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Davis County Experimental Watershed records, 1923-1986

Overview of the Collection

Title
Davis County Experimental Watershed records
Dates
1923-1986 (inclusive)
Quantity
33 boxes, (16 linear feet)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 376
Summary
This collection contains the records of the Davis County Experimental Watershed restoration project, an effort to repair and rehabilitate the watersheds above Davis County from the 1930s to the late 1960s.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Decades of sustained overgrazing in Utah mountain watersheds caused a series of devastating and deadly mud-rock floods along the Wasatch Front in the early 20th century. The most disastrous of these floods occurred in 1912 and 1923 in Davis County. These floods resulted in the deaths of several individuals and hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to both public and private buildings, lands and infrastructure. In response to the natural disasters, Utah Governor Dern appointed a committee to examine the cause of the floods and organize a plant to prevent future flooding. At the recommendation of environmental advisors, the Forest Service and several Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began work on Davis County flood prevention in 1933.

The joint CCC and Forest Service flood control program became known as the Davis County Experimental Watershed (DCEW). In 1934, the CCC began to dig contour trenches along the mountainsides to help prevent the denuded hillsides from eroding away during rainstorms and spring runoff. For the next thirty years, Forest Service employees of the Intermountain Research Station continued to restore the watershed and conduct experiments and surveys regarding vegetation, streamflow, and climate in the drainages. Their work eventually received international recognition due to its unprecedented scope and success.

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Content Description

The Davis County Experimental Watershed records contain mostly scientific material from the Davis County Experimental Watershed (DCEW) retained by the United State Forest Service's Intermountain Research Station (now known as the Rocky Mountain Research Station) headquarters in Ogden, Utah. These documents record the efforts taken by the Forest Service to repair and rehabilitate the watersheds above Davis County from the 1930s to the late 1960s.

The majority of the collection consists of action plans, progress reports, maps, geographical, botanical, and climate surveys, streamflow data, and academic publications. In addition to the scientific materials, this collection contains several historical documents, including: newspapers articles, histories written by members of the DCEW task force, and financial reports on early 20th century flood damages. The collection is organized first by general material from the DCEW and then by documents from each particular drainage of the DCEW.

The Davis County Experimental Watershed records have a wide variety of uses for researchers. Those interested in pioneering watershed rehabilitation work, Forest Service projects in Utah, Utah Civilian Conservation Corps projects, and the history of Davis County will find this collection particularly useful. The vegetation, climate and streamflow data may also be valuable to those who want to compare the current state of the Davis County watershed to past conditions.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Davis County Experimental Watershed records must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

Preferred Citation

Initial Citation: Davis County Experimental Watershed records USU_COLL MSS 376, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations: USU_COLL MSS 376, USUSCA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is organized by material type and watershed.

Processing Note

Processed in March of 2017.

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated to USU Special Collections and Archives by Norbert V. DeByle in 1986. Norbert DeByle worked as a plant ecologist for the Intermountain Research Station and most likely obtained these records through his connections at the station. The origin of material listed under the title "Davis County Watershed Rehabilitation and Management Articles and Reports" was initially unknown, and it was processed separately in 2014 as Coll Mss 479. However, after processing the DeByle's donation in 2016, it become apparent that the material in "Davis County Watershed Rehabilitating and Management Articles and Reports" was likely part of the material donated by DeByle in 1986. These materials were added to the end of this collection and the call number "Coll Mss 479" was made available for another use.

Separated Materials

The photographs and federal publications in this collection have been transferred the photograph curator and Government Documents, respectively.

Bibliography

Croft, A.R. History of Development of the Davis County Experimental Watershed. Ogden, UT: USDA Forest Service Region 4, 1981.
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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Subject Terms

  • Experimental watershed areas--Utah.
  • Flood control--Utah--Davis County Experimental Watershed.
  • Flood control--Utah--Great Salt Lake Watershed.
  • Flood control--Wasatch Range (Utah and Idaho)
  • Watershed management--Utah--Davis County Experimental Watershed.
  • Watershed management--Utah--Great Salt Lake Watershed.
  • Watershed management--Wasatch Range (Utah and Idaho)
  • Wildlife management areas--Utah--Davis County Experimental Watershed.
  • Wildlife management areas--Wasatch Range (Utah and Idaho)

Geographical Names

  • Davis County Experimental Watershed (Utah)
  • Wasatch Range (Utah and Idaho)--Research

Finding aid/Register created by Cody Patton and Clint Pumphrey
2017

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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