HAER No. AZ-21, Old Crosscut Canal, North Side of Salt River, Maricopa County, Arizona: Photographs, Written Historical and Descriptive Data

Summary

Historic American Engineering Record for the Old Crosscut Canal, which includes photographs and descriptive data concerning the construction and use of the canal.

The Old Crosscut Canal was originally built to connect to Arizona Canal with the other northside canals. It served this function to some degree until 1913, when it was replaced by the New Crosscut some two miles east. The Old Crosscut remained, but has not been used for irrigation since. Beginning in the 1920s it was used to help drain waterlogged farmlands in the area south of the Arizona Canal. In the 1970s control of the canal was passed to the Flood Control District of Maricopa County, which renovated the structure for use as a flood control wasteway to the Salt River. Also at that time, the recreational use of the canal banks began to increase as it was included in a bike path system, and became a favorite route of joggers. In 1989, the lower part of the canal was relocated to make way for the East Papago-Hohokam freeway. As this report was being written, it was anticipated that the upper end of the canal would eventually be piped, its right of way becoming a city park.

Thus the canal has been part of the landscape of the east side of Phoenix since long before urbanization began. Because the canal was essentially abandoned as an irrigation canal by 1906, and did not become a part of the Flood Control District until 1975, neither the Salt River Project nor any other agency did much work on it or had much concern with it.

The lack of concern of official agencies with the canal for so many years is reflected in the meager documentary and photographic recording of the canal before the 1970s.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Salt River Project Digital Library

Keywords

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1971 to 1975 (Conversion to flood control structure)

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Salt River Project Cultural Resource Manager

Prepared By(s): Salt River Project

Submitted To(s): National Park Service, Western Region

Record Identifiers

Historic American Engineering Record No.(s): AZ-21

SRP Library Barcode No.(s): 00090872

File Information