U.S. Department of the Interior 

Bureau of Reclamation 

Denver, Colorado February 2010 

The Bureau of Reclamation’s 

Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy: 

1933 - 1942 

by 

Christine E. Pfaff 

 
MISSION STATEMENTS 

The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide 

access to our Nation's natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust 

responsibilities to Indian tribes and our commitments to island 

communities. 

The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and 

protect water and related resources in an environmentally and 

economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. 
iii

Preface 

In June 2000, the first comprehensive study of the Civilian Conservation Corps 

(CCC) program within the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) became 

available with the initial printing of this book. Prior to that, the tremendous 

accomplishments of the young men who labored on Reclamation projects during 

the Great Depression had received little attention. My goal in producing the book 

was to highlight some of those achievements by identifying the numerous 

Reclamation CCC camps and describing the wide range of work activities they 

performed. The desire to make information available sooner rather than later, 

combined with a modest budget, imposed limitations on research and writing 

time, and on the number of copies printed. 

The distribution of the last of the original volumes in 2008 coincided with the 

75th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt’s launching of the New Deal. 

Celebrations across the country heightened public awareness of, and appreciation 

for, the enduring legacy of many New Deal programs, including the CCC. 

It seemed the perfect occasion to revisit the subject of Reclamation’s 

CCC endeavors with the intent of updating and expanding the book prior to 

reprinting it. Further research allowed me to fill in many data gaps and expand on 

the material presented, particularly the description of camp buildings, the various 

companies associated with different camps, and some of the project activities. 

The fortuitous discovery and inclusion of more historic photographs of the camps, 

its enrollees, and the work accomplished provide vivid illustration of 

Reclamation’s CCC program. Additional current views of a number of known 

surviving features constructed by Reclamation CCC enrollees offer a glimpse of 

the legacy left behind. 

Without the assistance of many others, it would not have been possible for me to 

pull together the material to revise this book. A number of Reclamation’s cultural 

resources staff contributed generously to the effort. Jim Bailey conducted 

valuable research at the National Archives in Denver. Kelsey Doncaster and 

John Martinson expressed enthusiastic interest in the subject and tracked down 

more material than I ever anticipated. Renee Kolvet, co-author of The Civilian 

Conservation Corps in Nevada, graciously answered my many questions about 

Reclamation camps in that State. Dale Austin, Richard Boston, Warren Hurley, 

James Kangas, Ray Leicht, Lynne MacDonald, and Bill Vincent also contributed. 
iv

Barbara Boyer, now retired, negotiated the preservation of two remaining 

CCC buildings at Camp Pleasant Grove in Utah, and shared information with me. 

Other Reclamation staff provided help in various ways. Margaret Bibbey, 

Laura Crandall, and Yvonne Daniel in Boise offered to take photographs for me 

of features built by Camp BR-27 enrollees at Walcott Park in Idaho. John 

Flowers in the Grand Coulee Power Office responded within one hour to my 

request for current photos of work completed by Camp BR-48 at Coulee Dam 

Park in Washington. Steve McCall clarified information on the Grand Valley 

Project CCC camps in Colorado. Patty Alexander lent me a souvenir pictorial 

brochure of Camp BR-61 that had belonged to her father, who spent time there as 

an enrollee. Likewise, Charles Brown, a retired Reclamation employee, brought 

me a 1936 brochure of the CCC’s Phoenix District. Jedediah Rogers thoughtfully 

and carefully peer reviewed the draft. Finalizing the publication required the 

expert skills of graphics specialists and an editor. Teri Manross carefully edited 

and formatted the document, Cindy Gray scanned and enhanced a vast number of 

historic images, and Bill White designed the cover. 

My appreciation also extends to those outside of Reclamation who kindly 

responded to requests for written materials and/or photographs and who have 

granted permission for the use of those materials. The list includes Deb Dennis, 

Human Systems Research, New Mexico; Dan Carter, Bureau of Land 

Management, New Mexico; Sharon Edmond, Phillips County Museum, Montana; 

Brant Loflin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Dakota; Yael Marcus, Soil 

Water Air Protection Enterprise (SWAPE), California; Graciela Morales-Scott, 

Scott Consulting Services, California; Lori Nordland, Shoshone Irrigation 

District, Wyoming; Susan Patterson, Deaver Irrigation District, Wyoming; 

Lou Ann Speulda-Drews, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada; Todd 

Thibodeau, Wyoming State Parks; Dan Thornton, Nebraska Game and Parks 

Commission; Mary Quirolo, Marron and Associates, Inc., New Mexico; and 

Linda Morton-Keithley, Idaho State Historical Society. 

A majority of research for this project was conducted at the National Archives in 

Denver. I cannot thank the knowledgeable staff there enough for their 

responsiveness and willingness to help locate records in the vast collections stored 

there. Marene Baker, Eric Bittner, and Rick Martinez all provided assistance on 

many occasions. 

Finally, I am grateful to my manager, Richard Rizzi, for allowing me the 

opportunity to pursue this project. 

To all of the above and others who assisted in one way or another, I express 

gratitude. 

Christine Pfaff 
v

About the Author 

Christine Pfaff has been an architectural historian and historian with the Bureau of Reclamation in 

Denver, Colorado, since 1990. She has researched and written about Reclamation’s historic 

buildings and irrigation projects throughout the West. 

Ms. Pfaff is the author of numerous papers, reports, and publications. Her most recent work is 

titled The Bureau of Reclamation’s Architectural Legacy: 1902-1955. She holds a master’s 

degree in historic preservation planning from Cornell University. 

vii

Contents 

Page

Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 

Chapter 1: Historical Overview of the Civilian Conservation Corps ........ 5 

Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program ........................... 19 

 Administration of CCC Program Within Reclamation ......................... 23 

 The Nature of Reclamation CCC Project Work ................................... 25 

 Job Training and Educational Opportunities in Reclamation 

 CCC Camps ..................................................................................... 30 

 Public Response to Reclamation’s CCC Program ................................ 37 

 Termination of Reclamation CCC Camps ............................................ 42 

Chapter 3: Conclusion................................................................................ 49 

Bibliography ............................................................................................... 51 

Appendices 

Page

A Individual Camp Forms in Numerical Sequence .................................. A-1 

B CCC Enrollment Periods....................................................................... B-1 

C Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Camp Number ............................ C-1 

D Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Project Name .............................. D-1 

E Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by State ............................................ E-1 

F List of Reclamation Spike (Side) Camps .............................................. F-1 

G Select Journal Articles Relating to Bureau of Reclamation CCC 

 Activities .......................................................................................... G-1

Figures 

Page 

1.1 Enrollees erecting mess hall, looking southwest, Camp BR-58, 

 Yakima Project, Washington, July 1, 1938. (Source: Reclamation 

 Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington) ........................................ 8 
viii

Figures (continued) 

Page 

1.2 Plans for CCC portable camp buildings produced in Reclamation’s 

Denver office for Water Conservation and Utilization Projects, 

December 2, 1940. (Source: National Archives, Denver) .............................. 9 

1.3 Barracks interior, Camp Meridian (BR-73), Boise Project, Idaho, 

1940. (Source: National Archives, Denver) ............................................... 11 

1.4 Kitchen staff and tables set for next meal, Camp BR-42 or BR-43, 

Owyhee Project, Oregon, November 1935. 

(Source: Reclamation, History Program Photo Database) ............................... 11 

1.5 Enrollees airing cots and wearing apparel on camp lawn, Camp 

Meridian (BR-73), Boise Project, Idaho, December 2, 1939. 

(Source: National Archives, Denver) .......................................................... 12 

1.6 Holiday letter from President Roosevelt to the Civilian 

Conservation Corps. (Source: National Archives, Denver) ....................... 16 

2.1 Reclamation CCC camps, April 1941. (Source: The Reclamation 

Era, April 1941) .....................................................................................................22

2.2 Sleeping quarters for enrollees at Clear Lake spike camp, 

Camp BR-41, Klamath Project, Oregon, May 15, 1939. 

(Source: National Archives, Denver) .......................................................... 23 

2.3 Organization chart for Reclamation’s CCC Eighth Corps Area, 

August 27, 1938. (Source: National Archives, Denver) ............................ 25 

2.4 Screeding concrete on slope at New Kingman Check, 

Camp BR-42, Boise Project, Idaho, February 26, 1940. 

(Source: National Archives, Denver) .......................................................... 26 

2.5 Repairing Belle Fourche Dam, Camp Fruitdale (BR-2), 

Belle Fourche Project, South Dakota, 1940. (Source: National 

Archives, Denver) ................................................................................... 27 

2.6 CCC lighthouse at Lake Minatare, Camp Minatare (BR-1), North 

Platte Project, Nebraska, 2008. (Courtesy of Dan Thornton, Nebraska 

Game and Parks Commission) ................................................................... 28 
ix

Figures (continued) 

Page 

2.7 Reading area, educational building, Camp Meridian (BR-73), 

Boise Project, Idaho, 1940. (Source: National Archives, Denver) ............ 31 

2.8 Truck servicing chart No. 1, Camp BR-61, North Platte Project, 

Nebraska, October 15, 1941. (Source: National Archives, Denver) .......... 33 

2.9 Sheet metal and welding class students placing riveting, Camp 

Caldwell (BR-24), Boise Project, Idaho, November 14, 1941. 

(Source: National Archives, Denver) .......................................................... 34 

2.10 Certificate of proficiency in typing, awarded to Malcolm Taylor, 

enrollee at Camp BR-23, Uncompahgre Project, Colorado. 

(Courtesy of Malcolm Taylor) ................................................................... 35 

2.11 Morning calisthenics at Camp Minidoka (BR-27), Minidoka 

Project, Idaho, date unknown. (Source: National Archives, Denver) ........ 37 

2.12 Members of CCC Company No. 4822 in Parade at Lovell 

(cooks in white), Camp Deaver (BR 7), Shoshone Project, 

Wyoming, date unknown. (Source: National Archives, Denver) .............. 38 

2.13 CCC booth, Camp Orland (BR-78), Orland Project, California, 

September 18, 1940. (Source: National Archives, Denver) ....................... 39 

2.14 Uniforms for Reclamation CCC supervisory personnel, 

March 1938. (Source: National Archives, Denver) ................................... 41 

 



1

Introduction 

As menacing dry winds and duststorms gathered momentum across the High 

Plains in early 1933, newly elected President Franklin Roosevelt formulated 

sweeping plans in the Nation’s capital for emergency disaster relief. The entire 

country was in the grips of the Great Depression, and jobless men everywhere 

struggled to earn enough money to buy food for their families. For the country’s 

youth, the situation was equally desperate. Hundreds of thousands of young men 

from economically stricken households searched in vain for work. Against this 

bleak backdrop, Roosevelt announced plans in March 1933 for the creation of the 

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), an agency aimed at conserving the Nation’s 

depleted natural resources and putting unemployed youth to work.1

 Within a 

short time, CCC camps had been established across the country, and young men 

were recruited to work on a myriad of conservation projects overseen by various 

Federal agencies including the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). Of all the 

New Deal programs instituted by Roosevelt to combat the economic hardships of 

the Great Depression, probably none was as popular and successful as the CCC. 

Those familiar with the accomplishments of the CCC inevitably think of 

handsome buildings, picnic shelters, retaining walls, and other improvements 

carefully crafted of natural materials such as stone and log. Although these 

features are remarkable examples of the CCC legacy, they represent just a small 

fraction of the work completed. Roughly 75 percent of all CCC enrollees labored 

on projects administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and of these 

young men, more than half were assigned to camps in national, State, or private 

forests, under the direction of the U.S. Forest Service. The work of these camps 

can be divided into two broad categories: forest protection and forest 

improvement. Enrollees fought fires, planted millions of trees, built trails and 

roads, and constructed administrative and recreational facilities on forest lands. 

The U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS), established in 1935 (also within the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture) received the second largest number of camps 

within that agency.2

 The work of the CCC assigned to the SCS focused on 

applying soil conservation techniques to control erosion of agricultural lands and 

streambanks. Among other things, the young men contoured fields, terraced 

hillsides, planted cover crops, built small dams, erected fencing, and assisted in 

nurseries.
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

2

Camps not under the U.S. Department of Agriculture were almost all allotted to 

the Department of the Interior (Interior), with the majority of them assigned to the 

National Park Service. The CCC improvements to national parks resulted in 

many of the outstanding rustic structures that have come to epitomize the 

program. CCC work within national parks extended to a wide range of other 

activities, though, such as fire protection and prevention, control and eradication 

of insects destroying forests, and archeological excavations and historical 

restorations. 

The association between the CCC and Reclamation, also within Interior, is far less 

recognized.3 Even though the program was much smaller than within other 

bureaus, the CCC made enduring contributions to Reclamation and assisted 

significantly in furthering the irrigation development goals of the agency during 

the drought years of the Great Depression. CCC assistance also afforded 

Reclamation the opportunity to expand on its primary mission and develop 

recreational amenities for public benefit at a number of its reservoirs. 

Reclamation placed great value on the CCC and reported on program 

accomplishments repeatedly in its monthly journal The Reclamation Era.

A brief history of the national CCC program at the beginning of the book is 

followed by an overview of Reclamation’s program. The bulk of the volume 

consists of forms that describe the history and activities of each Reclamation 

camp. Wherever possible, information on the final disposition of camp property 

is incorporated. Accompanying the forms are historic photographs, and, in some 

cases, images of CCC-built features as they appear today. Site plans found for 

various camps are also included. For ease in locating information on specific 

camps, the appendices include tables that sort camps by camp number, 

Reclamation project name, and State. 

Since the completion of the original study in 2000, interest in the CCC has 

expanded greatly. Much has been written to inform the public about the inspiring 

achievements of the young men who joined the CCC out of desperation. It is 

hoped that this revised edition will further highlight some of the accomplishments 

of Reclamation’s CCC program. 
Introduction 

3

Endnotes for Introduction 

1

 Initially called the Emergency Conservation Work (ECW), the program was commonly known 

as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and will be referred to as such throughout this 

document. 

2

 The U.S. Soil Conservation Service originated in 1933 as the Soil Erosion Service, which was 

located within the Department of the Interior. 

3

 The Bureau of Reclamation was created under the Reclamation Act of 1902. Initially 

designated the United States Reclamation Service and placed within the United States Geological 

Survey, Reclamation became an independent bureau within the Department of the Interior in 1907. 

In 1923, Congress again reorganized the bureau and changed its name to the Bureau of 

Reclamation. 

5 

Chapter 1 

Historical Overview of the Civilian 

Conservation Corps1

Before his first day as President of the United States drew to a close, Franklin 

Roosevelt had broadly outlined his bold concept for a CCC to the American 

people. In his inaugural address on March 4, 1933, he stated: 

 

Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we 

face it wisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by 

the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of war, but at 

the same time, through this employment, accomplishing greatly needed projects to 

stimulate and reorganize the use of our natural resources.2

 

By the early 1930s, the results of decades of irresponsible use of the Nation’s 

natural resources were apparent. Widespread deforestation and excessive 

cultivation had eroded slopes and stripped native sod that held the soil in place. 

