In addition to delivering water, the Water Master is responsible for all system maintenance within the ‘joint works’. Ditch maintenance is an ongoing process. Maintenance consists of keeping the canal or ditch free of all obstacles or impediments to water flow and adjacent banks clear for continued, unimpeded vehicle or equipment passage necessary for keeping the water way clear. This means that on many occasions herbicide or even controlled burning will be used to control vegetation considered detrimental to water passage. At times, even large equipment must be used to accomplish the work.  (?)

Although the trees and brush along a canal, ditch or drain may appear to be aesthetically pleasing, they can present a problem for water delivery. Trees and brush reduce the efficiency of the canal, and a larger percentage of water conveyed in the canal is "lost" due to the vegetation. By controlling, but not eliminating, vegetation along the canals or drains, more water is available to irrigate the land. When trees or brush fall into a canal, ditch, or drain, the blockage can cause flooding or an increase in groundwater. Removing certain vegetation in advance helps reduce the cost and danger.