Miocene Ditch

It and the other two, the Seward and Pioneer ditches, were built to provide water to early placer mining operations near Nome.

From suitable places along the Nome-Taylor Road the ditches form distinct parallel lines crossing tundra promontories west of the river.

On the north side of King Mountain, the ditch forks, carrying water to mines in both the Snake and Nome River drainages.

In the period between 1910 and 1912 the ditch was widened using steam shovels, and two large tunnels were excavated to avoid problem areas (Daily Nome Industrial Worker 1911[5]).

These included areas of permafrost, rocky outcrops where stonework was necessary to support the ditch, and the need to cross several creeks tributary to Nome River.

To seal the bottom of the canal through permafrost and rocky locations, clay was hauled in small boats and dumped into the ditch.