Flanigan Ditch - Springdale, UT - Water Dams on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "The Virgin River is not entirely a free-flowing stream. Here the small drop in the river is not a cascade but a diversion dam, to shunt part of the flow to the town of Springdale. Since 1970 Zion National Park and Springdale have been partners in maintaining the town water supply-one of many forms of cooperation between the park and the gateway community.

This dam is part of a long complex history of people adapting to the desert by manipulating the Virgin River. Near the visitor center are remains of historic diversion dams and irrigation ditches, which Momon settlers built to sustain orchards and fields of crops. To experience the river in its more free-flowing state, travel upstream from Zion Lodge"

Taken from Wikipedia, "Flanigan Ditch was constructed about 1880 by the Flanigan family, Mormon pioneers in the Zion valley. The Flanigans acquired water rights for a portion of the flow of the Virgin River in 1880 to water the family's lands along the river. The family was prominent, with the feature now known at "The Watchman" called "Flanigan Peak", while the location of the present Watchman campground was called Flanigan Field. Over time, the farmlands on the lower portion of the ditch were abandoned below the present outlet at the Watchman campground. The buried portion of the ditch is regarded as a potential archeological feature relating to the period of pioneer settlement. The lands surrounding the ditch were acquired by the Park Service from the Flanigans in 1960. Of the original 15,000 feet (4,600 m) of ditch, about 12,000 feet (3,700 m) are within the park, with the upper third largely intact but unwatered for part of its length. A portion continues to carry water for irrigation of the Watchman campground. Expansion of the park boundaries has included a buried and abandoned portion of the lower ditch. The ditch shares its headworks with the Springdale Consolidated Irrigation Company's pipeline, which provides municipal water to the town through a pipeline installed in 1988.[31] Flanigan Ditch was listed on the NRHP on January 12, 1998, reference number 97001630"

Waterway where the dam is located: Virgin River Main use of the Water Dam: Water Supply (Drinkable) Material used in the structure: Concrete Fishing Allowed: no Motor Sports Allowed: no Height of Dam: Not listed Date built: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Photo of the Dam and a description of your visit.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   06/02/2018 bluesnote visited it