Explore Greg's ongoing dispute as a small agricultural irrigation ditch owner against Jefferson County and a developer over unauthorized changes to his lateral drawing water from the Lee Stewart and Eskins Ditch in Applewood, Colorado near the Club at Rolling Hills golf course. This 2020 video exposes how the county favored and worked with the developer of a new planned community, ignoring Greg's concerns since 2019, leading to persistent flooding, buried access, and violated water rights—leaving Greg to battle these issues alone. At the time this video was posted in August 2025 Greg has spend nearly $50k so far attempting to protect and repair his small irrigation ditch lateral without success and receiving notable pushback by his new neighbors in the Cottages at Rolling Hills HOA who continue to ignore his concerns, plant trees and build fences on top of his irrigation ditch lateral . Greg's water attorney has told Greg that legal costs for his lawsuit against the developer to fix his ditch will likely cost between $150,000.00 - $200,000.00 which far exceed the value of his historic Clear Creek water rights. Key issues highlighted: Unauthorized surface irrigation ditch relocated into a pipe pipeline in private properties and into the Jefferson County ROW along W. 32nd Avenue Repeated flooding to downstream properties due to increased water flow in the ditch Buried lateral under and then encroached on Greg's prescriptive ditch easement with: a road, utilities, walls, sidewalks, fences and landscaping Utilities like Xcel Energy transformers and CenturyLink/Lumen equipment placed atop against protocols Greg's lateral near the stormwater detention pond is non-compliance with As-built drawings the developer provided to Jefferson County. Stormwater outflow constructed by the development directed stormwater into Greg's irrigation lateral repeatedly flooding the property of irrigation lateral owners downstream. Efforts for resolution ignored, including emails, videos, and spending thousands hiring an attorney. These changes violate 1860s agricultural water rights, now buried and inaccessible, causing yard damage and stormwater shifts. Despite attorneys confirming Greg's actions are correct, enforcing Colorado water law requires expensive lawsuits—hundreds of thousands—while small rights like Greg's (likely valued under $20k) get "rolled" by developers. This story sheds light on systemic challenges for Colorado's water law community, agricultural users, small farmers, and landowners facing urban expansion, developer favoritism, and county negligence. Watch to understand the real impact on everyday water rights holders and why reform is urgently needed to safeguard small agricultureal water right owners in Colorado from powerful developers in Colorado. Support Greg's cause: Visit www.fixourditch.org to learn more, donate, or get involved. Share this video widely to raise awareness, build public support for fair water rights enforcement, irrigation ditch protection, and holding developers accountable. Your views and shares can help amplify this important message and inspire change in Colorado's water management! #ColoradoWaterRights #homeIrrigationDitchDispute #WaterRightsViolation #DeveloperFavoritism #AgriculturalWater #FloodingIssues #ColoradoWaterLaw #fixourditch.org #coloradowater #jeffcocolorado #cottagesatrollinghills

On May 10, 2025, at 4 PM, I filmed this 47-second video at my headgate on the Lee Stewart and Eskins Ditch (LSE) in Applewood, Golden, Colorado, at the southeast corner of Kendrick Street and Juniper Court. The video shows water flowing in the LSE Ditch but unable to reach my headgate, which was installed too high by the developer of the Cottages at Rolling Hills subdivision. This ongoing issue is frustrating—it’s the weekend, and I planned to water my vegetation, but I can’t access my 1860s water rights, affecting my landscaping plans. This is part of my struggle to protect my ditch lateral, vital for bringing irrigation water to my property, amidst recent development impacts. The developer’s faulty installation has blocked my water access and allowed encroachments like trees, fences, and walls to obstruct my ditch. Visit www.fixourditch.org to learn more about my fight for justice and sign our petition at https://chng.it/fhYWwTBVRZ to support fixing my ditch. Together, we can hold those responsible accountable and ensure a lasting solution. Join me in raising awareness about water rights and fair treatment for ditch owners in Colorado! Like, share, and comment to help spread the word. #FixOurDitch #WaterRights #GoldenColorado #Applewood

In this short video, I share a challenge with my irrigation ditch in Golden, Colorado’s Applewood neighborhood, across from the Club at Rolling Hills. On April 24, 2025 water flows in the Lee Stewart and Eskins Ditch, but my lateral headgate—installed too high in 2019—cannot access it, even in spring. As a neighbor, I’m working respectfully to restore my historic 1860s water rights and ensure my ditch functions without worry. Visit www.fixourditch.org to learn more, sign our petition, and support Golden’s water heritage. Let’s work together! #SaveOurDitch #GoldenCO #WaterRights

