SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — A break in the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District canal has left many residents without water.

Ben Duncan, ACID’s director of operations, said his team received a call from a resident on the evening of Aug. 15 about a gaping hole in the ACID canal in the area of ​​Denice and Condor Ways in Cottonwood.

He said they had closed the canal as part of the emergency response, disrupting the irrigation schedule, affecting around 800 ACID customers.

Since there is currently no water supply from the river at all, the canal is in a lowering phase, according to Duncan.

“It’s just difficult to have a problem like this in the middle of the season and then have to make adjustments, spend money and fix it,” Duncan said, adding, “Now I just want the canal bank repaired and my customers to have water again.”

The water found its way to a drainage pipe under the canal. “It eventually found the path of least resistance and washed out the canal,” Duncan said.

ACID staff are in the process of removing vegetation around the canal and preparing soil to refill the hole. They will also hire local contractors to work on the canal bank.

Shasta County District 5 Supervisor Chris Kelstrom, who lives in Cottonwood, told us he’s optimistic about the outcome of the repairs.

“It’s looking a lot better than I thought it would,” Kelstrom said. “When I heard about it last night, I was worried there would be flooding and stuff, but it looks like they’re getting it under control. I think it’s going to work out. I think hopefully in the next day or two we’ll get water back in the canal and people can start irrigating again.”

Duncan said the goal is to restore water supplies by the morning of August 19, but acknowledged that this timeline could be delayed until August 20.

ACID staff keep customers updated through their mass communication system.