The Eureka Ditch is an eight-mile-long earthen irrigation ditch located in the Verde River Valley in Arizona. It was established in 1895 to service six farms located on the former Fort Verde Military Reservation.
Today, the ditch system provides water to over 200 individual property owners, and 375 acres of land, including the Pecan Lane Rural Historic Landscape along Montezuma Castle Highway. It has a capacity of 1,200 cubic feet per second.
The Eureka Ditch is one of five major ditches in the Camp Verde area that draw water from the Verde River. The others are the Verde Ditch, Diamond S Ditch, OK Ditch, and the Pioneer Ditch. These ditches are all important to the agricultural economy of the Verde Valley, and they also provide water for recreation and wildlife habitat.
EUREKA DITCH COMPANY, INC. is an Arizona Domestic For-Profit (Business) Corporation, filed on September 5, 1961. The company works to manage and protect the Eureka Ditch. The company is responsible for maintaining the ditch, ensuring that water is delivered to shareholders in a fair and equitable manner, and advocating for the interests of the ditch system. The Eureka Ditch Company works in cooperation with the other ditches to improve the efficiency of the water delivery system in an effort to reduce demands on the Verde River and to improve the health of the riparian corridor.
In recent years, there has been a growing effort to improve the efficiency of the Eureka Ditch and the other irrigation ditches in the Verde Valley. This is being done in an effort to reduce demands on the Verde River and to improve the health of the riparian corridor. One of the ways that this is being done is by installing pipe to enclose and eliminate losses from the leakiest sections of the ditches.
The Eureka Ditch is a vital part of the Camp Verde community. It provides water for irrigation, which supports a variety of agricultural crops, including pecans, fruit trees, corn, barley, and vegetables. The ditch also provides water for livestock, and it is used for recreation, such as fishing and boating.
Some facts about the Eureka Ditch:
- The ditch is named after the Eureka Mine, which was located near the ditch’s headwaters near Camp Verde in the late 1800’s
- The ditch was originally constructed by hand, using shovels and picks.
- The ditch is lined with rocks and gravel to help prevent leaks.
- The ditch is operated by a system of gates and turnouts.
The Eureka Ditch is an historic landmark, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It is a reminder of the early days of settlement in the Verde Valley, and it continues to play an important role in the community today.