The removal of a seasonal dam was coupled with irrigation system upgrades designed to improve efficiency in water conveyance, reduce risk of fish stranding, and restore upstream access to cold-water habitat. Upgrades included installing a self-cleaning, on-stream fish screen to replace the previous rotary-drum screen located approximately 800 feet downstream in the irrigation ditch, as well as lowering and piping 1,100 feet of irrigation ditch.

These upgrades reduce water loss and enable a gravity-fed irrigation system that no longer requires instream water impoundment for operation. The improvements provide the water user with greater system control while reducing the risk of fish entrainment, particularly during irrigation system shutoffs, by preventing fish from entering the ditch in the first place.