Dryland farmers on the Great Plains watched helplessly as their crops shriveled in 

the drought, and duststorms carried away their bare fields. Valuable natural 

resources had been destroyed faster than they could be replenished. Roosevelt’s 

ambitious plan combined conservation projects with unemployed youth in an 

innovative new program to the benefit of both human and natural resources. As 

Robert Fechner, the first CCC director, later said: “Prior to the inauguration of 

the Civilian Conservation Corps, conservation of resources was allied with the 

weather, in that there was plenty of talk about both and not much done about 

either.”3

By the end of Roosevelt’s first month in office, Congress had acted upon his 

recommendation and passed “An Act for the relief of unemployment through the 

performance of useful public works and other purposes.” The President signed 

the bill into law (Public Law 73-5) on March 31, 1933, and quickly moved ahead 

with the new initiative. By Executive Order No. 6101 of April 5, 1933, Roosevelt 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

6 

appointed Robert Fechner, a former machinist and union official, director of the 

program, initially called the Emergency Conservation Work (ECW).4

Assigned the administrative and decisionmaking functions of the program, the 

director’s office developed regulations on matters such as the welfare, discipline, 

and pay of the enrollees and approved enrollment quotas for each state. The 

director’s office also had responsibility for conducting regular camp inspections.5

Technically, Fechner had complete authority for the program, although the 

president retained the right of final approval of camp locations. 

Executive Order No. 6101 also established an advisory council of representatives 

from the U.S. Departments of Labor, War, Interior6

, and Agriculture to coordinate 

oversight of the program and to create a forum for discussing policy issues. The 

U.S. Department of Labor was charged with selecting and enrolling youths upon 

the recommendation of State relief agencies. The U.S. Department of War 

(Army) had the enormous responsibility for enrollee administration, 

transportation, housing, food, clothing, supplies, medical care, education, 

discipline, physical conditioning, and recreational activities. Individual camps 

were placed under the charge of U.S. Army officers. Initially, these were regular 

officers but, within several years, they were replaced by reserve officers from all 

military branches. Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed 

locations for the CCC camps, formulated work projects, and supervised the daily 

labor. Organizationally, the CCC program was divided into nine regional Corps 

Areas, or administrative units, each under the command of an Army General. The 

CCC Corps Areas were identical to existing Army Corps Areas. The Western 

States fell among three Corps Areas: the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth.7

 

Initial enrollment in the CCC was limited to unemployed single men between the 

ages of 18 and 25 who were U.S. citizens and successfully passed a physical 

exam. For the most part, these were discouraged youths, unable to secure jobs 

because they had no work experience and little education. They were described 

as “a weaponless army whose recruits came from broken homes, highway trails 

and relief shelters . . .”8

 Despairing young men from all over the country seized 

the opportunity to join the CCC and receive a $30-per-month paycheck, of which 

$22 to $25 had to be sent home to family dependents.9

American Indians could not join the CCC at first, but this restriction was lifted 

within a few weeks of the program’s creation because of the dire conditions on 

many of the reservations. The Office of Indian Affairs within Interior separately 

handled the selection of Native American enrollees and administration of the 

CCC program on reservations. The Native American CCC program adapted rules 

to meet the special circumstances of the enrollees. Most of them were married, 

and, therefore, allowed to live at home. Age restrictions did not apply. A unique 
Chapter 1: Historical Overview of the Civilian Conservation Corps 

7 

aspect of the Indian program was the participation of local tribal councils in its 

administration. By the time the CCC ended, more than 80,000 Native Americans 

had participated in the program.10

Enrollment in the CCC also expanded early on to include Local Experienced Men 

(LEMs). These were older men drawn from communities in proximity to 

CCC camps, who taught valuable work skills to the young and inexperienced 

enrollees. World War I veterans also joined the ranks of the CCC following the 

issuance of an Executive order on May 11, 1933. The veterans, mostly in their 

mid-40s, were selected by the Veterans Administration and assigned to special 

camps operated less stringently than regular ones. Although the CCC legislation 

officially forbade racial discrimination, blacks and other minorities did not escape 

prejudice within the program.11 A limited number of blacks were enrolled and, 

after July 1935, they were restricted to segregated camps.12

At the urging of the President, the CCC enrolled its first 25,000 young men by 

April 6, 1933. The initial camp, appropriately called Camp Roosevelt, was 

established on April 17, 1933, at George Washington National Forest near Luray, 

Virginia. Less than 3 months later, an astonishing 300,000 men from all over the 

country had been enrolled, transported, and settled in almost 1,500 camps. 

According to Fechner, “it was the most rapid large scale mobilization of men the 

country had ever witnessed.”13

Each CCC camp had a normal capacity of 200 enrollees. The Army, as part of its 

general oversight of the camps, assumed responsibility for their construction. 

Originally, the Army intended to erect tent camps everywhere, but before long, it 

suggested the construction of wood buildings instead. An industry group known 

as the Forest Products, Inc. supported the Army’s proposal. Both entities 

advocated that the use of frame buildings would create jobs in the lumber and 

construction fields. The CCC approved this alternative in 1933. Tents continued 

to be preferred in some situations, especially in warmer regions, and if they were 

meant for the camp’s duration, they featured wood floors or “platforms” and 

wooden frames. Tents also sometimes provided interim housing pending the 

completion of more permanent buildings. 

The Army developed standard designs for permanent (called rigid) wood 

buildings resembling barracks and provided detailed instructions for their 

construction from ground clearing to finish work. Where possible, the Army 

contracted with local labor to construct camp buildings in order to promote good 

public relations with the camps’ surrounding communities. CCC enrollees 

stepped in to perform the construction when local workers were not available. 

In 1934, the Army began the use of wood portable buildings in CCC camps. 

They came in prefabricated panels for easy assembly and were sturdy and 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

8 

multi-functional. By 1935, the portable buildings were being mass-produced 

based on their cost efficiency and re-use potential.14 In 1936, portable buildings 

became the official standard for CCC camps. The Army prescribed specific 

dimensions for different building types, although some latitude was given. For 

example, barracks typically measured 20 feet by 130 feet, officers’ quarters 

20 feet by 40 feet, and school buildings 20 feet by 60 feet. Portable buildings 

rarely, if ever, had foundations. Board and batten or clapboard siding was applied 

to exterior walls. Roll roofing or shingles covered the roofs15 (see figures 1.1 and 

1.2). 

Figure 1.1 Enrollees erecting mess hall, looking southwest, Camp BR-58, Yakima 

Project, Washington, July 1, 1938. 

Just as the Army developed plans for standard building types, it also prescribed 

standard camp plans. Not surprisingly, camps resembled temporary military 

installations. The basic plan was a “U” shape consisting of about 24 buildings. 

These included barracks, officers’ quarters, mess hall and kitchen, administration 

building, bathhouse, and garage. With the Government emphasis on developing 

healthy, educated young men, the camp plans usually included an education 

building, infirmary, and recreation hall. The Army also developed a standard 

“summer only” or tent camp plan, which included a combination of buildings and 

sleeping tents. 
Chapter 1: Historical Overview of the Civilian Conservation Corps 

9 

Figure 1.2 Plans for CCC portable camp buildings produced in Reclamation’s Denver office for Water 

Conservation and Utilization Projects, December 2, 1940. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

10 

While the standard camp layout could be modified to adapt to site-specific 

conditions, the CCC prescribed the number, types, and dimensions of buildings 

allowed. Despite the strict requirements, the CCC found that, on occasion, 

participating entities increased the number of camp buildings without obtaining 

permission, or they constructed rigid type rather than portable buildings after 

1936. In early 1939, Reclamation informed the CCC that the number of buildings 

in the standard plan were insufficient.16 The Bureau cited its need for more than 

the two allowed garages, and for increased storehouse space and a repair shop for 

CCC equipment. In response to these suggestions and others solicited from the 

technical service entities, the CCC developed revised Standard Plan No. 1. Upon 

issuing the new plan in October 1939, the CCC reminded agencies that they had 

no authority to deviate from the number or design of the prescribed buildings. 

Some infractions must have continued to occur, for on March 13, 1941, a memo 

issued by the CCC Liaison Officer of the Ninth Corps admonished: 

The standard plans are presumed to provide adequately for the normal requirements of 

any camp and there is no authority to supplement or modify the standards. In unusual 

cases the Director of CCC may grant authority for changes or additions, but unless 

specifically approved by the Director neither the Army nor the Technical Services have 

authority to make changes.17

In keeping with the basic nature of the buildings and their military origins, 

comforts were minimal. Enrollees slept on Army beds in open, one-room 

barracks, ate at the communal mess hall, and shared bath and latrine facilities. 

Nonetheless, the simple conditions represented a vast improvement for many of 

the young men coming from poverty-stricken households. Enrollees enjoyed 

running water, electricity, and heat. They could also count on plenty of 

nourishing food, ample clothing, medical treatment, and a wholesome lifestyle 

(see figures 1.3 through 1.5). 

With the CCC program off to a successful beginning, President Roosevelt 

extended it for another 6 months on August 19, 1933. The second enrollment 

period ran from October 1, 1933, to March 31, 1934.18 By the end of the first 

year, much had been accomplished by the inexperienced youths. They had 

constructed 25,000 miles of truck trails, 15,000 miles of telephone lines, and 

420,000 check dams. On forest lands, enrollees had planted 98 million seedlings, 

conducted disease and insect control on 3 million acres, and dedicated 

687,000 man-days to firefighting. As the condition of natural resources 

improved, so too did that of the enrollees. They became healthier, gained weight, 

and learned valuable new skills. 
Chapter 1: Historical Overview of the Civilian Conservation Corps 

11 

Figure 1.3 Barracks interior, Camp Meridian (BR-73), Boise Project, Idaho, 1940. 

Based on the achievements of the first year, the CCC program was expanded over 

the next one. Under the full impact of the Dust Bowl in mid-1934, the President 

envisioned a greater role for the CCC in counteracting the devastation caused by 

the drought. Roosevelt asked Congress for an additional $50 million in funds to 

employ young men, principally on soil erosion prevention and irrigation projects. 

With approval from Congress, the program was enlarged; by July 1, 1934, the 

CCC could count 353,000 enrollees among its ranks, including Native Americans 

and veterans. The number of camps had reached 1,625.19 Accomplishments of 

the CCC in the drought-ridden areas of the country further enhanced public 

support for the program. 

Figure 1.4 Kitchen staff 

and tables set for next 

meal, Camp BR-42 or 

BR-43, Owyhee Project, 

Oregon, November 

1935. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

12 

With the impending expiration of the CCC enabling legislation on April 1, 1935, 

Roosevelt asked Congress to extend the program and to allow for yet further 

expansion as part of his public works initiatives. On April 8, 1935, Congress 

responded by passing the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, which prolonged 

the CCC program until March 31, 1937. Two days after passage of the Act, 

Roosevelt announced that enrollment would be increased to 600,000 workers, 

nearly doubling the size of the program. To meet these goals, the maximum age 

limit was increased to 28 and the minimum lowered to 17. CCC enrollment 

peaked in the summer of 1935 with 505,782 men scattered across the country in 

2,652 camps.20 

Roosevelt’s plans to enlarge the CCC were only temporary. With 1936 an 

election year, he intended to reduce the number of participants in hopes of reining 

in Government spending and presenting a more balanced Federal budget. The 

President wanted a cutback to 450,000 enrollees by June 1, 1936, and a 

corresponding closure of about 950 camps. He also hoped to create a permanent 

CCC agency at the reduced size.21 Roosevelt’s plans were thwarted by the very 

success of the program and by support from his own party members for its 

continuation at the increased levels. On March 14, 1936, two Tennessee 

Democrats, Speaker of the House Joseph Byrns and Representative Samuel 

McReynolds, presented a petition to Roosevelt with the signatures of 233 House 

members requesting that he discontinue the proposed massive closure of the 

camps. Under intense pressure, Roosevelt revised his plans and told Fechner that 

all existing camps were to be maintained and closed only when work projects 

were completed.22 

Figure 1.5 Enrollees 

airing cots and 

wearing apparel on 

camp lawn, Camp 

Meridian (BR-73), 

Boise Project, Idaho, 

December 2, 1939. 
Chapter 1: Historical Overview of the Civilian Conservation Corps 

13 

In his annual budget message to Congress on January 5, 1937, Roosevelt praised 

the achievements of the CCC and asked for legislation creating a permanent 

agency. Six months later, on June 28, Congress authorized the formal 

establishment of the CCC as an independent agency but did not make it 

permanent. Among its provisions, the bill extended the program for 3 years, 

limited the maximum enrolled strength to 300,000 plus 10,000 Native Americans, 

and required that enrollees receive 10 hours a week of general education or 

vocational training. Even though Roosevelt did not gain all that he hoped for, he 

signed the bill and appointed Fechner as the director of the CCC.23 

By the end of its fifth year, the CCC had firmly established itself as a resounding 

success. Even though it had not completely escaped criticism along the way, the 

CCC had garnered enormous public support. The agency had provided jobs and 

training for more than 2 million people, including young men, war veterans, 

Native Americans, reserve officers of the Army, and men and women associated 

with the administration of the program. A majority of enrollees came from rural 

areas. An aggregate of more than 3,500 camps were operated during this time 

period. The impressive amount of work accomplished fell under the general 

headings of forest protection and conservation, soil conservation, recreational 

development, grazing and wildlife assistance, flood control, irrigation and 

drainage improvements, and emergency rescue activities. In a House hearing on 

January 13, 1939, regarding additional appropriations that fiscal year for work 

relief programs, Congressman Walter Pierce of Oregon summarized the 

contributions of the CCC as follows: “Of all the different forms of relief, nothing 

appeals to me as being as valuable as the C.C.C. . . In the years to come, it (CCC) 

may be considered the outstanding social achievement of this administration.”24

The number of CCC camps declined in 1938 as the reduction to 300,000 enrollees 

occurred in accordance with the June 28, 1937, legislation. By April 1939, 

1,500 camps remained in operation. In 1939, another unsuccessful attempt was 

made to establish the CCC as a permanent agency. That same year, Roosevelt 

consolidated Federal relief programs into three agencies: the Federal Security 

Agency, the Federal Works Agency, and the Federal Loans Agency. On July 1, 

1939, the CCC lost its status as an independent organization when it was placed 

within the Federal Security Agency. On December 31, 1939, Robert Fechner died 

without seeing his hope of a permanent CCC agency fulfilled. He was succeeded 

by James L. McEntee, the executive assistant director of the CCC. 

McEntee had to deal with numerous problems confronting the program: 

desertions, low morale of the enrollees, cutbacks in funding and personnel, and 

difficulties in recruiting high quality candidates. By then, the unemployment 

crisis was easing, and many capable men found jobs elsewhere, no longer enticed 

by the $30 monthly allowance. In spite of these problems, the CCC remained 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

14 

extremely popular among the American public and politicians. At a hearing on 

March 21, 1940, for the 1941 Labor-Federal Security Appropriation Bill, 

Representative Clyde Ellis from Arkansas stated: 

I think that in all of the 7 years of the New Deal nothing has been thought out and 

inaugurated that has more completely met the overwhelming approval of the American 

people than the C.C.C. Its benefits are both direct and indirect; its benefits are both 

immediate and remote; its benefits no doubt will be felt even in the next half of this 

century.25 

At the time, there were 485 camps under the direction of Interior and 1,015 camps 

under the direction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In his fiscal year 1941 

budget message, Roosevelt requested that Congress reduce the number of 

enrollees to 230,000 and camps to 1,227. Responding to public protests, 

Congress provided enough funding to prevent these cutbacks.26 

The decisive turning point in the CCC’s future was fueled by world events, 

namely, the outbreak of World War II. Heated debates in Congress and the media 

focused on the role of the CCC in view of the escalating hostilities. Although 

there was general agreement that the emphasis should shift toward national 

defense, some favored formal military training of the enrollees. Strongly opposed 

to this, McEntee and those supporting his position developed a plan to modify 

CCC training programs to better meet defense needs. In July 1940, McEntee 

explained the new CCC role as follows: 

For the present the corps’ contribution will come largely through the training of young 

men in the maintenance and operation of automotive and mechanized equipment, in 

auto mechanics at central repair shops, in radio communications, and in other civilian 

activities useful in national defense. Through this program . . . the corps can provide 

thousands of men each year to aid industry and the Nation in the advancement of the 

national-defense program. 27 

The following February, as the CCC made plans for its annual “open house” 

celebrations at camps throughout the country, McEntee instructed participating 

agencies to highlight activities that contributed most to the national defense 

program. He wrote: “It should be emphasized that the entire pattern of camp 

life—the daily routine, the training and educational programs, the work projects—

all contribute to national security by developing in youth character, discipline, 

good work habits, health, love of country and the ability to achieve economic 

independence.”28

Despite efforts to modify the CCC to adapt to changing times, the program faced 

extinction. The reserve military officers in charge of the CCC camps were 

gradually withdrawn and placed on active military duty. As young men left the 

CCC for higher paying jobs, it became harder to recruit replacements. A further 
Chapter 1: Historical Overview of the Civilian Conservation Corps 

15 

reduction in the number of camps from 1,500 to 1,100 was initiated on April 1, 

1941. Military training received a higher priority at the camps and reduced the 

number of hours devoted to project work. 

