Mining - Osceola Ditch

A common problem in 19th century mining in the arid and semiarid US West was finding adequate water and fuel for processing, in the absence of modern transportation and pumping technology. This motivated the construction of some extraordinary diversion projects, which now seem out of all proportion to the potential payoff. Here's another example, in eastern Nevada, now largely in Great Basin National Park. An 18-mile ditch & flume was constructed in 1889-90 to bring water from Lehman Creek to the placer deposits in the Osceola District. Altho some gold was recovered, the project never paid off, and was defunct by 1901. The left insert shows another view; the right shows broken timbers that used to form the edge of the water-carrying channel. In many places the "ditch" was partly a flume--that is, a channel built up with walls on either side.

Another view, showing some old timbers. In many places the ditch was a flume as well; that is, the edges were built up by wooden walls. For a description of the project see the adjacent photo or the album.

At the Osceola Ditch, Great Basin National Park, Nevada. With its wooden walls helping define the channel, in places the "ditch" was as much as "flume." For further description of the project see the adjacent photos or the album.