PIPE SPRING Cultures at a Crossroads: An Administrative History

Water Issues (pre-1968)

In late 1963 Norman Heaton of Cedar City, Utah, son of 83-year old Fred C. Heaton, wrote Superintendent Oberhansley requesting information about the stockmen's water rights at Pipe Spring. His father was one of the Heaton brothers included in the stockmen's group who owned a one-third interest in Pipe Spring water. The request was forwarded to the regional office. Acting Regional Director J. M. Carpenter consulted with A. van V. Dunn and communicated with Regional Director Beard and Director Hartzog. There was opposition at the regional office level to releasing Pipe Spring file materials to Norman Heaton, partly because most did not relate to Heaton's area of concern. There was nothing in the Park Service files indicating how the stockmen handled the division of their one-third share of water. Oberhansley informed Heaton that any rights his father Fred C. Heaton might have to water at Pipe Spring "must stem from the one-third right agreed to by the stockmen, the Indian Service, and the National Park Service," recognized in the regulations issued November 2, 1933. [2094] Oberhansley enclosed a copy of the 1933 agreement in his letter and suggested Norman Heaton contact former Custodian Leonard Heaton for more information on the division of water.

In July 1964 the BLM proposed using the old CCC camp located three miles south of Pipe Spring as a Youth Conservation Corps (Job Corps) site. Its proposal included a plan to have water supplied from Pipe Spring. That month Oberhansley called the BLM to ask what the total volume of water was issuing from the Pipe Spring outlet. He was informed that the flow was 58 gallons per minute, as last measured on April 4, 1963. [2095] It appears the BLM's plan was not implemented, at least not with Pipe Spring water.

For water matters associated with tribal developments of the late 1960s see earlier section, "Planning and Development with the Kaibab Paiute Tribe and Associated Water Issues."