

3️⃣ Downside Maintenance: Keep the area downstream of your culvert clear of any obstructions. This encourages the water to keep moving, gradually washing away the sediment with it.

4️⃣ Let Water Do the Work: Once the downside is clear and there's some light at the end of your culvert, let the water flow. The current will help to carry away the sediment and debris, naturally cleaning your culvert over time.

Preventative measures are key. Regularly inspect your culverts, particularly before and after heavy rainfalls, to maintain their functionality and protect your property. Working together, we can minimize the impact of heavy rainfall and keep water flowing smoothly through our properties and off of our roadways.