The entry of the United States into World War II following the attack on Pearl 

Harbor hastened the demise of the CCC. As 1941 drew to a close and the 

CCC faced an uncertain future, President Roosevelt distributed a gracious holiday 

greeting to the CCC, acknowledging their valuable contributions to the country’s 

defense preparations (see figure 1.6). The following month, McEntee sent a letter 

to all of the CCC advisory council representatives informing them of the 

immediate reorganization of the CCC on a war basis. He directed the termination 

of all CCC camps as quickly as possible unless they were involved in war-related 

construction activities or in the protection of war-related natural resources.29 

Although Roosevelt urged continuation of the CCC as a means of accomplishing 

critical defense work, Congress sealed the fate of the program on June 30, 1942, 

when it voted to liquidate the CCC and set aside $8 million to help cover the 

costs.30

Immediately thereafter, the CCC took steps to release the remaining 

60,000 enrollees and discontinue all work programs. Even though only 350 

camps still operated, the CCC had in its possession 1,367 closed camps, each 

consisting of from 20 to 24 buildings and massive amounts of equipment 

requiring disposition. The Army, Navy, and Civil Aeronautics Administration 

had first priority to CCC property, and they used much of it in the war effort. A 

considerable number of the closed camps were converted to military training 

schools or housing by the U.S. Department of War.31 

By June 30, 1943, the CCC program was completely shut down, although not all 

property had been liquidated. Massive unemployment no longer plagued the 

Nation, and attention had shifted to winning the war. The powerful legacy of the 

CCC has lived on however; it remains one of the most touted programs of 

Roosevelt’s New Deal. More than 2.5 million young men experienced the CCC 

in 4,500 camps that existed at some point in the program’s 9-year lifespan.32 

Many accomplishments of the youths engaged in the CCC survive today and 

display a remarkably high quality of execution and durability. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

16 

Figure 1.6 Holiday letter from President Roosevelt to the Civilian Conservation Corps. 
Chapter 1: Historical Overview of the Civilian Conservation Corps 

17 

Endnotes for Chapter 1 

1

 The numerous sources used for chapter 1 include three publications containing excellent 

information on the CCC program. They are: John A. Salmond, The Civilian Conservation Corps, 

1933-1942 (Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1967); Department of Agriculture, 

U.S. Forest Service, The Forest Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps: 1933-42, by Alison 

Otis, et al. (August 1986); Department of the Interior, National Park Service, The Civilian 

Conservation Corps and the National Park Service, 1933-42: An Administrative History, by John 

Paige (1985). 

2

 Robert Fechner, “Objectives and Results of the Civilian Conservation Corps Program,” 1938, 

File 035, Box 35, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

3

 “Accomplishments of the CCC-Need for Its Continuance,” radio address by Col. Robert Fechner 

printed in the Congressional Record, Appendix, 76th Congress, 1st Session (April 4, 1939), 1306-

1308. 

4

 The ECW officially expired on June 30, 1937, and, by an Act of Congress, approved and signed 

by the President on June 28, 1937 (Public Law 75-163), the Civilian Conservation Corps was 

established as an independent, although not permanent, agency on July 1, 1937. 

5

 Robert Parham, “The Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado, 1933-1942” (master’s thesis, 

University of Colorado, 1981); Fred Leake and Ray Carter, “Roosevelt’s Tree Army: A Brief 

History of the Civilian Conservation Corps,” from the pamphlet by the National Association of 

CCC Alumni, see <http://www.geocities.com/ccchistory/treearmy.html>. 6

 The term “Interior” refers to the U.S. Department of the Interior and will be used henceforth. 7

 See <http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/research/heritage/LookingBackTheCivilianConservationCorps 

andTheNationalForests.htm>. The Seventh Corps Area included Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, 

Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Missouri. The Eighth Corps Area 

included Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Wyoming. The Ninth Corps 

Area included Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada, California, and Yellowstone 

Park. 

8

 Frederic Haskin, “Praises Record of C.C.C. Camp,” The Sunday Washington Star (August 11, 

1940). 

9

 Joseph Speakman, “Into the Woods: The First Year of the Civilian Conservation Corps,” 

Prologue 38 (Fall 2006). See <http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/ 

fall/ccc.html>. 

10 Ibid; also see <http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/research/heritage/ 

LookingBackTheCivilianConservationCorpsandTheNationalForests.htm>. 

11 Of three amendments to the bill signed by Roosevelt on March 31, 1933, one was submitted by 

Representative Oscar De Priest, Republican of Illinois, and the only Black Congressman. It 

prohibited discrimination on account of race, color, or creed. See Salmond, 23. 

12 Initially, some CCC camps were integrated, but they were disbanded in 1935, due to local 

complaints and the views of the U.S. Army and CCC administrators. In July 1935, Robert 

Fechner issued a directive ordering the "complete segregation of colored and white enrollees." 

The CCC maintained that segregation was not discrimination. See 

<http://newdeal.feri.org/aaccc/index.htm>. 

13 Fechner, “Objectives and Results of the Civilian Conservation Corps Program,” 7. 

14 Paige, 71; Otis, 9. 

15 Otis, 74-78. 

16 Letter from Chief Engineer R.F. Walter to J.C. Roak, Liaison Officer, 8th Corps Areas, dated 

February 13, 1939, Box 71, Entry 22, RG 116, National Archives, Denver. 

17 Memo from K. Wolfe, Liaison Officer, CCC, Ninth Corps Area, to Technical Services, 

March 13, 1941, Box 1, Entry 1, RG 49, National Archives, Denver. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

18 

18 Although the CCC was authorized to continue for 2 years, the results of the first 3 months were 

used to determine if the program was effective and should be maintained. Following the initial 

enrollment, the CCC program was set up on 6-month periods. The first period extended from 

June 1, 1933, to September 30, 1933; the second from October 1, 1933 to March 31, 1934; the 

third from April 1, 1934, to September 30, 1934, etc. At first, enlistment was limited to one sixmonth period, but this was eventually increased to a maximum of 2 years. 

19 Salmond, 55-56. 

20 Robert Fechner, “Objectives and Results of the Civilian Conservation Corps Program,” 11. 

21 Salmond, 63. 

22 Ibid, 66-67. 

23 Paige, 24. 

24 Congressional Record, 76th Congress, 1st Session, House (January 13, 1939), 291. 25 Congressional Record, 76th Congress, 3rd Session, House (March 21, 1940), 3237. 26 Paige, 28-29. 

27 “The C.C.C. and National Defense,” article by James J. McEntee reprinted in Congressional 

Record, Appendix, 76th Congress, 3rd Session, Senate (August 13, 1940), 15729. 28 Memo from Reclamation Commissioner to all CCC Field Offices, February 24, 1941, Box 1, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

29 Letter from James McEntee to U.S. Department of the Interior Representative, January 27, 

1942, Box 44, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

30 Federal Security Agency, “Annual Report of the Director of the Civilian Conservation Corps, 

Fiscal Year Ended June 30 1942,” p. 1, Box 47, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

31 Ibid, 2. 

32 Judith Austin, “The CCC in Idaho,” Idaho Yesterdays, Vol. 27, No. 3 (1983), 13. 
19

Chapter 2 

The Bureau of Reclamation’s 

CCC Program 

As the Federal agency responsible for designing and building large-scale 

irrigation projects in the arid and semi-arid West, Reclamation was vitally 

involved in the allocation and use of two natural resources: water and soils. 

Beginning in 1902, the Federal Government invested heavily in the construction 

of dams and water conveyance facilities to provide farmers with the essential 

water to grow crops. Water users who benefited from Reclamation irrigation 

works were required to repay their construction costs over a period of years. Fees 

paid by the water users also supported the operation and maintenance of facilities. 

By the mid-1930s, Reclamation had constructed a network of some 50 projects, 

both small and large, across the West. Despite Reclamation’s extensive activities 

and promises to “make the desert bloom,” in reality, the results had fallen far 

below expectations. Almost half of the projects had been approved during the 

early heyday years up to 1909. Thereafter, the number of new projects authorized 

slowed down considerably as criticism mounted against Reclamation. 

Construction costs invariably exceeded estimates, settlers from the more humid 

eastern United States struggled with unfamiliar irrigation practices, and poor soils 

or drainage plagued some project lands. For Reclamation farmers, making a 

living off marginal lands proved a great deal more difficult than touted by the 

Government. The World War I years offered a reprieve to growers across the 

West as prices boomed in response to increased demand for food from Europe; 

however, by 1919, prices had dropped sharply, and the farm depression continued 

into the 1920s. 

Reclamation continued to face severe criticism, from both the public and private 

sectors, for undertaking too many projects while severely undercalculating their 

costs and ignoring problems of inferior soil and drainage. Project settlers 

complained incessantly about the burden of construction repayment schedules and 

operation and maintenance costs. By 1922, Reclamation reported a 40-percent 

delinquency rate on repayment fees.1

 Reclamation’s fortunes began to change 

favorably with the appointment of Commissioner Elwood Mead in 1924. He set 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

20

about tackling many of the operational and financial problems that plagued 

Reclamation and, in his 12-year tenure as Commissioner, successfully established 

a new course for the Bureau. 

The fortunes of western farmers, both on and off Reclamation projects, fluctuated 

in the late 1920s. On the Southern Plains, unaware of the disastrous 

consequences, dryland farmers reaped bonanza wheat yields on millions of acres 

of native grassland they converted to deeply plowed fields. On the Northern 

Plains, farmers suffered due to the compounded effects of poor agricultural 

methods and a few dry years and bitter winters. In the Northwest, even though 

crop yields on irrigated lands climbed for fruits and numerous vegetables, prices 

did not keep up with increased production costs.2 

Despite the uncertainties of farming and the economy, no one could imagine the 

dark years just ahead. The combined impact of the stock market crash, drought, 

and unsustainable cultivation practices exacted a terrible toll on western farmers, 

especially on the Great Plains, during the Depression. Crop prices tumbled, water 

supplies dwindled, and valuable topsoil swept off of plowed fields in blinding 

duststorms. 

On Reclamation projects, water users burdened by financial hardship were unable 

to adequately maintain, much less upgrade, irrigation systems. Many aging water 

control structures had deteriorated beyond repair, canals were silted and clogged 

with vegetation, weeds and gophers infested canal banks, and crop yields dropped 

drastically with the decrease in water supplies. By 1934, it had become critical 

for the Federal Government to address the plight of western farmers and to 

safeguard its hefty investment in irrigation projects. The CCC program provided 

a perfect mechanism for doing both while meeting its objectives of protecting 

natural resources and aiding the unemployed. 

The first allocation of CCC camps to Reclamation occurred in mid-1934 

following Roosevelt’s successful expansion of the program to combat the 

devastating effects of the Dust Bowl. Prior to that, the technical engineering 

nature of Reclamation’s work raised questions about the applicability of the 

CCC program to Bureau activities. A study of the different types of work 

available on Reclamation projects demonstrated that, indeed, CCC enrollees could 

provide a wide range of valuable assistance under the supervision of technical 

staff.3

 During the third enrollment period, which extended from April 1, 1934, to 

September 30, 1934, Reclamation received approval for nine camps. 

In May 1934, the first Reclamation CCC camp opened at Lake Guernsey, a 

reservoir on the North Platte Project, in Wyoming. Designated originally as RS-1 

(Reclamation Service No. 1), the camp became known as Camp BR-9 (Bureau of 

Reclamation No. 9) and was created under a cooperative agreement with the 

National Park Service (NPS). In July 1934, a second camp, BR-10, was 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

21

established at Lake Guernsey. In early September 1934, Camp BR-8 was 

established at Elephant Butte Reservoir on the Rio Grande Project in New 

Mexico, also on a cooperative basis with the NPS. The following September, 

Camp BR-54 opened at the same reservoir. 

In July 1934, the CCC allotted six drought-relief camps to Reclamation. These 

were essentially the same as regular CCC camps but were restricted to States 

suffering severely from drought, financed from drought relief funds, and 

authorized for a full year, rather than the typical 6-month periods.4

 Assigned 

numbers beginning with DBR (Drought Relief Bureau of Reclamation), the six 

camps included Camp DBR-1 at Lake Minatare, Nebraska, on the North Platte 

Project; Camp DBR-2 at Fruitdale, South Dakota, on the Belle Fourche Project; 

Camp DBR-3 at Carlsbad, New Mexico, on the Carlsbad Project; Camp DBR-4 at 

Ysleta, Texas, on the Rio Grande Project; Camp DBR-5 at Heber, Utah, on the 

Strawberry Valley Project; and Camp DBR-6 at Ephraim, Utah, on the Sanpete 

Project. The work completed on Reclamation irrigation projects by the drought 

relief camps proved of tremendous value in combating the acute water shortages 

plaguing farmers. 

From one initial camp on the North Platte Project, the number of camps assigned 

to Reclamation grew to a peak of 45 during the fifth enrollment period (April 1 to 

October 1, 1935) at the height of the CCC program. By October 1, 1935, the 

Army had completed construction of almost all of those camps, although 

17 awaited occupation.5

 From then until May 1941, the number of active 

Reclamation camps fluctuated between 34 and 44 (see figure 2.1). 

Thereafter, camps were closed in response to the national defense needs. By 

June 30, 1942, only seven camps remained on Reclamation projects, and they 

were all discontinued shortly thereafter. Over the life of the CCC program, camps 

existed at 83 separate locations on 45 Reclamation projects in 15 western States.6 

A number of camps proposed or approved for Reclamation projects never 

materialized for one reason or other. This explains the break in the consecutive 

numbering system of actual Reclamation camps.7

In association with Reclamation’s CCC camps, temporary side camps were 

sometimes established at remote job sites far from camp (see appendix E). Side 

camps, also known as spike camps, were usually smaller than regular ones 

and normally consisted of tents. Examples of side camps on Reclamation 

CCC projects include the one at Alamagordo Dam, New Mexico, (BR-3, main 

camp), where enrollees constructed improvements for recreational use of the 

reservoir; at the river portal to the Gunnison Tunnel, Colorado, (BR-23, main 

camp), where enrollees rebuilt the treacherous old road leading from the top of the 

canyon down to the portal; and at Clear Lake, Oregon, (BR-41, main camp), 

where enrollees raised the height of Clear Lake Dam by 3 feet (see figure 2.2). 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

22

Some CCC camps established on Reclamation projects operated seasonally for 

climatic reasons. Camps at high elevations, such as Camp BR-5 on the 

Strawberry Valley Project or Camp BR-50 on the Yakima Project, were occupied 

only in the summer; enrollees relocated to lower elevation camps in the winter to 

escape heavy snows and severe weather. Conversely, camps located in hot desert 

environments, such as the Arizona camps in Yuma (Camps BR-13 and 

Camp BR-74) and Phoenix (Camps BR-14 and BR-19), sometimes operated only 

in winter months. 

