Cochran Flume on the Cochran Ditch, crossing over Dry Creek (Photo by Jacel Zeres Avila, May 4, 2024.)
The results of the 15th annual HALS (Historic American Landscapes Survey) Challenge competition were announced last week, and the first Nevada submission, featuring Cochran Ditch in Reno, NV, placed second. In collaboration with the NVASLA (Nevada Chapter, American Society of Landscape Architecture), Jacel Zeres Avila, a student in the landscape architecture program, and Prof. Jung-Hwa Kim worked on the historical documentation. Congratulations! Read more about the project and award below.
Title: Cochran Ditch
Survey Number: HALS NV-6
Location: Reno, Nevada
Participants:
- Dr. Jung-Hwa Kim, Assistant Professor, UNLV School of Architecture
- Jacel Zeres Avila, ASLA, UNLV School of Architecture
- Amanda Rookey, PLA, ASLA, Nevada HALS Liaison
- Melinda Gustin, ASLA, Nevada HALS Co-Liaison
Prize: 2nd Place
Significance
The Cochran Ditch, also known as the Cochrane Ditch, is a testament to Reno’s evolving urban landscape and infrastructure. As one of the first major irrigation ditches, it represents the establishment of water systems crucial for meeting the growing agricultural needs of the burgeoning city during the 1860s-70s. The ditch encompasses Virginia Lake, a man-made recreational facility exemplifying New Deal projects in Nevada during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Cochran Flume, located at the intersection of the ditch and Dry Creek, is currently threatened by potential removal, highlighting the ongoing urbanization of southern Reno and the reduction of the use of water for agriculture in the Truckee Meadows today. Furthermore, the Cochran Ditch holds a deep connection to the social history of Reno, illustrated by the organization of the United Parent-Teachers’ Association (United PTA) in 1927 and their fundraising initiatives during the 1930s-50s aimed at protecting children from drowning in the irrigation ditches.
Jury comments
The jury praised the quality of the research and the concise description of the resource and its defining features. The survey will make a great addition to the HALS collection in the Library of Congress. Your survey will be an invaluable reference for people studying the history of the ditch system and broader development of the City of Reno.