Office of the State Engineer Hatchtown Reservoir project records, 1906-1918.

The Hatchtown Reservoir Project was administered by the State of Utah, and consisted of a dam, diversion dam, and canal that were built on the Sevier River, 1.25 miles south of the town of Hatch (in Garfield County). Construction of the dam and its accompanying works totaled approximately $175,000. Final design was approved by State Engineer Caleb Tanner, and Joseph Jensen served as the general supervisor for the project. Actual work was completed by D.B. Brinton of Holladay, Utah between 1906 and 1908.

The dam at Hatchtown measured 60 to 65 feet high, and ran approximately 300 feet long. It was an earthwork construction with a rip rap face. The Hatchtown Reservoir Project impounded approximately 14,000 acre feet of water, which was enough to irrigate approximately 7,000 acres of land. By 1914, 5000 acres worth of that water had been contracted out by the state to area farmers.

In early May 1914, investigators began noticing cracking and structural damage to the Hatchtown dam. On May 25, 1914, the dam failed releasing enough water to reach north to Circleville, Utah (over 40 miles to the north). The flooding caused by the dam failure ruined crops and farm works and killed livestock, though there was no loss of human life due to flooding. Eventually the water was stopped when it reached the Piute Reservoir. In a subsequent investigation, the State Engineer determined that the dam failed due to a combination of poor foundation, poor design of the culvert and control works, and the development of springs in the foundation of the dam (due to increased irrigation on the bench land west of the dam site).

This series consists of records maintained by the State Engineer that pertain to both the construction of the Hatchtown Reservoir Project, as well as the aftermath of its failure in 1914. It includes correspondence, construction records, water rights information, and financial records related to both project construction and the subsequent costs accrued after the flood.