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China Ditch

Osino to Elko

Elko County, Nevada

~  in progress ~

First let me credit Mr. Bob Pearce, Elko, Nevada, for the existence of this page.  I have searched for this ditch for quite a bit of time to no avail.  On Saturday, April 27, 2002, Bob stopped by for a visit, then drove me out and showed me the length of the ditch.  In two hours I had learned more about the ditch than I had learned in the past year.  The old cliche' applies here - "It was right under my nose."  I have literally driven by it hundreds of times.  On Sunday, I retraced our path and took the following photos of the ditch. 

The Ditch

I have not found much written about this ditch.  It is mentioned in the following article of the history of Elko's water system.  The applicable portion of the article is:

"It is interesting to note that the first water system for Elko was owned and operated by a Chinese named Hi Loy who with his foreman, Le Hi, constructed a wooden flume from Kittridge Canyon to a small reservoir above the China Ranch (presently the Elko City Park).  Additional water was supplied later in a nine-mile ditch from Osino to Elko, taking water from the Humboldt River."

Howard Hickson's site states that the Chinese originally dug this ditch to water their fields at the China Ranch.  It was later taken over by W. T. Smith of the Elko Water Company.  The first documented map of the ditch that I have was provided by Mr. Pearce (see below). It was prepared on December 30, 1911 for the Elko Water Company.

When was the ditch constructed?  I would assume by the Chinese in the late 1800s - maybe the 1870s.  When was its usage stopped? I don't know.  But in 1911, W. T, Smith was still using it to water the gardens in what is now the city park.  I doubt if it was a huge success.  The gradient was very shallow and the water flow of the Humboldt is very low in the summer, fall and winter.  I would assume that it was only used during the spring run-off and early summer, in May - June. 

In Edna B. Patterson's book Nevada's Northeast Frontier, there is no mention of the ditch.  It does say that "Chinese gardeners operated water wheels in the Humboldt River below the Ninth Street bridge and in the Humboldt between Third and Fourth Streets.  They were run by tread-power on a rotation track propelled by Chinese.  While one Chinese operated the tread-wheel, others filled buckets and carried water to gardens."

  Where did the ditch end?  Based on conversations with Mr. Pearce, Edna Paterson's book on Elko garden locations and the above plat map.  I would assume it ended near 7th and Pine Streets.  On page 557 of Mrs. Patterson's book it says:

"From China Ranch, (part of the present city park) location of the Chinese garden plot, oriental vegetable hucksters, with wooden yokes about their necks from which large tub-like, willow baskets were suspended, peddled vegetables to Elko homes.  Another garden site was situated near 7th and Pine Street."

 If you wish to add more ...  just let me know.

Click on photos to see original high clarity digital photographs

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circa 1976 article "City Water System History Outlined"

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Whoever purchases this property, not only buys land they also buy history.  For this is now the western most exposure of the China ditch.    The sad part of progress it that most likely once the land is purchased the new owners will bulldoze away the history.

Ditch (just behind Harry) by Gallagher Ford on the east end of Elko.

Looking West.  Based on the above map the ditch would have crossed the road and gone though the Holiday Inn (square blue sign), though the Red Lion Casino, north of McDonalds and headed to the upper end of the park, by the fairgrounds and college.

A section of the ditch is exposed on the slope below the Hilton Garden Inn about 1/3 up the slope below the disturbed slope. From the picture it looks like the grade is wrong but the camera was just not level.

Photo of Manzanita Lane, looking west, just below the Elko East End Mini-Storage. According to Mr. Bob Pearce, this was the old Victory Highway and the original Idaho Street. There is too much disturbance to see the ditch here but it would have crossed between the two light brown power poles and gone around the left of the point.

About 3 miles east of Elko, past the Nevada Youth and Training Center, along the old highway is an exposure of the ditch.  Here it crosses the road.

At the 'Point' at the old Terry's Port-a-Potty building is the best undisturbed exposure of ditch.

Looking northeast, the ditch is very well exposed between the base of the slope and the railroad tracks.

Looking southwest at the same location the ditch is very well exposed about 1/2 way between the base of the slope and the railroad tracks.  The feature nearer the slope is a road.  As an aside The California Trail would have been located very close to this road.

Looking south at the same location, the ditch is very well exposed about 1/2 way between the base of the slope and the railroad tracks.

Humboldt River At Osino  Old water gate and rubble of old diversion dam (?) - pile of rubble in center and at both edges of the river.

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Trails West Marker of California Trail at Osino Byron Turner, my dad, looking at the marker.

California Trail - Return To River "We crossed a ridge when we first started and came down onto the bottom again which we kept the rest of the day." -- Byron McKinstry, Aug. 13, 1850

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Additional Information:  Northeastern Nevada Museum

© 2002 - Elko Rose Garden Association

Recent Photos by Dan Turner, 4/28/02