Tieton Main Canal, also called Tieton Canal, Yakima-Tieton Irrigation Canal and Yakima Tieton Main Canal, is a 12-mile (19 km) long irrigation canal on the Tieton River in Washington state. It was cut by hand in 1906 with federal funding, one of the first canals created under the 1902 Reclamation Act, and opened in 1907.[2] The canal was shut down for 19 days due to ash from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and again during the Rimrock Retreat Fire in 2024.[3] Two miles of the canal are through tunnels, including 3,810-foot (1,160 m) long North Fork Tunnel.[4]
| Tieton Main Canal | |
|---|---|
 Original, open canal in 1912 | |
 | |
| Location | Near Tieton, Washington |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 46°40′11.43″N 121°0′11.28″W / 46.6698417°N 121.0031333°W[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 12 miles (19 km) |
| Total rise | −1,000 feet (−300 m) |
| History | |
| Current owner | Yakima Tieton Irrigation District |
| Date completed | 1907 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | diversion dam 46°40′17″N 121°00′29″W / 46.67127°N 121.00802°W |
| Connects to | Tieton River |
The canal is managed by Yakima Tieton Irrigation District.[4]
As of the 2010s, the canal was "at risk of catastrophic failure" according to its owner,[5] and in need of replacement, with a $200 million estimated cost for building a new canal.[6]
References
edit- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Yakima Tieton Main Canal
- ^ Bridget Turrell (March 1, 2019), "An Engineering Marvel: The Yakima-Tieton Irrigation Canal", Yakima Magazine, Yakima, Washington: Yakima Herald
- ^ Tomas D'Anella (July 30, 2024). "Crews working to protect 115-year-old irrigation canal from Retreat Fire". nbcrightnow.com. Yakima, Washington: KNDO.
- ^ a b "HISTORY". Yakima Tieton Irrigation District. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ "Tieton River Canyon - Main Canal Upgrade Facts". Yakima Tieton Irrigation District. 2013.
- ^ Kate Prengaman (October 26, 2016). "Living on borrowed time: Canal is more than 100 years old, but replacement won't be cheap". Yakima Herald. Yakima, Washington.
External links
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Media related to Tieton Main Canal at Wikimedia Commons
