A Lifeline In the Desert

When the families arrived in Bunkerville, work on the irrigation canal became the first priority. Except for Sundays, the men worked constantly to dig a three-mile canal from the Virgin River to their fields, where they could irrigate their crops. The canal was essential because frequent flooding would wash away any fields located on the flood plains in the valley.

Using a large box with plumb-bobs that they invented—called a “straddle-bridge”—the men plotted out the best course for the canal, ensuring it would gradually slope down to their fields.

As the canal extended closer to the Virgin River, the men divided their efforts and began clearing land for farming. Using mules and heavy weighted scrapers, they pulled up vegetation and piled it into large slash piles to be burned. Once a field was scraped, they plowed the soil to loosen any remaining vegetation and roots. Men also dug up large bushes that the plow missed. This vegetation was scraped again and hauled off to be burned elsewhere so work in the field could continue. The process of plowing and scraping was repeated several times to achieve a level, clean field ready for planting.

The third aspect of irrigation from the river involved building a dam to raise the water level at the canal entrance, providing a constant and consistent stream of water through the canal and into the fields. 

At first, the river was dammed using large boulders, dirt, and bushes. (Trees were a precious commodity and were initially reserved for buildings and shelter, but later even trees were used, as seen in the photo to your left.) Using teams of horses and wagons, the debris was stacked up. Sand would accumulate in front of the debris, filling in the gaps and allowing the water to rise.

These makeshift dams were constantly destroyed by floods, and it was a never-ending battle to keep them functioning over the decades. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that more permanent concrete dams were constructed, easing the time consuming task of maintaining them.

This waterfall and stream in the park represent the continuous effort of the communities in the Virgin River Basin to bring life-giving water to their families over the years. This park is dedicated to the families who built a foundation in this area, allowing us and future generations to enjoy the prosperity we see today.

More information about agriculture or irrigation can be found on the lifestyles panels. You can find them on the map, or visit the lifestyle pages.