Most camps had frame buildings of the permanent type or, later on, of the 

portable variety. At summer-only camps, enrollees lived in tents, while the mess 

Figure 2.1 Reclamation CCC camps, April 1941. Note: An abandoned CCC camp located in 

Quartz Mountain State Park area in Altus, Oklahoma, was rehabilitated and put into operation in 

May 1941, for use of Works Progress Administration employees working on Reclamation’s Altus 

Project. The Works Progress Administration camp closed on March 28, 1942. 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

23

halls, bathhouses, and officers’ quarters tended to be of frame construction. Upon 

termination of a camp, Reclamation filed a disposal report with the CCC regional 

U.S. Army Corps area office, identifying the type and size of all camp buildings 

and associated fixtures, and requesting clearance of them. Oftentimes, 

Reclamation expressed interest in dismantling and reusing one or more abandoned 

CCC buildings at another one of its camps. On other occasions, Reclamation 

requested permanent retention of buildings, or entire camps, for use in the 

ongoing operation and maintenance of irrigation projects. If Reclamation had no 

need for the buildings for its own CCC purposes or regular operations, it 

recommended that the Army approve reuse by the CCC elsewhere. Since a 

significant cost associated with camps existed in the labor involved in 

constructing them, the CCC director’s office always encouraged reuse rather than 

salvage, especially for buildings of permanent construction. In the case of 

portable buildings, the CCC urged that they be dismantled for re-erection 

elsewhere.8

 Sometimes, local irrigation districts or other entities expressed 

interest in obtaining buildings. 

Administration of CCC Program Within Reclamation 

The departmental representative on the CCC advisory council was responsible for 

overall coordination and supervision of CCC programs assigned to Interior 

agencies. Initially, Horace Albright, director of the NPS, held this position. 

When he resigned as NPS director on August 10, 1933, Arno Cammerer, the new 

Figure 2.2 Sleeping 

quarters for enrollees at 

Clear Lake spike camp, 

Camp BR-41, Klamath 

Project, Oregon, May 15, 

1939. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

24

director, succeeded him as the departmental representative. With the formal 

establishment of the CCC on June 28, 1937, Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes 

replaced Cammerer with Conrad Wirth as the representative on the advisory 

council. Wirth, who served as chief planner of the NPS, remained the 

representative through the duration of the CCC program. 

 

As one of the technical agencies participating in the CCC program, Reclamation 

had responsibility for formulating and directing the project work carried out at the 

various camps assigned to it. Under the authority of Reclamation Commissioner 

John C. Page, Alfred R. Golze in the Washington, DC, office served as 

supervising engineer of the CCC program for most of its existence.9

 As such, 

Golze had general charge of all Reclamation CCC activities and forces. Even 

though technically the CCC program was administered from Reclamation 

headquarters in Washington, DC, initially that office served mainly as an 

intermediary transmittal office, providing the essential contact between the CCC 

director’s office and the Secretary of the Interior’s office. In reality, the chief 

engineer’s office in Denver exercised much of the detail and project design 

control. To ensure adequate engineering supervision, Reclamation created CCC 

regional directors who were the superintendents or construction engineers of the 

various Reclamation projects participating in the CCC program. They had 

responsibility for all work activities of CCC camps associated with Reclamation 

projects under their charge (see figure 2.3). In addition, they were charged with 

ensuring that CCC work was performed in accordance with CCC regulations, or 

in their absence, with Reclamation or Interior regulations. The actual day-to-day 

project work at the camps fell under the direction of Reclamation’s technical staff. 

Construction and technical foremen supervised, inspected, and approved 

construction of irrigation-related features. Selected enrollees designated as 

project assistants, leaders, and assistant leaders acted as subforemen under the 

supervision of the foreman.10

The sometimes overlapping division of authority between Washington, DC, and 

Denver remained unchanged until June 1939. At that time, Reclamation was the 

only Interior bureau that had not centralized control of CCC administrative 

matters in Washington. Although Commissioner Page preferred not to do so, he 

apparently felt it was necessary, given the structure favored by other agencies and 

an order issued by Fechner, to reduce the number of supervisory personnel by 

more than 20 percent. On June 29, 1939, Page released circular letter No. 199 

announcing that major control of the program would be transferred to a 

CCC division in Washington. In a confidential letter to Chief Engineer 

R.F. Walter in Denver a few days earlier, Page wrote, “I do this. . . with an 

inherent prejudice against concentration of more work in Washington, and it is 

only because there seems to be no other alternative that this conclusion is 

reached.” 11 The transfer of control created operational inefficiencies and, in late 

1940, consideration was given to shifting it back to Denver. This matter was still 

under discussion just prior to the drastic reduction in the CCC program following 

the U.S. entry in World War II.12 Apparently, no action occurred thereafter. 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

25

In administering its CCC program at the camp level, Reclamation had to 

cooperate extensively with the Army. A review of Reclamation camp reports 

reveals that, in general, the two entities worked well together. One report 

summarized the coordination as follows: “In operating the camp (DBR-5) the 

supervisory personnel of the Army and Reclamation cooperate to the fullest 

extent for the benefit of the government, the work project, and the enrollees.”13

The Nature of Reclamation CCC Project Work 

Except in emergencies, CCC enrollees spent 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, 

performing work to improve Reclamation facilities. As the Bureau’s CCC 

program expanded from its small beginnings in 1934, the project work undertaken 

by enrollees also grew more varied. Originally assigned to rehabilitate the 

storage, distribution, and drainage systems of older projects that had been 

seriously affected by the combination of drought and depressed farm prices, the 

camps broadened their activities to include developing supplemental water 

supplies and constructing new irrigation projects. Much of the work 

accomplished was of a seemingly mundane and unspectacular nature, but it had 

far-reaching benefits. 

Figure 2.3 Organization chart for Reclamation’s CCC Eighth Corps Area, August 27, 1938. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

26

The rehabilitation of older project facilities consisted of returning weed- and 

silt-filled canals and laterals to a proper cross-section, replacing decaying wood 

structures with concrete ones, adding new water control structures, building 

bridges over canals, eradicating weeds and rodents, reconditioning operating 

roads, placing riprap on canal and lateral banks, and sealing porous canals with 

earth or concrete linings (see figure 2.4). 

The acute water deficiencies experienced during the Depression revealed that a 

few of the project storage facilities, though adequate under ordinary conditions, 

were insufficient during drought periods. To remedy this situation, Reclamation 

used CCC forces to build supplemental storage facilities. Examples are Midview 

Dam and Dike on the Moon Lake Project in Utah (Camp BR-11) and Anita Dam 

on the Huntley Project in Montana (Camp BR-57). Another labor-intensive task 

assigned to enrollees at various camps consisted of clearing reservoir areas of 

timber and debris in preparation for new dam construction. The physically 

demanding work involved felling trees, then piling and burning them. Heavy 

equipment, such as tractors and bulldozers, augmented hand labor and provided 

the enrollees an opportunity to learn new skills. The most prominent reservoirclearing operation occurred at the Shasta Dam site on the Central Valley Project 

in California. Enrollees of Camps BR-84 and 85 removed trees and shrubs from 

2,597 acres during the camps’ existence. Similar work took place at Wickiup 

Reservoir on the Deschutes Project, Oregon (Camps BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77); 

Deer Creek Reservoir on the Provo River Project, Utah (Camp BR-91); Pine 

View Reservoir on the Ogden River Project, Utah (Camp BR-12); Island Park 

Reservoir on the Upper Snake River Project, Idaho (Camp BR-28); and Parker 

Dam Reservoir on the Parker Dam Project, Arizona, (Camps BR-17 and BR-18). 

Figure 2.4 

Screeding concrete 

on slope at New 

Kingman Check, 

Camp BR-42, Boise 

Project, Idaho, 

February 26, 1940. 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

27

Another effort to increase water supplies involved building new feeder canals to 

transport additional water to existing reservoirs. Examples include the Duchesne 

Feeder Canal on the Moon Lake Project (Camp BR-11) and the Strawberry 

Reservoir Feeder Canal on the Strawberry Valley Project (Camp BR-5). 

Enrollees cleared the canal right-of-ways, excavated the trenches, trimmed the 

canal slopes, and, in some cases, placed concrete linings. The CCC also 

completed improvements to numerous existing storage facilities such as Belle 

Fourche Dam on the Belle Fourche Project (Camp BR-2), Clear Lake Dam on the 

Klamath Project (Camp BR-41), and the South Diversion Dam on the Orland 

Project (Camp BR-78) (see figure 2.5). 

Flood control was another endeavor undertaken by the CCC. Many areas of the 

West under Reclamation projects experienced intense localized rainfalls of short 

duration that caused severe damage to irrigation systems. The CCC built a 

number of flood control structures, such as Apache and Box Canyon Dams on the 

Rio Grande Project (Camp BR-39). 

Prior to the involvement of the CCC, little existed in the way of recreational 

improvements on Reclamation projects.14 The availability of CCC labor provided 

the perfect opportunity to add parks, campgrounds, and picnic areas on suitable 

project lands adjacent to rivers, reservoirs, or lakes. Reclamation recognized the 

importance of recreational amenities at its remote facilities as a way to “permit 

the average settler or his family or the urban residents to enjoy a weekend or 

occasional day of rest without considerable travel,”15 and incorporated such 

amenities in a number of its CCC projects. 

Enrollees constructed an array of facilities designed for the public to enjoy. These 

included picnic shelters, tables, benches, stoves, fireplaces, water systems, 

latrines, sewage disposal plants, and landscaping. Swimming, boating, and 

fishing facilities, and hiking trails built by the CCC provided park visitors with 

Figure 2.5 Repairing 

Belle Fourche Dam, 

Camp Fruitdale (BR-2), 

Belle Fourche Project, 

South Dakota, 1940. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

28

additional amenities. The improvements greatly increased public appreciation for 

the CCC and made Reclamation projects more accessible. The prime examples of 

recreational development occurred at Lake Guernsey on the North Platte Project 

(Camps BR-9 and BR-10), Elephant Butte Reservoir on the Rio Grande Project 

(Camps BR-8 and BR-54), Lake Minatare on the North Platte Project 

(Camp BR-1), and Lake Walcott on the Minidoka Project (Camp BR-27). 

At Lake Guernsey, Camps BR-9 and BR-10 were responsible for transforming the 

shoreline into a showplace of recreational development. Enrollees crafted sturdy 

log and stone picnic shelters, trails, and a rustic style museum complete with 

interpretive displays. The outstanding quality and cohesiveness of the CCC work 

at Lake Guernsey resulted in the designation of Lake Guernsey State Park as a 

National Historic Landmark on September 25, 1997. At Camps BR-8 and BR-54, 

enrollees transformed the landscape at Elephant Butte Reservoir by building a 

variety of structures, terracing the hillsides, and planting hundreds of trees. The 

CCC contributions are a major feature of the Elephant Butte Historic District, 

listed in the National Register of Historic Places in February 1997. 

The camp at Lake Minatare can be credited with construction of the most unique 

of all Reclamation CCC structures. In the unlikely state of Nebraska, on a point 

of land extending into the lake, enrollees built a 55-foot-high native rock structure 

resembling a lighthouse that contained a circular staircase. From the observation 

deck at the top, visitors could see Scotts Bluff and Chimney Rock, both 

landmarks of the Oregon Trail. The 

lookout tower still attracts sightseers 

today (see figure 2.6). 

Auxiliary to these main classes of work, 

the CCC also enhanced or developed 

wildlife refuges at reservoirs, conducted 

rodent control operations and weed 

eradication experiments, and performed 

emergency work. In cooperation with 

the Bureau of Biological Survey (now 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), 

Reclamation’s CCC enrollees developed 

wildlife refuges at Deer Flat Reservoir 

in western Idaho (Camp BR-24), 

Tulelake in northern California (Camp 

BR-20), Lake Walcott in southern Idaho 

(Camp BR-27), and at Pishkun 

Reservoir in Montana (Camp BR-33). 

At Elephant Butte Reservoir, CCC 

forces constructed a 14-pond fish 

hatchery (Camps BR-8 and BR-54). 

Figure 2.6 CCC lighthouse at Lake 

Minatare, Camp Minatare (BR-1), North 

Platte Project, Nebraska, 2008. 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

29

The elimination of troublesome rodents along canal banks and in farm fields was 

an ongoing endeavor at many camps and was viewed as an “undertaking of major 

importance to many Reclamation projects.”16 Rodents caused two types of 

serious damage: in canal banks, their burrowing resulted in canal collapses; and 

in fields, their activities resulted in substantial crop loss. The damage had serious 

consequences for water users. In cooperation with the Bureau of Biological 

Survey, the CCC targeted pocket gophers and ground squirrels and eradicated 

them, either by trapping or poisoning or both. The labor intensive work was well 

suited to the CCC program. Small crews performed the task as an adjunct to 

larger construction projects. By June 1941, enrollees had treated an astounding 

2,510,100 acres for rodent control. 

 

Weed eradication was another significant activity performed at many Reclamation 

CCC camps. The spread of noxious weeds, such as Canadian thistle, bindweed, 

and Johnson grass, on Reclamation projects threatened to displace native plants 

and make lands unproductive. Canals provided easy transportation routes for all 

sorts of seeds to disperse onto irrigated lands. Controlling and eradicating the 

invasive plants was no simple task. Enrollees did not conduct weed control on 

private property, but farmers were shown, by demonstration on Government 

tracts, the methods of attacking various kinds of noxious weeds. Sample 

demonstrations were also performed on the Government canals and laterals for 

the benefit of the operating personnel. The CCC performed experiments with 

different types of grasses that could crowd out weeds on canal banks and that 

might be useful as a pasture crop.17 On the Belle Fourche Project (Camp BR-2), 

CCC enrollees showed farmers the use and methods of growing strawberry clover 

and brome grass as valuable pasture. The young men also carried out experiments 

on test plots to eradicate noxious weeds using blades and chemicals. On the 

Rio Grande Project (Camp BR-4), enrollees expended considerable effort on that 

objective. They tried a variety of methods to control bindweed including 

chopping plants out by hand, spraying them with oil, and then burning them. 

The CCC also played an active role assisting in various types of emergency 

situations. In early June 1937, all enrollees at Carlsbad, New Mexico, 

(Camp BR-3) were assigned to emergency work at McMillan Dam brought about 

by extreme flood conditions of the Pecos River. A serious crack had developed in 

the dam, and water started pouring through the leak. For 6 days, CCC crews 

placed sandbags on the reservoir face of the dam to hold back water in the event 

of further leaks. Thanks to the efforts of CCC enrollees, the dam withstood the 

raging floodwaters and the city of Carlsbad escaped damage. When a small dam 

failed on June 13, 1937, near Austin, Colorado, and partially flooded the town, 

CCC forces from the camp in Montrose (Camp BR-23) helped to restore 

sanitation facilities and repair damaged irrigation ditches. 

The CCC provided invaluable help during numerous emergencies resulting from 

hazardous winter weather. The snow season of 1936-37 was particularly severe 

in parts of Utah and Nevada, and the CCC youths effectively carried out 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

30

emergency work to save human lives and livestock. In January 1937, heavy 

snows marooned about 50,000 head of sheep in Pleasant Valley in the Uinta Basin 

of eastern Utah. A CCC tractor, with a bulldozer attachment, was lent to the Utah 

State Road Commission to clear a 26-mile road, which provided an escape route 

for the animals afterwards. CCC enrollees from Camp BR-11 on the Moon Lake 

Project accompanied the tractor to lend assistance. In early February 1937, as 

pounding snowstorms hit the mining and farming districts in western Nevada, 

CCC enrollees mobilized to aid those stranded by the blizzards. In cooperation 

with the county, they cleared 380 miles of road, dug out 10 towns and outlying 

ranchers and miners, and made possible the feeding of many isolated cattle herds. 

