Existing comment:
Diversion Dam:
The Virgin River is not entirely a free-floating 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 Mormon settlers built to sustain orchards and fields of crops. To experience the river in its more free-flowing state, travel upstream from Zion Lodge.
The spillway pools the river water; from there it is diverted to town. A concrete lining stabilizes the dam and prevent erosion, especially during floods.
Photo of rancher William L. Crawford at Flanigan Ditch Dam, ca 1900. Crawford ran a string to the camera to snap the picture. |