Work Projects

More About the CCC

• Introduction to the CCC
• Organization of the CCC
• Who Were the Men of the CCC?
• CCC Camps in Utah
• A Day in the Life of an Enrollee
• The End of the CCC
• 1989 CCC Reunion
• The CCC: Then and Now

The act that established the CCC in 1933 outlined possible conservation work projects that were undertaken, such as “…the prevention of soil erosion, flood control, and similar projects.” Much of this work was accomplished by hand without the use of heavy machinery, which was used as a method of keeping down costs and ensuring enough work was available. CCC men would work a traditional 40-hour work week with the weekend free to explore and enjoy the recreation opportunities of the parks. 

In Zion National Park, CCC workers were responsible for creating much of the early infrastructure in the park. This included establishing new trails, building retaining walls along the Virgin River, constructing buildings, working on the switchbacks below the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, and more. A few men were even able to assist with some of the earliest archeological research conducted in the park.

 

ZION 1880: The CCC created critical infrastructure that helped direct and control the increased visitation that was occurring in National Parks. One structure was the south entrance station, which provided a new point of contact between visitors and rangers at the park's boundary.

 

Left image, ZION 1885: CCC crew, sometimes also referred to as “Roosevelt’s Tree Army,” were often tasked with planting trees. This photo shows men working with irrigation ditches to water new trees near the South Campground in Zion.

Right image, 12 ZION 14887: CCC crews assisted with roadwork associated with the switchbacks below the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. They sloped the banks and constructed retaining walls like the one shown here at the Nevada Switchback.

 

ZION 12000i: CCC member Belden Lewis created a scrapbook to document his experience at Zion National Park. The page featured here discusses the variety of work the men completed.

 

CCC crews were responsible for creating much of the water management infrastructure along the Virgin River, including retaining walls that supported the riverbanks and diversion dams, like the one pictured here. Some of these structures can still be seen in the park today.