Historic American Landscape Survey

Cochran Ditch

Cochran Flume on the Cochran Ditch, crossing over Dry Creek (Photo by Jacel Zeres Avila, May 4, 2024.)

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

Supported by NVASLA, UNLV School of Architecture, and the City of Reno

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."

Cottonwood Cove, Nevada

Landscapes

Resources

Organizational Partners

ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) has an active HALS Program which engages with the National Park Service (NPS), will help support Nevada HALS and will provide guidance and resources. Their mission includes recording historic landscapes in the United States and its territories through measured drawings and interpretive drawings, written histories, and large- format black and white photographs and color photographs. ASLA has an active and supportive HALS Professional Practice Network, which shares information on cultural landscapes, supports Chapter HALS committees and assists with technical information for documentation.

The National Park Service manages the HALS National program, and formulates policies, sets standards, and drafts procedural guidelines in consultation with ASLA for HALS documentation which is submitted to the Library of Congress. The Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress preserves the documentation for posterity and makes it available to the general public, making it the preeminent source of documentation for historic properties.

HALS Documented Sites

Since the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) was established in 2000 to document our country's dynamic landscapes, much progress has been made in identifying and documenting historically significant designed and vernacular cultural landscapes. As documentation is submitted, the full list of HALS sites continues to grow. There are more than 800 documented landscapes on the current list.

Partners