Series 867

Office of the State Engineer Hatchtown Reservoir project records

Dates: 1906-1918.

1.05 cubic feet

These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Scope and Content

The Hatchtown Reservoir Project was administered by the State of Utah, and consisted of a dam, diversion dam, and canal that were built on the Sevier River, 1.25 miles south of the town of Hatch (in Garfield County). Construction of the dam and its accompanying works totaled approximately $175,000. Final design was approved by State Engineer Caleb Tanner, and Joseph Jensen served as the general supervisor for the project. Actual work was completed by D.B. Brinton of Holladay, Utah between 1906 and 1908.

The dam at Hatchtown measured 60 to 65 feet high, and ran approximately 300 feet long. It was an earthwork construction with a rip rap face. The Hatchtown Reservoir Project impounded approximately 14,000 acre feet of water, which was enough to irrigate approximately 7,000 acres of land. By 1914, 5000 acres worth of that water had been contracted out by the state to area farmers.

In early May 1914, investigators began noticing cracking and structural damage to the Hatchtown dam. On May 25, 1914, the dam failed releasing enough water to reach north to Circleville, Utah (over 40 miles to the north). The flooding caused by the dam failure ruined crops and farm works and killed livestock, though there was no loss of human life due to flooding. Eventually the water was stopped when it reached the Piute Reservoir. In a subsequent investigation, the State Engineer determined that the dam failed due to a combination of poor foundation, poor design of the culvert and control works, and the development of springs in the foundation of the dam (due to increased irrigation on the bench land west of the dam site).

This series consists of records maintained by the State Engineer that pertain to both the construction of the Hatchtown Reservoir Project, as well as the aftermath of its failure in 1914. It includes correspondence, construction records, water rights information, and financial records related to both project construction and the subsequent costs accrued after the flood.

Arrangement

Alphanumeric by office assigned project code.

Related Records

Water project files from the Office of the State Engineer, Series 867, may contain additional information on the Hatchtown Reservoir Project.

River and stream water discharge data from the Office of the State Engineer, Series 867, may contain records that detail water discharge data for the Sevier River and Hatchtown Reservoir area.

Hydrographic survey field notes from the Office of the State Engineer, Series 867, may contain records that detail hydrographic information of the Sevier River and Hatchtown Reservoir area.

Irrigation projects and water resource maps from the Office of the State Engineer, Series 867, may include information on irrigation projects directly connected to the Hatchtown Reservoir.

Access Restrictions

Archives staff and researchers should note that the financial records found in box 3 are early letterpress books that are extremely fragile. Both the paper and binding of these books could be easily compromised, and use should be limited and directed.

Preferred Citation

Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.

Processing Note

This series was physically processed, and finding aid created, by Jim Kichas in July 2014.

Indexing Terms

Container List

BOX	FOLDER	DATE	DESCRIPTION
1	1	1906-1908	Hatchtown Project A-1: Reservoir and Rights of Way
1	2	1906-1907	Hatchtown Project A-2: Damsite, Surveys, and Foundation Investigations
1	3	1907	Hatchtown Project A-3: Specifications
1	4	1907-1910	Hatchtown Project A-4: Estimates of Costs and Contractor Estimates
1	5	1907-1912	Hatchtown Project A-5: Material
1	6	1907-1912	Hatchtown Project A-6: Contractor
1	7	1907-1915	Hatchtown Project A-7: Construction (Dams, Gates, Culverts)
1	8	1909-1911	Hatchtown Project A-8: Blowing Out and Repair of Gates and Tunnels
1	9	1911-1917	Hatchtown Project A-9: Hydrography
1	10	1907-1915	Hatchtown Project A-10: Salary and Warrants
1	11	1907-1914	Hatchtown Project A-11: Seepage and Sloughing of Dam
2	1	1908-1918	Hatchtown Project A-12: Miscellaneous Records
2	2	1908-1915	Hatchtown Project B: Diversion Dam
2	3	1907	Hatchtown Project C-1: Preliminary Surveys (Location of Canal and Right of Way)
2	4	1908-1916	Hatchtown Project C-2: Canal Structures
2	5	1914	Hatchtown Project C-3: Canal Extension After Failure of Dam
2	6	1908	Hatchtown Project C-4: Specifications
2	7	1906-1917	Hatchtown Project C-5: Miscellaneous Records
2	8	1908-1915	Hatchtown Project D-1: Land Classification
2	9	1916	Hatchtown Project E-4: Water Rights and Hydrography
2	10	1916	Hatchtown Project E-4: Water Rights and Hydrography
2	11	1916	Hatchtown Project E-4: Water Rights and Hydrography
3	1	1907 Aug-1912 Dec	Hatchtown Reservoir Project Account Book A
3	2	1913 Jan-1918 Mar	Hatchtown Reservoir Project Account Book B
4	1	1913-1921	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction E-5: Bids on Material, Supplies, and Equipment
4	2	1915-1919	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction E-6: Materials and Supplies
4	3	1914-1920	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction E-7: Instruments and Field Equipment
4	4	1915-1917	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction E-8: Salary Warrants and Personal Expenses
4	5	1915	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction E-11: Orders - Field and Office
4	6	1915-1918	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction E-12: Vouchers and Claims
4	7	1918	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction E-13: Correspondence Relating to Adjustments and Settlements with Settlers
4	8	1912-1915	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction: Miscellaneous Field and Office Orders
4	9	1915-1920	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction: Miscellaneous Records
4	10	1915-1920	Hatchtown Project Reconstruction: Maps and Blueprints