Another type of emergency work conducted by CCC enrollees on Reclamation 

projects attracted little attention, although it prevented serious consequences. 

This work involved canal repairs that often were beyond the financial means of 

the affected water users. The most common emergencies consisted of canal 

breaks, usually resulting from the tunneling activities of rodents. Such breaks, if 

not repaired promptly, had the potential to cause significant damage by flooding 

some fields and drying up others. On the Klamath Project in California and 

Oregon (Camps BR-20 and BR-41), crews quickly repaired 10 breaks along canal 

banks that occurred in the spring of 1937. On the Salt River Project in Arizona 

(Camps BR-14 and BR-19), enrollees patched a serious 100-foot break in the 

South Canal that had formed in April 1937. Early in May 1937, CCC men from 

the Deaver Camp on the Shoshone Project (Camp BR-7) were called out to help 

reconstruct 300 feet of the inclined drop below the Ralston Reservoir.18

Job Training and Educational Opportunities in 

Reclamation CCC Camps 

In addition to supervising enrollees while they were engaged in project work, 

Reclamation also assumed responsibility for training them. Over the lifespan of 

the CCC, the Bureau dedicated an increasing amount of attention to the latter 

aspect of the program. Reclamation recognized that the valuable skills enrollees 

developed from performing activities, ranging from manual labor to highly 

technical work, would prepare them for earning a living later. 

Since many of the young men arrived at camp with no work background, training 

was essential. Constructing canals, roads, dams, water control features, and 

recreational facilities afforded enrollees a perfect opportunity to gain practical 

experience. They received on-the-job training in the operation of equipment such 

as tractors, trucks, and draglines. They learned the fundamentals of mixing, 

finishing, and curing concrete; building forms; and adding reinforcements. They 

were taught about working with stone, both the quarrying and construction 

aspects; using burners and chemicals for weed control; and shaping lumber for 

timber structures. As a result, young men who entered the CCC with empty 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

31

pockets and no skills to offer became accomplished mechanics, carpenters, 

masons, lumbermen, and surveyors. Enrollees also acquired expertise in subjects 

associated with operating the camp, such as clerical work, cooking, or baking.19

Enrollees performed project work according to the same standards and 

specifications used by Reclamation engineers for non-CCC work. The 

engineering manuals most commonly referred to for CCC construction were the 

ones for concrete and the hydraulic and excavation tables.20 Reclamation did 

produce a “Weed Manual” in 1941 specifically for use by CCC personnel in 

connection with weed control work. The CCC Office of Education in 

Washington was another source for all sorts of training materials. Camps 

received handbooks containing lists of available films and manuals. The latter 

ranged in subject matter from “Brick and Stone Work” to “Common Range 

Plants” to “Signs and Markers” to “Job Training is a Business Proposition.” All 

camps had libraries supplied with textbooks, reference works, and a selection of 

daily newspapers (see figure 2.7). Books useful for on-the-job training, as well as 

for advancing personal skills, were available. Titles ran the gamut from 

“Accountancy as a Career” to “Electricity in the Home and on the Farm” to 

“Elements of Forestry” to “Amateur Machinist.” 

Reportedly, upon leaving Reclamation CCC camps, enrollees secured a range of 

jobs.21 These included farmer, farm hand, ranch hand, miner, railroad worker, 

skilled labor helper, lumberjack, highway worker, factory worker, and painter, 

among others. Records showed that the young men leaving the CCC to accept 

jobs usually returned to their home State or region. Easterners assigned to 

western camps nearly all moved back East, while enrollees from the West 

preferred to stay there. 

In 1939, Reclamation conducted a study of the relationship between the work 

performed by enrollees in camp and the type of employment they accepted upon 

Figure 2.7 Reading area, 

educational building, Camp 

Meridian (BR-73), Boise 

Project, Idaho, 1940. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

32

leaving. Of the enrollee records examined, two-thirds accepted work in four 

primary fields: 20 percent went on to farms, 16 percent became store clerks and 

attendants, 15 percent were hired as unskilled workers, and 14 percent became 

truck drivers. The large group of enrollees who found employment on farms was 

tied to the fact that between 1937 and 1939, the majority of youths assigned to 

Reclamation camps came from farming areas in the mid- or far West. Among the 

remaining one-third of enrollees, some found jobs in the Federal Government, 

while others became auto mechanics, carpenter helpers, miners, tractor operators, 

lumbermen, and painters’ assistants.22 

The successful employment of enrollees was attributed, in large part, to the 

experience and training gained while in the CCC camps. Men who stayed at least 

1 year or longer in the CCC ended up with higher paying jobs than those who 

served for just 6 months. Positions obtained by former CCC enrollees ranged in 

salary from $40 per month to as high as $135 per month. Those fortunate enough 

to be offered jobs while in the CCC were given honorable discharges. Even 

before leaving the CCC, individuals who performed outstanding work had 

opportunities for advancement. They were promoted to responsible positions as 

foremen on the technical supervisory staff at the camps when vacancies occurred. 

While Reclamation planned and supervised the project work performed by 

enrollees during the weekdays, the Army had charge of the young men at all other 

times. Initially, the Army occupied the youths with recreational activities, but 

nothing in the way of a formal education or training program existed. Early on, 

some CCC administrators realized that the camps offered a ready-made 

opportunity to educate a vast number of poverty-stricken and poorly educated 

youths and enhance their prospects for the future. Late in 1933, President 

Roosevelt appointed Clarence S. Marsh as the first Director of Education, and, by 

1934, a program had been instituted. Educational advisers were designated for 

each camp, and they, in turn, selected one enrollee to serve as an assistant who 

earned an extra $6 a month.23 

The June 1937 act that formally created the CCC officially recognized education 

as one of the program’s responsibilities. The legislation included a new 

requirement for 10 hours a week of general educational or vocational training. 

Educational advisers expanded the academic curriculum, and, by 1938, 

603 different classes were being offered at CCC camps. Enrollees tackled 

everything from reading, writing, and typing, to radio, first aid, and social 

courtesy. Army personnel, technical agency staff, local citizens, and even 

enrollees joined the educational advisers in teaching classes. Advanced students 

sometimes had opportunities to take courses at nearby colleges or vocational 

schools, or to enroll in correspondence classes. 

At Reclamation CCC camps, the increased emphasis on education resulted in 

more training in matters related to operating and maintaining irrigation facilities. 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

33

Regular Reclamation employees assisted in the classroom by teaching technical 

subjects and clerical skills such as property accountability and recordkeeping. 

One or two evenings a week, work supervisors held classes in camp to 

supplement the on-the-job training. For example, an enrollee whose duty it was 

to refuel tractors with diesel fuel might learn the essential difference between 

diesel fuel and gasoline. A standard CCC truck driver’s course taught truck 

drivers about vehicle maintenance, operation, and safety. Teachers used visual 

aids, such as miniature models and motion pictures, to enhance the classroom 

instruction. Foremen attended leadership courses to learn effective teaching 

methods (see figures 2.8 and 2.9).24 

Work supervisors/instructors developed outlines for their training courses to 

ensure presentation of the material in a logical sequence and to coordinate the 

field work with class time. The outlines usually covered a 6-month time frame, 

the length of one enrollment period. Probably the most commonly taught subjects 

at Reclamation camps consisted of equipment operation, and concrete and timber 

construction. With the extensive amount of automotive and heavy construction 

equipment in use on Reclamation CCC camps, special emphasis was given to 

training the operators of large fleets. Because of the potentially hazardous 

equipment being used daily by CCC enrollees, all of Reclamation’s job training 

included safety instruction as a primary feature.25 In calendar year 1937, the 

Bureau had the best safety record of all classes of CCC camps. Other courses 

mentioned in some of the Reclamation camp reports include spelling, typing, 

Figure 2.8 Truck servicing chart No. 1, Camp BR-61, North Platte 

Project, Nebraska, October 15, 1941. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

34

blueprint reading, bee culture, warehousing, and shorthand (see figure 2.10). 

Enrollees who remained in the CCC for more than 6 months could take advanced 

classes. 

Towards the end of the CCC program, Reclamation directed all of its camps to 

furnish new enrollees with a series of publications intended to familiarize them 

with the agency and its role in conserving resources. The list included 

“Reclamation Home Creating—Wealth Producing—Self Sustaining,” “Grand 

Coulee Dam,” “Boulder Dam,” and “Central Valley Project.” Reclamation had 

plans to prepare its own pamphlet on the agency’s CCC program, but it is 

unknown whether this ever occurred. 

Clearly, many young men benefitted from the expanded educational offerings and 

took advantage of them. Reclamation’s CCC camp reports and Reclamation Era

articles repeatedly mentioned the gains achieved through the instructional 

programs. Yet they also had their critics, and not just within Reclamation, for 

being ill-defined and lacking clear structure. Evidence of these problems can be 

found in Reclamation correspondence. One CCC superintendent summed up the 

issues as follows: 

Personally, I am disinclined to devote evenings to instructional work at the CCC Camp 

and in this I state the sentiment of the staff. Class room work for 200 young men is a 

job for educators and this feature of the CCC in my opinion cannot advance far until a 

business-like system is established that will include compulsory attendance, a well 

defined text of the work to be presented and an advance in pay for enrollees with the 

higher class room standing.26

Figure 2.9 Sheet 

metal and welding 

class students placing 

riveting, Camp 

Caldwell (BR-24), 

Boise Project, Idaho, 

November 14, 1941. 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

35

In addition to the emphasis on developing “strong minds,” CCC camps also 

promoted building “strong, healthy bodies.” Physical conditioning was 

considered important for character improvement and for maintaining good camp 

morale (see figure 2.11). Planned athletic and recreational activities were part of 

all camp schedules. Enrollees participated in sports such as baseball, basketball, 

swimming, ping pong, or tennis. Many camps also offered regular recreational 

outings to nearby towns and attractions. 

In spite of the strenuous physical work, mandated off-the-job training, and limited 

free time, most enrollees at Reclamation camps maintained a positive attitude. 

Morale fluctuated dependent on a number of factors including the temperaments 

Figure 2.10 Certificate of proficiency in typing, awarded to 

Malcolm Taylor, enrollee at Camp BR-23, Uncompahgre Project, 

Colorado. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

36

of the technical and Army supervisory staff, prior CCC experience of the 

enrollees, and the spirit of cooperation among all three groups. Since both Army 

and technical staff in supervisory positions moved about quite a bit, and enrollees 

also transferred frequently to different camps, morale at a given camp could 

change noticeably from one CCC period to another. 

Some of the best information on camp morale can be gleaned from monthly camp 

administrative inspection reports that rated everything from adequate safety 

measures to condition of tools and equipment to quality of the education program. 

The level of Army cooperation and performance of the technical staff also 

received scrutiny. The very first question on the standard report form, however, 

concerned camp morale. Reclamation was fortunate to have Homer D. Graham as 

its camp inspector for much of the life of the CCC program. In June 1937, 

Commissioner Page reassigned Graham from his position as camp superintendent 

at BR-23 to administrative inspector. In this role, he officially acted as the field 

liaison officer between the Denver office and the camps, although he served more 

as a counselor to the CCC regional directors and camp superintendents. 

It is apparent from Graham’s inspection reports that he was dedicated to the 

success of the CCC program and the impact it could have on enrollees’ lives. In a 

February 1939 letter Graham sent to Commissioner Page, thanking him for his 

support of the CCC program, he wrote: “I feel that we have a vital and serious 

responsibility toward these young men of our country. The way we handle this 

opportunity will, I believe, make a difference to the future success of these boys 

as well as to our country.” 

Among Graham’s observations in traveling to Reclamation’s camps, he noted 

repeatedly the importance of starting enrollees off on the right foot upon their 

arrival at camp. For some, especially those new to the CCC, it was a difficult 

adjustment period that created a challenge for camp personnel. Graham stressed 

the need for staff to provide a proper orientation to help the young men transition 

to the structure of camp life. In several instances, a small group of disruptive 

ringleaders stirred up trouble at a camp and wound up being discharged. 

Thereafter, morale noticeably improved. In other cases, it wasn’t the enrollees, 

but uncooperative Army or technical staff, who created discontent. If conditions 

and morale seriously deteriorated as a result, the staff in question would be 

replaced. Dealing with problems such as these in a timely manner rather than 

allowing them to fester accomplished much towards maintaining a successful 

program. 

Camp annual reports also reveal the pulse of camp morale. At Camp BR-20 on 

the Klamath Project, the men received praise in the camp’s first annual report: 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

37

The manner in which the men in both camps (BR-41 as well) applied their efforts was 

truly remarkable, and it was not long before the camps became well established and the 

work program began to show signs of progress . . . The men wanted to work, to prove 

their worth and better themselves, when given the opportunity. Moreover, they proved 

this when offered the facilities of the buildings and teaching personnel at the Merrill 

and Tulelake high schools for evenings.27

At Camp BR-5, the Strawberry Valley summer camp, the “enrollees exhibited a 

fine cooperative spirit and high morale,” despite the remote locality of the camp. 

For the enrollees, the training and educational opportunities offered by the CCC 

opened new doors for the future. As Graham and others fervently hoped, the 

CCC forever changed the lives of the young men for the better. 

Many camps produced their own informal newsletters that announced upcoming 

activities, the results of sports competitions, or other camp happenings. The 

newsletters provide a personal glimpse of daily life at the camps. A column in the 

October 1937 “Stanfield Echo” (Camp BR-44) advised new enrollees on proper 

behavior. Among the 20 items listed were the following: be careful of the type of 

language you use around camp and in public; do not smoke or flip cigarettes, or 

talk after the lights are out; the wasting of food is considered serious misconduct 

and will be punished accordingly; watch your actions while you are in town, you 

will be judged accordingly; and be sure to have all injuries tended to immediately 

whether on the road or in camp. 

Public Response to Reclamation’s CCC Program 

Reclamation’s CCC program received both high praise and sharp criticism over 

its 9-year existence. Initially, some communities near Reclamation CCC camps 

responded warily to the arrival of 200 unskilled and poor young men from other 

parts of the country. The fears dissipated over time as the enrollees proved that 

Figure 2.11 Morning calisthenics at Camp Minidoka (BR-27), Minidoka 

Project, Idaho, date unknown. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

38

they presented no danger. For example, at Camp BR-7 on the Shoshone Project, a 

1937 report stated: “Most of the enrollees have conducted themselves very 

satisfactorily in the various towns in which they spend their evenings and 

weekends and this has changed the attitude of many who were opposed to the 

establishment of CCC camps on the projects.”28

To reduce community apprehension and build strong support for the CCC 

program, the CCC director’s office instituted a variety of public relations efforts. 

Among the most popular of these were annual “open house” celebrations at as 

many camps as possible. These events provided the public with a perfect 

opportunity to meet enrollees and learn more about the program and its 

accomplishments. As further outreach, CCC men marched in local parades and 

erected elaborate booths and displays at events such as county fairs (see 

figures 2.12 and 2.13). In 1941, the enrollees of Camp BR-92 vied with nearly 

50 other camps in a competition of CCC exhibits at the California State Fair and 

won first place honors. Their display included oil paintings, model boats, 

photography, a mineralogy and lapidary collection, and handmade knives. A film 

produced in 1937 entitled “Reclamation and the CCC” showed enrollees engaged 

at work on a number of Reclamation projects.29 In addition to its public relations 

benefits, the film was intended to show potential enrollees the types of skills they 

might learn. 

