Carbon Canal facts for kids

The Carbon Canal is an important waterway in central Utah, United States. It was built between 1907 and 1909 by the Carbon Canal Company. Its main job was to bring water to farms west and south of the Price River. This helped farmers grow crops in an area that didn't get much rain.

What is the Carbon Canal?

The Carbon Canal is about 28 miles long. Some parts of it are lined with concrete, while others are just dirt channels. It starts at a special dam called a weir on the Price River. This is near the Spring Glen turn-off on U.S. Highway 6. The canal then flows through Carbonville and the community of Price. It even goes into Emery County, ending near Elmo. Along its path, it uses many flumes. These are like bridges that carry the water over hills and valleys.

History of the Carbon Canal

From the very beginning, when people from Europe first settled in Carbon County, the Price River was a key source of fresh water. Mormon pioneers first settled permanently in Spring Glen in the late 1870s. Soon after, other small towns like Carbonville, Price, Wellington, and Helper appeared. Most of these towns relied on farming to survive. This meant they needed a lot of water from the Price River, not just for drinking.

At first, settlers carried water from the river in barrels to their fields. Then, they dug small ditches to move water for irrigation. These ditches worked well for a while.

Why was a bigger canal needed?

In 1883, the Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) Railroad was completed through Utah. This railroad passed through the Price River communities. The railroad's arrival, along with the discovery of huge coal reserves, changed these quiet farm towns. They quickly became busy centers with miners, railroad workers, and business people.

As the population grew, so did the need for water to irrigate farms. The early ditches couldn't handle the demand anymore. Farmers realized they needed a much larger and more organized system.

The first big irrigation system was the Price Canal, completed in 1888 by the Price Water Company. This canal carried water east and north of the Price River. It is still used today.

Building the Carbon Canal

By the early 1900s, farmers knew they had to get more water or stop growing. In 1906, community leaders formed the Carbon Canal Company. In August 1906, they asked the State of Utah for permission to use water from the Price River. They wanted to build a canal to bring water to lands west and south of Price, and south of Wellington. This permission, called a water right, was granted in March 1907.

The water right allowed the Carbon Canal Company to take 125 cubic feet of water per second from the Price River. The plan was for a concrete dam and a canal about 28 miles long. It would be 5 to 18 feet wide at the top and 2 to 6 feet deep. The canal would go through southern Carbon County and into northern Emery County. The water was mainly for farming between April and September. It also allowed some water for homes and livestock in winter.

Work on the Carbon Canal began soon after. By January 1908, a newspaper reported that construction was "well under way." A company called Snow, Waterman and Williams was doing the work. They had set up many camps along the canal's path. About 100 men and 60 teams of livestock were working. Materials like lumber and cement were brought by train to Helper, then by wagons to the work sites. The canal was finished in 1909. It included six wooden flumes and a 280-foot tunnel.

Expanding the water network

After the Carbon Canal was built, farmers created a network of smaller ditches. These ditches carried water from the canal directly to their farms. This finally gave a steady supply of water to farmlands south of the Price River.

Water storage was also important. In 1896, the Mammoth Reservoir Company was formed to build water storage in the mountains northwest of Price. This is where Scofield Reservoir is today. After some changes in ownership, the Price River Irrigation Company began building the Mammoth Dam in 1907. Later, in 1921, the Price River Water Conservation District (PRWCD) was formed. The PRWCD oversaw the building of the Scofield Dam between 1925 and 1926. This dam helped store water for many canals, including the Carbon Canal.

Fixing the flumes

Over time, the Carbon Canal's structures started to wear out. In 1926, the canal company got a loan from the state to make repairs. Part of the money was used to replace a wooden flume at Drunkard’s Wash with a concrete-lined canal.

There was a disagreement between the canal company and the state engineer about how the repairs should be done. The canal company wanted to do things their way, but the state engineer insisted on his plan. Eventually, they reached an agreement. The canal company agreed to follow the state engineer's plan. By November 1926, water was flowing through the newly repaired section at Drunkard’s Wash, and it seemed to work well.

More problems arose in August 1927 when floods severely damaged many flumes and structures. The company needed another large loan for repairs. They got the loan, and work began. By April 1928, the repairs were mostly done, and water was turned into the newly built flumes.

The Canal in later years

After the 1970s, there weren't many big upgrades to the Carbon Canal. However, regular maintenance and flood protection projects continued. For example, in 1953, steel rails and wood were used to protect the canal from damage at Gibbs Cut. In 1957, the flume at Pinnacle Wash was raised and its supports were replaced. In 1968, the flume at Drunkard’s Wash was lined with fiberglass to stop leaks. This was also to fix damage, some of which was caused by local kids using it for swimming!

The Carbon Canal Company also made agreements to supply water to other groups. In 1956, they agreed to provide water to Utah Power & Light (UP&L) for their power plant. In 1957, they supplied water to the Shell Oil Company for their drilling operations.

During the 1960s, the Carbon Canal Company was involved in many lawsuits. These lawsuits were about who had the right to use water and in what order. Many of these cases were related to a big project called the Gooseberry Project. This project planned to move water from the Price River area to Sanpete County. The Carbon Canal Company fought to protect its water rights.

Throughout its history, the Carbon Canal has been very important for farming in Carbon County. It reminds people of the hard work of early settlers. They worked tirelessly to bring water to the dry lands and support farming for many years. The canal is still used today, continuing its job of delivering water for over 100 years.

The Carbon Canal today

Even today, the Carbon Canal keeps doing its job, thanks to the Carbon Canal Company. They work hard to maintain and repair the old structures. Sometimes, flash floods cause damage to the canal and its dam on the Price River. To fix this, the canal company is working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. They are repairing and replacing the dam and water intake where the canal begins. This project, expected to finish in 2018, will leave parts of the original dam in place. These old parts will serve as a reminder of the early pioneers' efforts to use the Price River's water for farming in Carbon County.

Images for kids

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  Diversion weir on the Price River, 2016. The two holes at lower left are the original water bypass holes used during construction of the diversion ca. 1908.