A Description, History and Finder's Guide for the Joseph City Irrigation System, Navajo County, Arizona

USDI Bureau of Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office

A Description, History and Finder's Guide for the Joseph City Irrigation System, Navajo County, Arizona

Summary

Located in Joseph City, Navajo County, Arizona, portions of the Joseph City Irrigation System is being rehabilitated so it can function more efficiently and reliably for local water-users. The historic irrigation system was determined to be eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A, C, and D based on archival research conducted by Archaeological Consulting Services (ACS) for the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) (Schilling 2004). To mitigate the effects of piping a portion of the canal using Reclamation funding, Reclamation agreed to a two-phase mitigation plan: archival research of the Joseph City Irrigation System and the installation of informational signage for the public.

Archival research was conducted at libraries and archives in Phoenix and Tempe. The results were combined with those from the eligibility evaluation, which included archives in Flagstaff, a field visit to Joseph City to view and photograph the irrigation system, and interviews with Joseph City Irrigation Company board members.

The current report provides a summary history of the Joseph City Irrigation System and its impacts on the development and growth of Mormon colonization of Joseph City and the middle Little Colorado River Valley. The report also includes a comprehensive bibliography (“finders guide”) related to the history and development of the irrigation system, including photographic and other documentary sources. Where appropriate, archival resources have been annotated to make the bibliography a more useful research document.