As time went on, appreciation for the work accomplished by Reclamation’s 

CCC enrollees grew among water users and others who benefitted. Irrigators 

realized that without the assistance of the CCC program, they would not have 

been able to properly maintain their water delivery systems. A review of 

CCC annual reports, newspaper articles, and correspondence reveals the value 

placed on the CCC. For example, the “Report of the Director of Emergency 

Conservation Work Embracing Activities From April 5, 1933 through June 30, 

1935” stated: “The E.C.W. reclamation camps have been well received by the 

Figure 2.12 

Members of CCC 

Company No. 4822 

in Parade at Lovell 

(cooks in white), 

Camp Deaver 

(BR-7), Shoshone 

Project, Wyoming, 

date unknown. 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

39

people living on the projects, and the enrollees enjoy a preferred standing in the 

communities in which the camps are located.”30 A sample local newspaper article 

validates the report: 

It is pointed out that at the time the CCC program was launched here, the district was 

financially unable to undertake absolutely vital work, such as renewal of structures, 

which, had they not been restored, would have been practically useless in many cases 

and consequent impairment of the ability of settlers to meet their obligations to the 

government.31

In spite of the support, Reclamation also faced criticism about the appropriate use 

of CCC camps on its projects. In a letter dated July 26, 1937, to Secretary of the 

Interior Ickes, Commissioner Page strongly defended Reclamation’s program and 

requested the maximum number of camps possible. “My contention is that 

nowhere are the efforts of these boys used to better advantage than in the water 

and soil conservation activities of the Bureau of Reclamation.”32 He disputed the 

suggestion that work performed by the CCC was ordinary maintenance that 

should be undertaken by the irrigation districts. To the contrary, he stated, a 

definite distinction existed between routine maintenance carried on as required by 

the districts and the betterment of facilities undertaken by the CCC, 

notwithstanding emergency situations such as serious droughts, floods, or other 

calamities. Page also countered the complaint lodged by organized labor that the 

CCC took jobs away from locals. He stated that this had occurred in just one 

instance, where camp operations had been turned over to a contractor for the 

Government. Transfer of the camp’s supervision to a Bureau employee and a 

slight change to the work program had entirely removed the objections. 

Figure 2.13 CCC 

booth, Camp Orland 

(BR-78), Orland 

Project, California, 

September 18, 1940. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

40

In early 1938, Reclamation’s CCC program continued to draw fire from people 

who asserted that it benefitted only a select population of private citizens, namely 

project water users. President Roosevelt responded to the criticism by 

contemplating the closure of all Reclamation camps. This incited an outpouring 

of support for Reclamation’s CCC program from communities throughout the 

West served by Reclamation projects. A newspaper headline in Torrington, 

Wyoming, proclaimed “Valley Chamber Voices Protest to Removal of CCC.” In 

the same State, an article in the Powell Tribune on the proposed closures 

proclaimed, 

As to the CCC in reclamation work, we have regarded the camp at Deaver as of great 

benefit to the general farming community there. . .We need more CCC camps and 

fewer jails; we need more CCC camps and less unemployment; we need more CCC 

camps for the improvement in mind, morals and body of the boys themselves—that is 

more important and more of value to us all than the work they do.33

To continue its CCC program and end accusations that the program’s activities 

did not advance the general welfare of the people, Reclamation was required to 

make the following adjustments in February 1938: 

1. All work had to be performed on federally owned land and had to be for the purpose 

of conserving, safeguarding, improving or developing property in which the 

Government had a direct financial interest, or for the purpose of providing recreational 

facilities on federally owned land for the general public. 

2. If the work contemplated was normally financed by water users or local 

organizations, the CCC operations had to be confined to those projects or subdivisions 

thereof where, through adversity or other cause the local interests were unable to 

finance the proposed program. 

3. The task assigned had to be suitable for prosecution by the CCC and such as would 

advance the training and experience of the enrollees.34

To comply with the stipulations, Reclamation made a number of modifications to 

work activities performed at its camps. In an article in the April 1938 The 

Reclamation Era, the author presented a positive outlook for the program’s future: 

“It is expected that the conservation activities of the CCC camps on reclamation 

projects will go forward with renewed effort, now that the clouds surrounding 

work in the past have cleared and the path we are to follow is clearly marked.”35

One immediate change that Reclamation instituted, upon being assured of the 

continuation of its CCC program, was the requirement for supervisory and 

facilitating personnel to wear uniforms. This stipulation already existed at camps 

assigned to other entities. In a March 15, 1938, memo sent out by R.B. Williams, 

he included specifications for the uniforms and instructed CCC field offices that 

the clothing had to be worn in camp, on the work projects (with some exceptions), 

and on official duty outside of camp (see figure 2.14). Technical agency 

personnel were reminded to keep their field clothes as clean and neat as 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

41

practicable at all times, to shave daily, and to maintain their quarters and 

themselves in an orderly condition. Williams also made it very clear that 

individuals required to wear uniforms had to pay for them out of their own 

pockets.36 

Figure 2.14 Uniforms for Reclamation CCC supervisory personnel, March 1938. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

42

Even as the economy improved in the late 1930s and CCC men found 

employment elsewhere, agricultural communities expressed support for 

continuation of Reclamation’s CCC program. Financially strapped irrigation 

districts on Reclamation projects lobbied legislators and Reclamation for the 

establishment of one or more camps in their areas. Elsewhere, communities faced 

with the closure of camps defended their existence. When the termination of 

Camp BR-7 was proposed in March 1940, a Powell, Wyoming, newspaper 

asserted: “The American people, in a general sense, do not favor any serious 

curtailment of the CCC. Only in certain cases where the work has been 

completed do they favor any discontinuance of a CCC camp.”37 Another reason 

entered into the argument for maintaining the CCC camps, and it revolved around 

the Nation’s expanding defense program. Some preferred the wholesome labor of 

CCC activities to training young men for war in Europe. 

While Reclamation’s CCC camps operated, for the most part, without difficulties, 

an incident at Camp Reno (Camp BR-37) proved to be a highly publicized 

exception. On November 30, 1936, 100 enrollees, all from New York City, went 

on strike, declaring that they were dissatisfied with the food being served. They 

also criticized the commanding officer as being “too arbitrary.”38 The strike was 

short-lived; after the dismissal of a half-dozen ringleaders, the young men 

returned to work a few days later, and the situation calmed down. An 

investigation of the event by the War Department attributed the disturbance to 

repeated difficulties among the Army’s commanding officer of the camp, the 

foremen, and enrollees. The commanding officer was replaced, and no further 

disruptive episodes occurred. 

A similar, but less volatile, situation occurred at Camp BR-48 in the late fall of 

1937. A decline in morale was noted at the camp, and on November 22, only 

42 enrollees reported for project duty. Fifteen enrollees were dishonorably 

discharged for refusal to work. The insubordination stemmed from growing 

dissatisfaction with Commanding Officer Captain George H. Seitz, and he was 

transferred to a camp in Idaho. Thereafter, morale at Camp BR-48 improved. 

Termination of Reclamation CCC Camps 

Reclamation entered fiscal year 1942 with 43 CCC camps assigned to it. Eight 

new camps had been approved in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North 

Dakota, and South Dakota (Camps BR-93 through BR-97, BR-99, BR-101, and 

BR-102). Seven were established in the summer and fall of 1941, and the last one 

in January 1942. The new camps were associated with projects approved under 

Public Law 76-398 enacted on August 11, 1939. The legislation authorized the 

Secretary of the Interior to construct “water conservation and utilization projects 

in the Great Plains and arid and semiarid areas of the United States” with labor 

assistance provided by the Work Projects Administration or a similar Federal 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

43

agency such as the CCC. As one of several agencies participating in the program, 

Reclamation’s role was to construct irrigation facilities to help meet local water 

needs. By the end of June 1942, considerable progress had been made. 

In 1941, Reclamation also had hopes of augmenting its CCC program elsewhere 

and was successful in obtaining permission for a number of other new camps. To 

assist on work in Utah in the area of Gooseberry Reservoir and on the proposed 

Scofield Dam, Reclamation received approval for Camps BR-100 in Sanpete 

County and BR-127 in Carbon County. Two additional camps were assigned to 

Water Conservation and Utilization projects: Camp BR-110 on the Mann Creek 

Project in western Idaho and Camp BR-113 on the Saco Divide Project in 

Montana. On the Mirage Flats Project in Nebraska, Reclamation received the go 

ahead for Camps BR-114 and BR-115, but their construction had to be at 

Reclamation expense. The same requirement applied to Camp BR-112 approved 

for the Buffalo Rapids Project in Montana. Other camps permitted by the CCC 

included Camps BR-121 and BR-122 on the Angostura Project in North Dakota 

and Camp BR-129 for the newly authorized Eden Project in Wyoming.39 

Despite Reclamation’s success in obtaining approval for additional camps, 

unforeseeable events derailed the CCC program. Like other Government 

CCC participants, Reclamation immediately felt the impact of the United States’ 

entry into World War II. Within a few weeks of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 

Conrad Wirth, the Interior representative on the CCC advisory council, instructed 

each bureau to provide him with a list of the “absolutely essential” and 

“borderline” camps. Alfred Golze drafted a response in which he identified 

27 essential Reclamation camps and 7 borderline camps. Wirth then appealed to 

CCC Director McEntee to continue the program within Interior based on the need 

for camps to protect the country’s vital natural resources.40 

Reclamation justified continuation of its CCC camps during the war on the basis 

of its contribution to the production of a reliable and adequate food supply. 

Furthermore, Reclamation asserted it could provide trained construction 

equipment operators to meet the demands of the armed services and defense 

industry. The emphasis of Reclamation’s CCC program paid off; during the 

months immediately following Pearl Harbor, Reclamation fared much better than 

other bureaus within Interior in retaining its CCC camps.41 

Nonetheless, Reclamation soon faced a sharp reduction in its number of camps, as 

the CCC program wound down. In March 1942, Wirth informed the Bureau that 

no CCC camps would be allocated to Reclamation for fiscal year 1943 beginning 

on July 1, 1942. Of the 350 camps to be operated throughout the country, 113 

would be allotted to Interior and 237 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Most 

of the Department of the Interior camps would be assigned to the NPS, with the 

rest divided between the newly created U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the 

General Land Office. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

44

Reclamation objected to being cut out of the program and, on March 23, 1942, 

sent a letter to E.K. Burlew, First Assistant Secretary of Interior, outlining how 

the decision would negatively affect the agency. The letter was referred to 

Conrad Wirth, who called Golze to see about reaching an agreement on retaining 

one or two camps for Reclamation. Golze declined the suggestion and, in a 

briefing memo to Commissioner Page, wrote: 

 . . . it is my feeling that operation of camps on Reclamation projects is perfectly valid 

and justifiable under war conditions even to the extent of taking precedence over the 

fighting of forest fires in the National Parks. . . In the past Mr. Wirth has quite often 

been successful in having his views on CCC administration accepted even when their 

detrimental effect on bureaus other than the Park Service is self-evident. If the Bureau 

of Reclamation wishes to retain its CCC camps, considerable aggressive action will be 

necessary in the Secretary’s office to offset his recommendations. 42 

The tone of Golze’s comments indicates that some tensions clearly existed within 

Interior over the administration of the CCC program. In the end, Congress 

decided to terminate the program on June 30, 1942, and Reclamation’s seven 

remaining CCC camps shut down the following month.43 Reclamation received a 

small CCC allotment for all necessary expenses to liquidate its CCC activities 

during fiscal year 1943. 

Even though the war resulted in the termination of Reclamation’s CCC program, 

for some camps, it was the beginning of another significant chapter in their 

history. The military used a number of vacated camps as housing for 

conscientious objectors (Camps BR-75, BR-76, BR-77, BR-93, BR-95, BR-97, 

and BR-99), war prisoners (Camps BR-2 and BR-39), or Japanese internees 

(Camp BR-42). In other instances, Reclamation requested and obtained 

ownership of camps not needed by the military. If Reclamation did not intend to 

use the buildings, some or all of them were salvaged or sold. 

The last record found pertaining to the disposition of Reclamation’s CCC camps 

is a memo from Avis Dyson to Commissioner Harry Bashore dated March 29, 

1944.44 The correspondence provides the status of former CCC camps still in 

place on Reclamation projects. The data was intended to help plan postwar 

activities or work for prisoners of war. At the time, 23 abandoned CCC camps 

remained on Reclamation projects. They were being used for a variety of 

purposes, some of which are mentioned above. 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

45

Endnotes for Chapter 2 

1

 William Rowley, The Bureau of Reclamation: Origins and Growth to 1945 (Washington, DC: 

Government Printing Office, 2006), 214-215. 

2

 Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Time (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006), 56-58. 3

 Alfred R. Golze, “The CCC on Federal Reclamation Projects,” Civil Engineering 9 

(November 1939), 654-656. 

4

 H.T. Cory, “Civilian Conservation Corps Work on Reclamation Projects,” The Reclamation 

Era 26 (January 1936), 22. 5

 Memorandum from D.S. Stuver, supervising engineer, to the Commissioner, October 14, 1935, 

Box 179, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

6

 “Final Report, Civilian Conservation Corps Activities, Bureau of Reclamation,” February 1943, 

p. 4, Box 44, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

7

 For example, proposed Camp BR-60, to be called Camp Sheep Creek, would have been located 

on the North Platte Project. “Form BR-ECW-14, ECW Work Program Sheet,” Box 90, Entry 21, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

8

 Office of the Director, Emergency Conservation Work, “Circular Letter of May 11, 1936,” on 

the subject of disposal of surplus property, Box 11, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

9

 Alfred R. Golze appears to have joined Reclamation in 1934 and became involved in the 

Bureau’s CCC program early on. He served as Assistant to the Supervising Engineer, E.C.W. 

until August 16, 1936, when he was promoted to Supervising Engineer, E.C.W. Golze wrote 

numerous articles on Reclamation’s CCC activities for The Reclamation Era. He went on to 

become Assistant Commissioner of Reclamation in the late 1950s. John Page became Acting 

Commissioner of Reclamation upon the death of Elwood Mead in late January 1936. Page 

assumed the Commissioner’s office on January 25, 1937, and remained in that position until the 

summer of 1943. 

10 Alfred R. Golze, “The CCC on Federal Reclamation Projects,” 654. 

11 Letter from Commissioner Page to R.F. Walter, June 26, 1939, Box 44, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

12 Memorandum to the Commissioner from A.R. Golze, November 5, 1941, Box 44, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

13 E.O. Larson, “Work of ECW Camps-Utah,” draft article for The Reclamation Era, no date, 

File 035.01, Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

14 Funding had not been available for recreation, nor could it be, due to the requirement for 

repayment of project expenses by the water users. On the early projects, no monies were provided 

to clear reservoir areas or remove construction plant and temporary buildings, and this had 

resulted in “unsightly surroundings” according to Commissioner Page. In a letter to Secretary of 

the Interior Harold Ickes, he identified recreation as increasingly important to Reclamation 

projects and felt it essential to improve the appearance of government property. He identified 

recreation as the third major class of work being accomplished by the CCC on Reclamation 

projects. See Box 68, Entry 22, RG 115. 

15 “Final Report, Civilian Conservation Activities, Bureau of Reclamation,” February 1943, p. 3, 

Box 44, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

16 Alfred Golze, “C.C.C. Accomplishments on Reclamation Projects,” The Reclamation Era 27 

(January 1937), 20. 

17 Alfred Golze, “Civilian Conservation Corps Accomplishments on Federal Reclamation 

Projects,” The Reclamation Era 28 (September 1938), 192. 18 Alfred Golze, “C. C. C. and Emergency Work,” The Reclamation Era 27 (August 1937), 

188-190. 

