Davidson Ditch is a 90-mile (140 km) conduit built in the 1920s to supply water to gold mining dredges in central Alaska.

It is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, but has not been listed due to a lack of information.

Despite this, the remains of the conduit are partially protected by its inclusion in the White Mountains National Recreation Area.

In 1902, the discovery of gold north of the Chena River in central Alaska drew thousands of people who hoped to strike it rich.

[1] Stines contacted surveyor and engineer James Davidson, who had built the 50 miles (80 km) Miocene Ditch that allowed the use of dredges near Nome.

By 1923, the Alaska Railroad was in operation to Fairbanks, greatly cutting transportation costs, and coal from mines near Healy opened the door for the expansion of steam power in the area.

[2] Stines was named general manager of the new company, and he contacted Davidson to head a 22-man survey crew to determine the best way to get water to the mining sites.

[3] As site clearing began, the final elements of the location survey were completed, allowing work to progress on the entire length of the project.

[4] Because of the heavy winter snowfall and extreme cold temperatures, work typically halted in October and recommenced in April each year.

The inverted siphons carried the water across low points in the ridges (such as where they were crossed by streams or rivers), and were made of steel pipe.

The pipe used in the siphons was cast in the Lower 48, transported by barge to an Alaska port, then by train and truck to the job site.

[6] Just over one million dollars was allocated to construction of the siphons alone, which made up less than ten percent of the route's length.

Numerous leaks and breakages occurred, often causing work stoppages at the dredges and mining operations that relied on its water.

Famed musher Leonhard Seppala was employed in this capacity by FE Co. and was named the chief watchman of the ditch.

Seppala had telephone lines laid between watch cabins stationed every 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) along the route.

The 1967 Fairbanks Flood ended this operation when it destroyed the dam on the Chatanika River that forced water into Davidson Ditch.

[1] Today, the Bureau of Land Management preserves the remains of the ditch as a portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area.