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

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.
This 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.

本项目位于亚利桑那州纳瓦霍县约瑟夫城，约瑟夫城灌溉系统（Joseph City Irrigation System）的部分区段正处于修复工程中，以期为当地用水户提供更高效、更可靠的供水服务。经考古咨询服务公司（Archaeological Consulting Services, ACS）受垦务局（Bureau of Reclamation）委托开展档案研究后，认定这座历史灌溉系统符合A、C、D三项标准，具备提名纳入国家史迹名录（National Register of Historic Places）的资格（Schilling 2004）。为缓解利用垦务局资金实施的部分渠段管道化改造工程带来的影响，垦务局同意实施两阶段减缓方案：一是对约瑟夫城灌溉系统开展档案研究，二是为公众设置信息标识牌。研究团队在菲尼克斯与坦佩的图书馆及档案馆开展了档案调研，并将调研结果与资格评估的相关成果相结合。资格评估工作涵盖弗拉格斯塔夫的档案馆资料查阅、赴约瑟夫城实地考察并拍摄灌溉系统、以及对约瑟夫城灌溉公司董事会成员的访谈。本报告梳理了约瑟夫城灌溉系统的沿革历史，及其对约瑟夫城与小科罗拉多河中游谷地摩门教拓殖活动的发展与成长所产生的影响。本报告同时收录了一套与该灌溉系统历史及发展相关的综合参考文献目录（即"查找指南"），涵盖影像资料与其他文献来源。报告针对部分档案资源添加了注释，以提升该参考文献目录的研究实用价值。