Even as temperatures drop below 32 degrees, you will not find ice in Northern Water maintained canals that deliver the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) Project water to northeastern Colorado.

Distribution Systems Department Manager Jeremy Worth said, “The key factors that prevent water in canals from freezing are velocity and volume.” Throughout the C-BT Project, terrain changes so water moves by gravity at varying speeds, but it maintains enough velocity in all canals to keep ice away.

The C-BT Project canals were also all dug below Colorado’s 3.5-foot frost line making them deep enough that the earth surrounding them does not freeze. As a result, the water stays warm enough to continue flowing through the winter months.  

In extreme cold temperatures, ice can form around the mouths of siphons due to collected moisture. Siphons are pipes that transfer water from a higher to lower elevation without any external force. When this happens, the Collection Systems team on the West Slope releases additional water into the siphon and the increased volume melts the ice.