19 Alfred Golze, “Reclamation Work Trains C.C.C. Men,” The Reclamation Era 27 

(February 1937), 38-39. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

46

20 Letter from H. Bashore, Assistant Commissioner, to P.E. Gurvin, December 31, 1940, Box 1, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

21 Alfred Golze, “Reclamation Work Trains C.C.C. Men,” 38-39. 22 Alfred Golze, “Reclamation Trains the CCC Enrollee,” The Reclamation Era 29 (March 1939), 

62-64. 

23 Joseph M. Speakman, “Into the Woods: The First Year of the Civilian Conservation Corps,” 

Prologue 38, No. 3 (Fall 2006). 24 Alfred Golze, “CCC Accomplishments on Federal Reclamation Projects, Fiscal Year 1940,” 

The Reclamation Era 30 (November 1940), 318. 25 Ibid, 320. 

26 Letter from F.C. Youngblutt to Commissioner John Page dated January 21, 1939, Box 71, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

27 “Period Report of Emergency Conservation Work Camps Under Bureau of Reclamation, 

Klamath Project, Sixth Enrollment Period,” on file at Reclamation’s Klamath Office. 28 “Narrative Report on CCC for the Ninth Enrollment Period Ending September 30, 1937, 

BR Camp No. 7,” Box 49, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

29 In March 1939, the Commissioner of Reclamation was notified that the film had been selected 

for showing in the Federal building at the Golden Gate International Exposition. The selection 

was made on the basis that the film provided an excellent representation of the work conducted by 

the U.S. Department of the Interior. It appears that a second film of CCC activities on the 

Newlands and Central Valley Projects was produced in 1939 by chief photographer B.D. Glaha of 

the Sacramento office. Neither film has been located. See Box 35, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

30 Emergency Conservation Work, “Report of the Director of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Embracing Activities From April 5, 1933 through June 30, 1935,” p. 37, Box 47, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

31 “Rumor of Abandonment of CCC Camps on Reclamation Projects Worries Fallon,” Fallon 

Eagle, January 22, 1938, Box 34, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 32 Letter from Commissioner John Page to Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes dated July 26, 

1937, Box 68, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

33 “Write Congressmen About This,” Powell Tribune, January 20, 1938, Box 34, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

34 “CCC Work to Continue on Reclamation Projects,” The Reclamation Era 28 (April 1938), 74. 35 Ibid. 

36 Memo from R.B. Williams, Acting Commissioner, to all CCC field offices, March 15, 1938, 

Box 45, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. Conformance with the uniform 

requirements was taken seriously and became one of the items noted in camp administrative 

inspection reports. For example, in a July 1940 report for Camps BR-84 and BR-85, inspector 

Homer D. Graham wrote that Superintendent Eich had, on several occasions, worn a green hat that 

did not comply with the prescribed style and shade of green (Homer D. Graham, “Report of 

Administrative Inspector, July 18, 1940,” Box 91, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

37 “Economy Stroke at Deaver CCC Camp,” Powell Tribune, March 7, 1940, Box 145, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

38 “100 CCC Workers Go On Strike at Camp Near Reno,” Reno-Evening Gazette, November 30, 

1936, 12. 
Chapter 2: The Bureau of Reclamation’s CCC Program 

47

39 Kenneth Baldridge, “Nine Years of Achievement: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Utah,” 

Ph.D. diss., Brigham Young University, May 1971), 233; letter from S.O. Harper, chief engineer, 

to L.H. Bixby, Lt. Colonel, Fort Lincoln, North Dakota, February 20, 1941, Box 81, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver; memo from S.O. Harper, chief engineer, to construction 

engineer, Hemingford, Nebraska, July 15, 1941, Box 115, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver; memo from H.W. Bashore, Acting Commissioner, for the Director of the Grazing 

Service, March 8, 1941, Box 12, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver; letter from 

H.E. Weatherwax, acting departmental representative on the advisory council, CCC, to 

Fred Norrell, U.S. Department of Agriculture representative on the advisory council, CCC, 

September 8, 1941, Box 12, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver; and memo from 

Walker Young, acting chief engineer, to Commissioner, August 15, 1941, Box 86, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

40 Memo from A.R. Golze to Reclamation Commissioner, December 24, 1941, Box 44, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver; letter from Conrad L. Wirth to J.J. McEntee, January 8, 1942, 

Box 44, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

41 Memo from Reclamation Commissioner to Chief Engineer dated March 6, 1942, Box 115, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

42 Memo from A.R. Golze to Commissioner Page, April 2, 1942, Box 44, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

43 Reclamation’s seven remaining camps were Camps BR-64, BR-93, BR-95, BR-97, BR-99, 

BR-101, and BR-102. 

44 Memo from Avis M. Dyson to Commissioner Bashore, March 29, 1944, Box 13, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

49

Chapter 3 

Conclusion 

Even though Reclamation was but a minor recipient of CCC benefits (in 

April 1937, Reclamation was assigned 34 camps, which represented only 

1.7 percent of the total number), the Bureau continually touted the positive results 

attained by the enrollees. The assignment of CCC camps to Reclamation 

occurred at a time when western agriculture was in critical straits. Work 

completed by the enrollees helped revitalize an array of existing irrigation 

projects and brought new water to other areas. A few figures illustrate the 

impressive volume of accomplishments of CCC forces on Reclamation facilities: 

more than 60,000,000 square yards of canals and drainage ditches were cleaned or 

cleared; 1,800,000 square yards of canal were lined with impervious material, and 

2,800,000 square yards were riprapped for protection against erosion; 3,000 miles 

of operating roads had been constructed along canal banks; 39,000 acres of 

reservoir sites were cleared of brush and trees; and 15,800 water control structures 

had been built. The contributions of the CCC were summarized in Reclamation’s 

final report on the program as follows: 

The fine work of the Civilian Conservation Corps by 1942 had brought the Federal 

irrigation projects back to a high standard of physical excellence. The irrigation 

systems are now in generally good condition, able to deliver required amounts of water 

and by the permanency of their rehabilitation they are insured against interruptions of 

consequence.1

Equally important, Reclamation’s CCC program succeeded in putting desperate 

young men to work. The experience equipped enrollees with valuable skills and 

training that opened new doors for a more promising future. The CCC offered an 

opportunity “to learn in the great outdoors—how to work, how to live, and how to 

get ahead.”2
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

50 

Endnotes for Conclusion 

1

 “Final Report, Civilian Conservation Corps Activities, Bureau of Reclamation,” 5. 

2 Congressional Record, 76th Congress, 1st Session, Senate (February 2, 1939), 1065. 
51

Bibliography 

The best sources of information on Reclamation’s CCC program are the records 

located at the National Archives, Rocky Mountain Region, in Denver, Colorado. 

Reclamation’s CCC records can be found in Record Group 115 under a number of 

different entries beginning with 21 and ending with 34. Among other things, the 

wealth of records contain a variety of weekly, monthly, and yearly reports for the 

various camps; publicity; correspondence; financial records; standard forms 

reporting completion of authorized work; records of employees; clippings from 

newspapers and congressional records; and photographs. The most widely used 

CCC records for this book are found in entries 21, 22, 26, and 31. They are titled, 

respectively, “Records of the Supervising Engineer of the Bureau of Reclamation 

in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work,” “General Records of the Bureau of 

Reclamation Relating to CCC Activities,” “Work Progress Reports,” and 

“Photographs and Related Correspondence.” Reclamation project histories, 

which document the construction of individual projects, are another valuable 

source of information on CCC project activities. These volumes are arranged 

alphabetically by Reclamation project and can be found in Record Group 115, 

Entry 10, at the National Archives in Denver. 

Books 

Egan, Timothy. The Worst Hard Time. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 

2006. 

Kolvet, Renee, and Victoria Ford. The Civilian Conservation Corps in Nevada. 

Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press, 2006. 

Melzer, Richard. Coming of Age in the Great Depression, The Civilian 

Conservation Corps Experience in New Mexico, 1933-1942. Las Cruces, 

New Mexico: Yucca Tree Press, April 2000. 

Rowley, William D. The Bureau of Reclamation: Origins and Growth to 1945. 

Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2006. 

Salmond, John A. The Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942. Durham, North 

Carolina: Duke University Press, 1967.
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

52

Journal and Newspaper Articles 

“100 CCC Workers Go On Strike at Camp Near Reno.” Reno Evening Gazette

(November 30, 1936), 12. 

Austin, Judith. “The CCC in Idaho.” Idaho Yesterdays 27, No.3 (1983). 

“CCC Work to Continue on Reclamation Projects.” The Reclamation Era 28 

(April 1938), 74. 

Cory, Dr. H.T. “Civilian Conservation Corps Work on Reclamation Projects.” 

The Reclamation Era 25 (January 1935), 22-23. 

“Economy Stroke at Deaver CCC Camp.” Powell Tribune ( March 7, 1940). 

Golze, Alfred R. “C.C.C. Accomplishments on Reclamation Projects.” The

Reclamation Era 27 (January 1937), 21. 

 . “CCC Accomplishments on Federal Reclamation Projects, 

Fiscal Year 1940.” The Reclamation Era 30 (November 1940), 318-320. 

 . “C.C.C. and Emergency Work.” The Reclamation Era 27 

(August 1937), 188-190. 

____________ . “The CCC on Federal Reclamation Projects.” Civil Engineering

9 (November 1939), 654-666. 

 . “Civilian Conservation Corps Accomplishments on Federal 

Reclamation Projects, Fiscal Year 1938.” The Reclamation Era 28 (September 

1938), 190-192. 

 . “Operation and Maintenance of CCC Equipment on 

Reclamation Projects—Its Relation to National Defense.” The Reclamation Era 

31 (April 1941), 118. 

 . “Reclamation Trains the CCC Enrollee.” The Reclamation Era 

29 (March 1939), 62-64. 

 . “Reclamation Work Trains C.C.C. Men.” The Reclamation Era

27 (February 1937), 38-39. 

Haskin, Frederic. “Praises Record of C.C.C. Camp.” The Sunday Washington 

Star (August 11, 1940). 
Bibliography 

53

“Rumor of Abandonment of CCC Camps on Reclamation Projects Worries 

Fallon.” Fallon Eagle (January 22, 1938). 

Speakman, Joseph. “Into the Woods: The First Year of the Civilian Conservation 

Corps.” Prologue 38 (Fall 2006). 

Sullivan, Ralph. “Job Training in the Reclamation CCC Camps.” The 

Reclamation Era 29 (July 1939), 184-186. 

“Write Congressmen about this.” Powell Tribune (January 20, 1938). 

U.S. Government Documents 

Emergency Conservation Work. Report of the Director of Emergency 

Conservation Work Embracing Activities from April 5, 1933 through June 30, 

1935. 

Federal Security Agency. Annual Report of the Director of the Civilian 

Conservation Corps, Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1942. Box 47, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

U.S. Congress, House. “Accomplishments of the CCC – Need for Its 

Continuance.” Includes radio address by Col. Robert Fechner. Appendix to the 

Congressional Record. Congressional Record. 76th Congress, 1st Session, April 4, 

1939. 

U.S. Congress, House. “Appropriations for Work Relief and Relief.” 

Congressional Record. 76th Congress, 1st Session, January 13, 1939. 

U.S. Congress, House. “National Youth Administration.” Congressional Record. 

76th Congress, 3rd Session, March 21, 1940. 

U.S. Congress, Senate. “The C.C.C. and National Defense.” Article by James J. 

McEntee reprinted in appendix to Congressional Record. 76th Congress, 

3rd Session, August 13, 1940. 

U.S. Congress, Senate. “The C.C.C. – A Young Man’s Opportunity.” 

Congressional Record. 76th Congress, 1st Session, February 2, 1939. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture. Forest Service. The Forest Service and the 

Civilian Conservation Corps: 1933-42. By Alison T. Otis et al. August 1986. 
The Bureau of Reclamation and the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942 

54

U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. The Civilian 

Conservation Corps and the National Park Service, 1933-42, An Administrative 

History. By John C. Paige. 1985. 

Correspondence 

K. Wolfe. Personal communication. Memo from K. Wolfe, Liaison Officer, 

CCC, North Corps Area to Technical Services, March 13, 1941, Box 1, Entry 1, 

RG 49, National Archives, Denver. 

Other Sources 

Baldridge, Kenneth. “Nine Years of Achievement: The Civilian Conservation 

Corps in Utah.” Ph.D., Brigham Young University, May 1971. 

Leake, Fred, and Ray Carter. “Roosevelt’s Tree Army: A Brief History of the 

Civilian Conservation Corps.” From the pamphlet by the National Association of 

CCC Alumni. See <http://www.geocities.com/ccchistory/treearmy.html>. 

Parham, Robert. “The Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado.” MA, 

University of Colorado, 1981. 

U.S. Forest Service. 

<http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/research/heritage/LookingBackTheCivilian 

ConservationCorpsandTheNationalForests.htm>. By Gerald Williams. 
Appendix A

Individual Camp Forms in Numerical Sequence

A-1

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

 

Camp Number BR-1 Camp Name Minatare 

State Nebraska County Scotts Bluff 

Location Lake Minatare, T. 23 N., R. 53 W., sec. 31 

Reclamation Project North Platte Army Corps Area 7 

Date Established July 1934 Date Terminated May 15, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The expansive North Platte Project was among the first five projects authorized under the Reclamation 

Act of 1902. Project lands span 111 miles along the North Platte River from Guernsey, Wyoming, to 

Bridgeport, Nebraska. Features include five storage dams, four diversion dams, one pumping plant, 

one powerplant, and about 2,000 miles of canals, laterals, and drains. Among the storage facilities is 

Minatare Dam, located northeast of Scotts Bluff. The dam creates a relatively small irrigation storage 

reservoir named Lake Minatare. With a shoreline of about 10 miles, this lake was selected as the site 

for Camp Minatare, BR-1. 

Camp BR-1 was one of six CCC camps that operated on the North Platte Project; the others included 

Camps BR-9, BR-10, BR-53, BR-61, and BR-83. Construction of Camp BR-1 began with the arrival of 

the first enrollees in late July 1934, and was completed December 31, 1934. The camp was initially 

called Camp DBR-1, which designated it as a drought relief camp. These camps were part of the 

CCC program but were confined to States that had suffered severely from drought and were financed 

by drought relief funds. The camp was also identified as Veterans Conservation Corps Camp (VCCC) 

2745, signaling that enrollees were veterans. Their average age, at least initially, was 42. 

With the manpower available under the CCC program, Lake Minatare’s use was expanded to include 

recreational facilities. Each year, time was allotted for enrollees to work on development of the lake 

area. When Camp BR-1 enrollees arrived there in the summer of 1934, they found the shoreline thickly 

overgrown with saplings and underbrush. The fertile sandy loam edging the lake offered an ideal bed 

for cottonwoods and willows to grow. 

The first job tackled by the CCC enrollees consisted of thinning trees, which left the largest and 

healthiest in place. The young men also removed undesirable species of willows to create space for 

picnic areas. The CCC carried out these activities during the winter. Next, the enrollees constructed a 

variety of facilities, using stone as the predominant building material. Rock was obtained from a 

quarry opened up about 8 miles from camp. Working only with hand tools, crews removed a lot of 

earth and poor quality material to expose the better rock. 

Having quarried suitable stones, enrollees built a gateway of native rock creating an entrance to both 

CCC camp and park. The main columns forming the portals were 18 feet high and readily visible for 

many miles on the road leading to the park. The men then built 23 rustic rock camp ovens at the 

reservoir in conjunction with 2 campgrounds. Continuing with the recreational improvements, 

enrollees constructed more than 50 combination picnic benches and tables from pine poles and slabs. 

