Irrigation Canals in the Uinta Basin, Jepp Thomas Canal, Duchesne, Duchesne County, UT. Surveyed as HAER UTAH,7-DUCH.V,1G-, with a 487-word written history.
“One of the first tasks that the early homesteaders of the Tabiona Valley needed to accomplish in order to survive was the construction of irrigation canals.”
Written record, HAER UTAH,7-DUCH.V,1G- survey. Machine-read text.
Surveyed by the federal HAER program as HAER UTAH,7-DUCH.V,1G- · the record runs 487 words · one of 28 surveyed structures published for this county.
The headings the report itself prints. Each one jumps to where it begins.
Source document Quoted word for word from HAER UTAH,7-DUCH.V,1G-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.
One of the first tasks that the early homesteaders of the Tabiona Valley needed to accomplish in order to survive was the construction of irrigation canals. The structures found on the Jepp Thomas Canal are representative of pioneer construction techniques and design. The headworks are especially noteworthy. The headgate is made entirely out of wood (rough hewn planks) and as is the adjacent chute and drop. The headgate aperture is determined by inserting a wooden dowel! or a stout stick into a hole that is one of a series drilled into the 2x4 headgate stem. Inventoried by: James Jurale, David Stalheim, Craig Fuller National Park Service July Irrigation Canals in the Uinta Basin, Jepp Thomas Canal HAER No. UT-30-G (Page 2)
Description and Background History
On July 9, Lorenzo W. Clark of Tabiona, Utah, filed for of water to be diverted through a canal feet long, 7 feet wide at the top, 4 feet wide at the bottom, and an effective depth of 2 feet. The point of diversion was the west bank of the Duchesne River located in the north corner of Section 14 T. 1 S., R. 8 W. Other men in the construction of the canal in addition to Clark were Lamar Lazenbee and Jessup W. Thomas. Thomas, the first white resident of the Tabiona Valley, brought sheep in from Heber and moved them onto the Uinta and Ouray Reservation in He used the hillsides and valleys above the present site of Tabiona for pasture and later added more Ute range in Red Creek and Currant Creek to his area. After the reservation was opened on August Thomas' interests turned to forming.
The canal which bears his name was constructed in order to irrigate approximately 128 acres of land on his and his partners' homesteads. At present, the Jepp Thomas Canal is unincorporated and owned by Owen Van Tassel, the grandson of Jessup Thomas and Adrian Wright. Water from the canal irrigates about 200 acres of alfalfa fields and areas of wild grasses which are used as pasturage for dairy cattle.
References
State Engineer's Office file V. Garth Norman, "Cultural Resources Survey of the Duchesne River Area Canal Rehabilitation Program," February MESA Group., Oreme, Utah. Taped oral interview with Owen Van Tassell, August conducted by James Jurale and Craig Fuller.
| Tabiona, Utah | The place record: every map, photograph and survey of this town. |
| Duchesne County, Utah | 77 topographic sheets across the county. |
| Library of Congress record | The original filed report as the survey filed it. |
The federal survey recorded these other structures elsewhere in Duchesne County. These are the other structures they measured and filed a report on, longest report first.
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