Hurricane in Washington County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Lateral Ditch Lines of the Hurricane Canal
Photographed by Jeremy Snow, May 22, 2026
1. Lateral Ditch Lines of the Hurricane Canal Marker
Inscription.
Lateral Ditch Lines of the Hurricane Canal. . After eleven years of hard labor, water from the Hurricane Canal poured out onto the valley floor in August 1904. It was necessary for the builders to lay out a water delivery system to irrigate garden plots near their homes and to larger orchards and field crops outside of town. Most, if not all, of the main ditches and lateral ditches were dug out of the existing terrain of dirt and rocks. Later, in order to preserve water, some of the lateral ditches were lined with sandstone slabs. Like the one you see here, these linings were constructed by WPA (Work Progress Administration) workers in 1936 and 1937 when they were constructing the Hurricane Public Library and the Hurricane High School. This lateral ditch is a reminder of the sacrifice and tenacity of the settlers of this community to deliver water to over 2,000 acres of previously uncultivated land.
After eleven years of hard labor, water from the Hurricane Canal poured out onto the valley floor in August 1904. It was necessary for the builders to lay out a water delivery system to irrigate garden plots near their homes and to larger orchards and field crops outside of town. Most, if not all, of the main ditches and lateral ditches were dug out of the existing terrain of dirt and rocks. Later, in order
to preserve water, some of the lateral ditches were lined with sandstone slabs. Like the one you see here, these linings were constructed by WPA (Work Progress Administration) workers in 1936 and 1937 when they were constructing the Hurricane Public Library and the Hurricane High School. This lateral ditch is a reminder of the sacrifice and tenacity of the settlers of this community to deliver water to over 2,000 acres of previously uncultivated land.
Erected 2023 by Sons of Utah Pioneers. (Marker Number 286.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Man-Made Features. In addition, it is included in the Sons of Utah Pioneers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1936.
Location. 37° 10.4′ N,
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113° 17.281′ W. Marker is in Hurricane, Utah, in Washington County. It is on Main Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 221 Main Street, Hurricane UT 84737, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Utah’s Color Country. It is also in the American Southwest, in the Mountain West, and in Colorado Plateau. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 27, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 24, 2026, by Jeremy Snow of Cedar City, Utah. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 24, 2026, by Jeremy Snow of Cedar City, Utah. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
