Historic Resource Evaluation Project - Tuolumne Utilities District

Figure 5. Reservoir of the Tuolumne County Water Company, at Strawberry Flat [now
Pinecrest Reservoir], from Hutchings California Magazine, 1858.
channel of the river to Bulk Head below Lyons Flat Dam and by ditch and flume to
Columbia,Springfield, Shaws Flat, and Montezuma. Construction began in 1851 and was
completed the following year (Rhodin 1916).
Work commenced at Summit Pass about noon on July 1. The flume was to be 15 miles
long, 4 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and made of boards 2 inches thick, with 5 miles in ditch.
The company purchased a saw mill and steam boat, from which they removed the engine
and boilers, in San Francisco, erected it at the Pass, and soon began work cutting timber
for the flumes (John Wallace Letters, in Eastman 1969:297-299).
As early as October, the rapid progress and magnitude of the work was commented upon:
The Tuolumne Water Company, got up for the purpose of supplying
Columbia, Yankee Hill, Shaw’s Flat, Senorita and the environs of Sonora
with water from the South Fork of the Stanislaus has been busy at work
since the commencement of July. The canal will be twenty-two miles in
length and calculated to supply ten cubic feet of water. It is already
graded and ditched and taking into consideration the surface of the country
through which it passes, it may be looked upon as a work of wonderful
Foothill Resources, Ltd. 3.4 TUD Ditch Sustainability Project
Francis Heritage, LLC
Historic Resource Evaluation Report