The Denver Post
August 8, 2010, Jason Blevins

Despite recent rains, Edd Perkins' ditch is dry. "We were hoping," said Perkins, whose job as a ditch rider is to keep water flowing for 20 shareholders of the Enterprise Ditch east of Boulder. "But it didn't happen." Perkins is one of hundreds of Colorado's ditch riders, guardians of the state's watery arteries. Their job veers from mud digging and weed pulling to complex scheduling and negotiating as they patrol the thousands of ditches that ferry water from Colorado's hills to basins. It is a job that hasn't changed much in 150 years — and that includes worrying when the water doesn't run. "The underlying premise in Colorado is that there isn't enough water," said Bob Carlson, a 21-year water commissioner for Colorado's District 6. "Demand exceeds supply. That was true in 1882, and it's true today. That's why these guys work so hard today. It's a very limited resource." ...

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_15707424