Historic Resource Evaluation Project - Tuolumne Utilities District

Wood’s creeks to Shaw’s Flat and vicinity. The deed also included the Phoenix Water
Company ditch, three-fifth’s of the Montezuma Ditch, Algerine Ditch, and other
properties (Deed Book 16:518, 18:248). Four years later, on February 24, 1876, the
THMC deeded the same properties to the TCWC (Deed Book 18:248). Following its
purchased by the TCWC, the Shaw’s Flat Ditch was diverted northwesterly from the
northwest side of the Phoenix Water Company Lower Reservoir to Shaw’s Flat and
points west (Senger n.d.).
SONORA AND JAMESTOWN SYSTEM
Not part of this project, but once one of the most important divisions of the THA system,
several ditches took water from Sullivan Creek, through the Phoenix Reservoir, to
Sonora, Jamestown, Stent, Quartz, Poverty Hill, Campo Seco, and other locations along
their routes (GLO 1869, 1870; Thom 1907; TCWC 1909).
After it purchased the THA/Street’s/Shaw’s Flat system in 1876, the TCWC constructed
a system of ditches and distributing reservoirs to the towns of Sonora and Jamestown. As
described in 1916, the water flowing over the spillway at Phoenix Reservoir fell into
Sullivan Creek, from which it was diverted to Sonora about one mile below. Other
features of this system included Wolfling Reservoir, constructed by the TCWC in 1878
and rebuilt by PG&E in 1930 (PG&E 1947). It was the distributing reservoir for the
THA ditch and the Golden Gate Ditch; at that time it consisted of two low earth fill dams
and wooden outlet gates. From Wolfling Reservoir, the Golden Gate Ditch was
conveyed through Sonora by means of an inverted pipe siphon and thence to the head of
the Golden Gate Mine pipeline. The ditch formerly extended to Jamestown, but was then
(1916) obstructed with aquatic growth. From Wolfling Reservoir, another ditch began at
the end of the inverted pipe siphon and terminated at Divoll Reservoir, the principal
distributing reservoir for the City of Sonora. The earth fill dam and wood outlet gates, as
well as the reservoir, were in good condition (Rhodin 1916).
Another ditch originally built by the THA in 1852 carried water 5.37 miles from the later
Wolfling Reservoir to the head of the pressure pipeline of the App Mining Company on
Quartz Mountain. It also supplied the Jamestown Ditch, supplying the Jamestown
Reservoir and the Sierra Railroad through a diversion directly from the THA ditch. This
connecting ditch was built by the Sierra and San Francisco Power Company in 1915
(Rhodin 1916).
OTHER WATER COMPANIES
Over the years, the Tuolumne County Water Company purchased the systems of
numerous other companies, expanding their own with the others’ facilities. In addition to
the Columbia and Stanislaus River Water Company (Miners Ditch), the Sullivan Creek
Water Company, James Street properties (Street’s Ditch), and the Shaw’s Flat and
Tuolumne Hydraulic Association, close to 20 companies were acquired (see Appendix C
for a more complete listing). When Wallace prepared a map of the system in 1862, many
major ditch systems had been acquired, making it useful in determining the location and
Foothill Resources, Ltd. 3.23 TUD Ditch Sustainability Project
Francis Heritage, LLC
Historic Resource Evaluation Report