Smith’s Irrigation Ditch / City Ditch / Big Ditch
Denver County
The approximately 27-mile long irrigation channel was first surveyed and constructed between 1860 and 1867. The ditch began in Waterton Canyon, located southwest of Denver, as a diversion of the South Platte River and ultimately terminated in City Park’s Ferril Lake.
Smith’s Irrigation Ditch / City Ditch / Big Ditch
In addition to supporting the efforts of local farmers, water flowing through the ditch and its laterals enhanced the development of Denver’s extensive park and parkway system and contributed to the planting of trees, lawns, and gardens within the residential neighborhoods along its path. Although pipelines now carry much of the flow through Denver, the 1¼-mile segment within Washington Park the ditch remains opens as an important feature of the landscape.