Yelm Ditch is an abandoned irrigation canal near Yelm in Thurston County, Washington. It was completed by the Yelm Irrigation Company at a cost of $100,000 on June 29, 1916.[2][3][4] At the time, Yelm had a population of a few hundred, and the Yelm Irrigation Project was "one of Western Washington's first irrigation districts", bringing water from the Nisqually River to irrigate farms on the Yelm Prairie.[2][5] The crops irrigated by the canal included red and black raspberries and Bluelake beans.[3]

Yelm Ditch
Yelm Ditch is located in Washington (state)
Yelm Ditch
LocationNear Yelm, Washington
CountryUnited States
Coordinates46°50′35.37″N 122°25′35.42″W / 46.8431583°N 122.4265056°W / 46.8431583; -122.4265056[1]
Specifications
Maximum height above sea level123 metres (404 ft)
History
Date completedJune 19, 1916
Geography
Start pointNisqually River near 46°54′25.36″N 122°30′36.43″W / 46.9070444°N 122.5101194°W / 46.9070444; -122.5101194
(From USGS[1])
End point46°53′23.36″N 122°29′38.43″W / 46.8898222°N 122.4940083°W / 46.8898222; -122.4940083
(From USGS[1])

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Yelm Ditch
  2. ^ a b Rita Cipalla (February 15, 2023), "Yelm — Thumbnail History", HistoryLink, Seattle: History Ink, After five years devoted to planning and construction, the Yelm Irrigation Project was completed on June 29, 1916 – one of Western Washington's first irrigation districts.
  3. ^ a b "History of Yelm". City of Yelm, Washington. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  4. ^ "6000-acre irrigation project at Yelm". Business Chronicle of the Pacific Northwest. July 1, 1916. p. 15.
  5. ^ Ed Bergh (February 19, 2015). "The Yelm Irrigation Project". Nisqually Valley News.

Further reading

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