BoCa - Elephant Buttress Access Issues?

Today I tried to climb at elephant buttress, and as I prepped to climb the standard route, a group from “the ditch company” that apparently owns the pipe showed up and said that they had “never seen climbers” on the pipe before, and that the area was off limits to climbers. Clearly, OSMP doesn’t mind, as there is a dedicated “elephant buttress climbing access trail” with a sign and all. 

Are there access issues with Elephant Buttress? I haven’t heard about that from anyone, or in any guidebook, or here on MP. What’s the deal with that? 

Also, turns out the S face of the fourth buttress is now gated and on private property with a no trespassing sign. Does anyone know about this stuff?

I believe that's the Silver Lake ditch.

Perhaps a water rights lawyer can weigh in, but I'd guess it's private property and they can restrict access if they chose to do so. 

Discretion while climbing is rarely a bad policy. 

LR: No, they were definitely official. They were there doing an inspection to prepare for a Boulder Climbing Community improvement project in the coming months.

Mark: They definitely have water rights there. It's weird that they haven't put up a fence if they don't want people climbing there, since it's a really popular trad-climbing area.

It all seemed a bit odd, since they are coordinating with BCC to begin a project to fix up the pipe to make it safer. One of the workers recommended that I volunteer on the project to help  make the area safer for climbers. (Side bar: please volunteer with your local climbing community! It is incredibly rewarding and a great way to invest in the areas we enjoy.)

My impression was that it was simply a liability issue while their staff was on-site. They must not have a problem normally, as there are no reported access issues, they are coordinating with the local climbing community, and people have been climbing off of that pipe since the 60's.

I just wanted to see if anyone had heard of any access issues.

On the subject of improvements, I'd like to see the ditch company remove all their leftover construction debris that sits on OSMP land - wire rope, steel, lumber, etc. How does that escape OSMP's gaze?

Years ago there was the same issue that being 'on the pipe' was illegal.
there was a period way back where Ditch co. was repairing / improving the pipe and certain uphill access to it was cordoned off.
A couple of new access trails were built to try to keep people from traversing along it.
But in all the decades of walking on it, belaying from it etc I've never had anyone come up and say " Hey Hey you, Get off of my pipe!"