Join Greg at his headgate in Applewood, camera in hand, as he checks out a new setup for his lateral off the Lee Stewart and Eskins Ditch. In this video, he notices cinder blocks stacked below, an attempt to guide water into his pipeline—but it’s not enough. The headgate, installed by the Cottages at Rolling Hills developer with county approval, sits too high, making it tough for Greg and other lateral owners to access their historic 1860s water rights, especially in low-flow seasons. Greg reached out to ditch and HOA contacts, learning the pipe’s height is a known challenge, but fixes have been slow. By April 2024, it marked the first time in over a decade he couldn’t irrigate—his plants and plans left waiting. Our 2024 survey confirms the pipeline’s flaws, and Greg’s asking the HOA to lower it so water can flow as it should. In 2025, the struggle continues, with new trees and fences adding hurdles. See the story unfold, visit www.fixourditch.org for the full picture—surveys, photos, and more—and join neighbors who’ve signed our petition. Together, we can get Applewood’s water flowing right—watch and lend your support!

Dec 20, 2023: Pipeline inspection trying to clear my ditch on W. 32nd Ave (Jefferson County ROW in the Applewood Neighborhood) fails—‘A pretty good f***ing blockage!’ says the inspector. Five years fighting Cottages at Rolling Hills HOA harassment and County inaction choke my 1860s water rights. HOA’s 2023 inspection flopped; my 2024 attempt found the same mess—still blocked! Now, the County demands ROW permit just to inspect—crazy when I used to walk it with a shovel. See my fight at www.fixourditch.org—help small ditch owners by April 1, 2025!

Take a step back to November 20, 2020, at the southeast corner of Kendrick Street and Juniper Court in Golden, Colorado, where Greg—a homeowner with water rights from the 1860s—is facing a tough challenge. In this video, Greg stands at his headgate on the Lee Stewart and Eskins Ditch, showing how a new pipeline for the Cottages at Rolling Hills subdivision, across from Rolling Hills Country Club, has shifted his irrigation setup. The headgate’s height—raised during the development—makes it hard for him and other lateral owners to access their water. Greg raised concerns and sent notices, asking for a fix, but the pipeline stayed high, and new homes, fences, and gates soon blocked his path. Our 2024 survey confirms these ongoing issues, showing how the change has impacted water flow. Legal costs to fight this—estimated at $15,000–$20,000 back then—were out of reach for Greg, leaving him to document the struggle. Visit www.fixourditch.org to see the full story—surveys, photos, and more—and join over 60 neighbors who’ve signed our petition. Watch this tale of water woes and help us call for a solution that works for Applewood’s ditch owners!

Travel back to May 2020 on W. 32nd Avenue in Golden, Colorado, where a road upgrade near The Club at Rolling Hills changed the stormwater game. In this video, Greg—a homeowner with historic water rights—captures the aftermath of a widened road and new curb and gutter system added for the Cottages at Rolling Hills subdivision. The shift sent extra runoff down the street, spilling into the nearby Rocky Mountain Ditch. The county acted quickly to redirect that water, keeping the Rocky Mountain Ditch in check. But downstream, Applewood homeowners faced a different story—properties below started flooding more often, turning yards into wet challenges. Our 2024 survey shows how this ties to ongoing issues with a smaller ditch system, and Greg’s asking for a solution to balance the flow for everyone. Visit www.fixourditch.org to see the full picture—surveys, photos, and more—and join over 60 neighbors who’ve signed our petition. Watch this stormwater tale and help us keep Applewood dry and fair for all!

Step back to August 2019 in Applewood, when Greg got a call that changed everything: the developer next door was turning his irrigation ditch into an underground pipeline. In this video, Greg—a homeowner tied to water rights from the 1860s—documents what happened after his peaceful surface lateral, enjoyed since he bought his property in 2009, faced a major shift. Watch as he captures a flood that overwhelmed his yard, turning it into a soggy challenge no one expected. Greg walks along the ditch, heading toward the under-construction Cottages at Rolling Hills Subdivision, across from the Rolling Hills Country Club. Over barbed wire, he spots the changes: a smashed culvert, a mangled pipe, and a new green sewer pipe rerouting water in ways he hadn’t seen before. The temporary ditch struggles to handle the flow, sending water spilling out during irrigation season. At the Lee Stewart and Eskins Ditch, it’s more of the same—crushed culverts, a blocked channel leaking onto Kendrick Street, and a new pipe missing a headgate to manage it. This flood is why Greg’s property keeps getting soaked, and he’s asking for help to fix it. Our 2024 survey backs up his story, showing the pipeline’s flaws. Visit www.fixourditch.org to see the evidence—photos, videos, and more—and join our neighbors who’ve signed our petition. Watch this water tale and lend your support to get Applewood’s ditches flowing right again