Zion National Park Irrigation System, Pine Creek Canal, Springdale

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER UTAH,27-SPDA.V,2C-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Although inoperable, the canal retains much of its structural integrity. It has representative examples of pioneer rockwork, water delivery system artifacts, and remnants of Civilian Conservation Corps engineering involvement along its mile course. Researcher: James Jurale October 5, Zion National Park Irrigation # System, Pine Creek Canal HAER No. UT-38-C (Page 2) The Pine Creek Canal, which originally drew water off Pine Creek immediately to the northeast of its confluence with the Virgin River, ran to the south at the foot of a talus slope and sent laterals to the west to irrigate the mile by 1/2 mile "island" of farmland located between the east bank of the Virgin River and Bridge Mountain.

In the canal's headworks were extended approximately 1/4 mile to the north to augment Pine Creek's sometimes inadequate water supply with water diverted from the Virgin River.

Located on the east bank of the Virgin River, approximately 1/4 mile to the north of the Virgin River Bridge, the extant remains of the headworks which were completed in by Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees consist of a 15-foot diameter red sandstone boulder with steel rods and 2-inch steal beams that have been drilled by the "juniors" of Camp The extant remains of the extension flume over Pine Creek include sections of steel cable and steel pipe supports, and an approximately 2-ton sandstone boulder with two concrete patties on its surface one inscribed, the other with Sections of random rubble, pioneer-built, rock retaining walls which supported the canal bed are apparent, as well as water delivery system artifacts, such as the well-preserved remains of a 15-foot-long stave pipe flume constructed of oak slats, and wire rings with an 18-inch diameter, which # conveyed water over a gulch located approximately 1/8 mile to the south of Pine Creek.

The sketchy remains of an associated irrigation system, the Planigan Ditch, which reportedly took off from a boulder dam on the west side of the Virgin River opposite the Superintendent's House and was flumed to the east bank, are also found in the area. The work conducted in was under the supervision of Zion National Park Resident Landscape Architect, Harry Langley, and directed on-site by Landscape Architect, A. M. Doerner, and Civil Works Project Landscape Architect, George W. Worgard. In September Harlan B. Stephensen, Landscape Architect on leave from Bryce National Park, was in charge of removing the dead cottonwoods from the banks of the canal between the mouth of Pine Creek and the South Entrance Area. Bibliography Langley, Harry.

"Report to Chief Architect, Branch of Plans and Design, Western Division, December 31 Zion National Park Photo Collection, Negative No. 316