Local power plant area flooded by irrigation water

The area around the Ray Nixon power plant previously was flooded by rain, and on Tuesday took on more water from a broken irrigation ditch.

Colorado Springs Utilities noticed the flooding around 6:30 a.m. There was enough water to flood a tunnel under Interstate 25 on Ray Nixon Road in about a foot of water.

Vehicles still were able to drive through, and a plow from the Colorado Department of Transportation came to push the water out.

CSU said a farmer on land owned by the utility was using irrigated water from Fountain Creek when the ditch broke — possibly because of erosion from earlier heavy rain.

Such an incident happens once or twice a year, CSU said. The water caused no damage.

The utility said the water drained slowly because of a clogged culvert but was expected to be gone by the end of the day.

The flooded tunnel provided brief entertainment for vehicles splashing through it.