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The Rio Virgin: A Turbulent River, Mormon Pioneers, And The Creation Of A Landscape 1854-1921, Spencer Wayne Mcconkie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis explores the changes to the landscape of the Virgin River Basin by Mormon pioneers and the environment between 1854 and 1921. This thesis shows the ways in which the Mormons replaced the local vegetation of the basin with new crops and expanded the area available for farming through the use of irrigation canals and different farming techniques. Along with showing the ways in which the Mormons changed the landscape the thesis explores the ways in which environmental changes played into this process. The process of creating the new landscape of the Virgin River Basin involved both natural and …