CHAPTER
16
WATER RESOURCES
Iron County's pioneer settlements were established wherever water was available from mountain streams or free-flowing springs. The streams which cut the canyons and carry water off the Markagunt Plateau are Little Creek, Red Creek, Center Creek, Summit Creek, Johnson Creek, Fiddlers Creek, Coal Creek, Shirts Creek, Kanarra Creek, and Spring Creek, from north to south. The first communities were located on Center and Coal creeks because they drain the largest watersheds and carry the most water. Water resources for culinary and irrigation uses have dramatically changed in recent decades but are still crucial to the quality of life of Iron County residents. 1
Parowan and Center Creek: Parowan's pioneer company wasted little time in the early spring of 1851 in dividing up land north and east of the townsite for farming and in digging canals to divert Center Creek for irrigation. Since many Parowan pioneers did not like the looks of the red soil close to the mountains, William H. Dame surveyed two fields, one tract close 281