By the fall of 1936, the list of CCC accomplishments included two double toilets, a bathhouse for men 

and women, and two shelters, all of native rock quarried, cut, and placed by enrollees. One shelter, 

which still stands, contained a large room with a fireplace and rustic furniture, a kitchen equipped with 

a cooking range, and a smaller room for wood storage. A large covered porch flanked two sides of the 

building. 
A-2

Camp BR-1, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

A local civic organization sponsored the shelter and raised money for the construction materials. The 

group furnished all the roofing materials, partitions, doors, windows, and hardware. As an additional 

enhancement to the lake, enrollees constructed a 10-mile drive around the perimeter. 

The most ambitious structure built by the Camp BR-1 enrollees, and perhaps the most interesting of all 

Reclamation CCC edifices, is the five-story combination observation tower and picnic shelter located 

on a point extending into the lake. Robert B. Balcom, a Reclamation engineer and senior foreman at 

the camp, prepared the plans for the tower. Constructed of native rock, the structure rises 55 feet and 

resembles a lighthouse. A circular reinforced concrete staircase leads to an observation deck at the top. 

In an article written at the time of the tower’s completion, the author exclaimed that the view from the 

top included two famous landmarks of the Oregon Trail: Scotts Bluff and Chimney Rock (The

Reclamation Era 1940). At the base of the structure, four rooms were placed in the form of a cross. 

Two of the wings served as bathhouses, and the other two formed semi-open picnic shelters. 

Lake Minatare also served as a valuable bird and game refuge. Enrollees planted hardwood trees such 

as American elm, green ash, hackberry, ponderosa pine, and cedar to intersperse with the more 

short-lived willows and cottonwoods. The trees were raised in two nurseries operated by the enrollees. 

They planted mulberries, plums, choke cherries, and grapevines to attract and feed the many birds. 

Areas immediately surrounding the permanent buildings were landscaped with shrubs. The CCC 

transformed an area once considered desolate into a shade-filled refuge. 

The newly created park began drawing visitors right away. By 1940, it was not uncommon on 

weekends for 500 cars to enter the park. Picnicking, boating, fishing, swimming, and camping were 

popular activities at the lake. Three wells drilled by enrollees furnished water to thirsty recreationists. 

Work by the CCC was described as follows: “The enrollee veterans are conscientious in their work and 

take great pride in what they have accomplished, as well they may. Lake Minatare park will remain as 

an enduring monument to the VCCC and to the Bureau of Reclamation Camp No. 1” (The Reclamation 

Era 1940). Given the taxing physical labor undertaken by the veterans, it is not surprising that they 

worked at a slower pace than the younger men at other camps and accomplished less in the same time. 

This concerned Reclamation’s camp Administrative Inspector Homer D. Graham, who believed that 

due to their age and physical condition, veterans should be assigned less strenuous work. 

In addition to the highly visible and attractive improvements at Lake Minatare, Camp BR-1 enrollees 

achieved a great deal in the urgent work of lining laterals with concrete, building minor concrete water 

control structures, riprapping canals and laterals, eradicating gophers and poisonous weeds, and 

planting tens of thousands of trees for windbreaks. They also planted drought and alkali resistant 

forage crops to demonstrate viable farming practices. 

Today, the outstanding accomplishments of the CCC still endure at Lake Minatare, now managed as a 

State recreation area by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The south entrance gate and smaller 

main entrance gate, lighthouse, shelter house, and bathhouse continue to exemplify the high-quality 

masonry work produced by the enrollees. On September 8, 2004, the Nebraska State Historic 

Preservation Office determined the CCC era resources at Lake Minatare eligible for inclusion on the 

National Register of Historic Places. 
A-3

Camp BR-1 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-1 was built adjacent to Lake Minatare on land belonging to Reclamation. When the 

enrollees arrived in July 1934, they first established a tent camp. Construction of winter quarters was 

initiated shortly thereafter, and by the end of September the men had moved into barracks. Buildings at 

the camp consisted of 10 barracks, officers’ quarters, administration building, hospital, recreation hall, 

mess hall and kitchen, bathhouse, and latrine. There was also a garage and storehouse. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

On August 1, 1942, the camp was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, 

under the jurisdiction of the Commanding Officer, Scotts Bluff Air Base. Over the next year and a half, 

the camp was used occasionally by air base personnel for recreational purposes. Five buildings had 

been removed by that time. Today, nothing remains of the camp, except for some foundations and a 

fireplace that was in one of the CCC buildings. The property is still owned by Reclamation. 

SOURCES 

E-mail and phone correspondence with Dan Thornton, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 

April 2008. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, North Platte Project, 1934 through 1942, Boxes 400 through 

403, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Administrative and Project Records 1930-1945, Box 182, Entry 7, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 48, and 124, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, Box 2, 

Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

“The Recreational Development of Lake Minatare,” The Reclamation Era 30 (May 1940), 129-30. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-4

Camp BR-1: North Platte Project, camp layout, July 1937 (Reclamation, Wyoming Area 

Office). 

Camp BR-1: North Platte Project, sketch of entrance gate by R.B. Balcom, January 1935 

(Box 181, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-5

Camp BR-1: North Platte Project, lighthouse, 2008 (courtesy of 

Dan Thornton, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission). 

Camp BR-1: North Platte Project, change house, 2008 (courtesy of Dan 

Thornton, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission). 
A-6

Camp BR-1: North Platte Project, shelter house, 2008 (courtesy of Dan 

Thornton, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission). 

Camp BR-1: North Platte Project, plaque on shelter 

house, 2008 (courtesy of Dan Thornton, Nebraska 

Game and Parks Commission). 
A-7

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-2 Camp Name Fruitdale 

State South Dakota County Butte 

Location South end of Belle Fourche Dam, T. 9 N., R. 3 E., sec. 19 

Reclamation Project Belle Fourche Army Corps Area 7 

Date Established July 16, 1934 Date Terminated May 18, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The Belle Fourche Project in western South Dakota became the location for Camp Fruitdale, BR-2. 

Authorized on May 10, 1904, the Belle Fourche Project irrigates some 57,000 acres in the general area 

of Newell, Vale, and Nisland, South Dakota, along the valley of the Belle Fourche River. The largest 

project feature is Belle Fourche Dam, originally known as Orman Dam. The south end of this massive 

earthfill storage dam was the site selected for Camp BR-2. 

Camp BR-2 belonged among the first nine CCC camps allotted to Reclamation. Originally, it was 

designated Camp DBR-2, indicating its authorization as a drought relief camp. These camps were part 

of the CCC program, but were confined to States that suffered severely from drought and were financed 

by drought relief funds. Camp BR-2 operated continuously from its establishment until it closed in 

May 1942. 

In July 1934, the CCC assigned Company 2750 to the Belle Fourche Project. Shortly thereafter, the 

first enrollees arrived at the site of Camp BR-2, where they initially lived in tents. Preparations began 

immediately for establishing permanent quarters. Within about 60 days, a force of carpenters and 

helpers had erected 21 buildings on a broad, grassy terrace below the south end of Belle Fourche Dam. 

The buildings were arranged in a semicircle around an open courtyard, with a flagpole in the middle. 

Modern conveniences included electric lights, running water, and showers. Eight barracks housed 

25 men each. Initially, at least, the enrollees consisted mostly of South Dakota farm boys. A civilian 

camp superintendent, seven foremen, a mechanic, and the project director made up the technical staff. 

The principal work objective of Camp BR-2 enrollees consisted of rehabilitating the irrigation system 

on the Belle Fourche Project. By then, the project had been in operation for almost 25 years, and many 

features needed repair or replacement. A plant for the construction of precast concrete pipe was built at 

the Belle Fourche Project headquarters in Newell, South Dakota. There, the CCC undertook the 

fabrication of concrete pipes of assorted sizes and lengths to replace deteriorated or deficient metal and 

wooden irrigation structures. Enrollees accomplished this valuable activity when field conditions were 

unsuitable for other jobs. 

 

Manufacture of concrete pipe began on September 28, 1935. Some of the siphons completed by the 

CCC forces included the 3,200-foot-long North Canal Siphon, the 950-foot-long Dry Creek Siphon, 

and the 290-foot-long Stinkingwater Siphon. In 1939, enrollees constructed the concrete Cottonwood 

Flume across the South Canal, and, in 1940 and 1941, they rerouted two sections of the Indian Creek 

Lateral, one through a 408-foot-long concrete pipeline, the other through a 650-foot-long concrete 

pipeline. CCC crews replaced a total of 1,281 old wooden and unserviceable water control structures 

with concrete ones of more modern design. These included drops, chutes, culverts, checks, and 

turnouts. CCC youths also lined a total of 14,962 square yards of waterways with concrete and cleared 

hundreds of miles of canals and laterals of weeds and other vegetation. 
A-8

Camp BR-2, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

Additional work completed by the CCC consisted of improvements at Belle Fourche Dam. The 

enrollees resurfaced the top of the structure, placed riprap at conduit outlets, replaced concrete in the 

spillway chute, reconstructed the weir at the outlet works, and installed experimental wells. Crews also 

built recreational facilities at the dam and landscaped park grounds along the shore. Other endeavors 

included protecting canal banks with rock and brush riprap; constructing fences along Government 

rights-of-way; constructing ditchriders’ operating roads; leveling spoil banks along the canals, laterals, 

and drains; and painting flumes. 

Enrollees conducted a variety of activities intended to teach farmers about more successful cultivation 

practices. The CCC planted demonstration plots of strawberry clover, a valuable pasture crop that 

grows in seeped ground with a high alkaline content. Another educational effort consisted of planting 

brome grass along sections of ditch banks to keep weeds down and add valuable pasture on otherwise 

wasted space. The CCC conducted noxious weed eradication experiments at test plots using blades and 

chemicals. The camp also undertook a windbreak planting program. CCC crews planted trees raised 

by the Soil Conservation Service on farmers’ property free of charge. The variety of species available 

included green ash, honey locust, hackberry, wild plum, and Siberian pea. 

Aside from their work on the Belle Fourche Project, CCC enrollees assisted with various community 

improvements. They lined the swimming pool at Newell, installed and leveled runways at the Newell 

airport, improved the irrigation system and leveled the athletic field at the Newell school grounds, and 

relaid the water supply pipeline at the county fairgrounds. 

After work hours, enrollees participated in a variety of social activities or sports such as baseball or 

basketball. Oftentimes, “full truck loads” of enrollees drove to nearby towns during free time to attend 

picture shows or other forms of entertainment. 

The normal capacity of Camp BR-2 was 200 men. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

The buildings at the Belle Fourche CCC camp consisted of the permanent rigid type and were made 

from lumber purchased locally. 

In July 1934, camp construction began on nine barracks (20 feet by 60 feet), a garage, mess hall, 

hospital, recreation hall, bath house, headquarters buildings, officers’ quarters, and supply house. By 

November 1934, a total of 22 buildings had been erected. An artesian well drilled at the south end of 

the dam furnished water for the camp. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

On November 19, 1942, the director of the CCC authorized the War Department to transfer Camp BR-2 

to the Bureau of Reclamation. In a March 29, 1944, memo to Reclamation Commissioner Harry 

Bashore on the status of former CCC camps, Avis Dyson noted that Camp BR-2 was in the custody of 

Reclamation’s operation and maintenance organization. A few buildings had been removed, but the 

balance remained intact. Between 1944 and 1946, the War Department assumed control of the camp 

and used it to house German prisoners of war (POW) captured in 1943 in North Africa and Anzio, 

Italy, and in 1944 at Normandy. The German soldiers provided labor to local farmers. 

 
A-9

Camp BR-2, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

After 1946, all of the buildings disappeared over time, due to neglect, demolition, or, possibly, 

relocation. In November 1999, the site of BR-2 was recorded by Cynthia Kordecki, Jenny Bales, and 

Warren Miller of Anthropology Research at the University of North Dakota. At the time, the surveyors 

identified and mapped 27 features including foundation remains from several former structures and the 

only standing structure, an incinerator. 

In June 2002, Reclamation, in cooperation with the South Dakota National Guard, developed a 

permanent interpretive display at the south end of the former camp. A series of panels mounted on 

boulders tell the history of the construction of the reservoir and the CCC/POW camp. 

SOURCES 

“CCC Camp Conducts Demonstrational Plots—Windbreak Planting is Aided,” Belle Fourche Bee,

May 25, 1939. 

“CCC Camp Construction Work Started,” Belle Fourche Bee, July 27, 1934. 

Civilian Conservation Corps, Office of the Director, “A Report Covering the Activities of the 

CCC Camps Assigned to Reclamation Projects in Fourteen Western States, August 1934-May 31, 

1937," Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

F. C. Youngblutt, “Large Siphons of Belle Fourche Project,” draft article, February 2, 1939, Box 36, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Mary McCormick and Cynthia Kordecki, Belle Fourche Irrigation Project, 1999-2001 Cultural 

Resources Inventory and Evaluation, Grand Forks, North Dakota: Anthropology Research, Department 

of Anthropology, University of North Dakota, September 2002. 

Reclamation Annual Project Histories, Belle Fourche Project, 1934 through 1942, Boxes 22, 23, and 

24, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 36, 47, 48, and 81, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-10

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, camp site plan, corrected to June 13, 1941 (courtesy of Mary 

McCormick and Cynthia Kordecki, Belle Fourche Irrigation Project). 
A-11

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, CCC tent camp at Belle Fourche Dam, August 1934 (Box 22, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, CCC camp, Lt. H.E. Hennig, camp commander, and 

H.G. Gray, camp superintendent, in foreground, October 1934 (Box 22, Entry 10, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-12

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, transportation equipment leaving camp, April 1935 (Box 22, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, Company No. 2750 in front of mess hall, February 1935 

(Box 22, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-13

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, installing North Canal Siphon, June 23, 1936 (Box 23, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, form work for check reservoir drop, November 19, 1936 

(Box 23, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-14

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, new check outlet-reservoir drop, December 15, 

1936 (Box 23, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, completed 60-inch pipe being rolled out of plant, 

1940 (Box 23, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-15

Camp BR-2: Belle Fourche Project, repairing revetment, Belle Fourche Dam, 1940 

(Box 23, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-17

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-3 and BR-82 Camp Name Carlsbad 

State New Mexico County Eddy 

Location 2 miles west of Carlsbad on the Carlsbad-Roswell Highway 

BR-3: T. 21 S., R. 26 E., sec. 35; BR-82: adjacent to BR-3 

Reclamation Project Carlsbad Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established BR-3: September 1934 

BR-82: July 12, 1938 

Date Terminated BR-3: May 20, 1942 

BR-82: November 1, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Two CCC camps, Camp Carlsbad BR-3 and BR-82, were established on the Carlsbad Project in 

southeastern New Mexico near the city of Carlsbad. In 1905, Reclamation purchased the existing 

irrigation system on the Pecos River from the Pecos Irrigation Company and began much-needed repairs. 

Reclamation rehabilitated McMillan Dam and rebuilt Avalon Dam, a pre-Reclamation dam that was 

largely destroyed during a Pecos River flood in 1904. Later, Reclamation built Sumner Dam, originally 

called Alamogordo Dam, in 1936-37, and a drainage and distribution system that irrigates about 

25,000 acres of land. Much more recently, Brantley Dam replaced McMillan Dam, which was determined 

to be unsafe. After completion of the new dam, Reclamation drained McMillan Reservoir and breached 

McMillan Dam in 1991. 

Camp BR-3 was among the first nine CCC camps allotted to Reclamation, and it remained open almost 

until the termination of the CCC program. The camp was originally called Camp DBR-3, which 

designated it as a drought relief camp. These were identical to regular CCC camps but were confined to 

States that had suffered severely from drought. 

Camp construction began on July 29, 1934, and that Labor Day, 250 enrollees arrived from Fort Bliss, 

Texas. For the first month, they stayed in tents while the construction contractor, Gil N. Aims of Roswell, 

New Mexico, worked on the kitchen, bath house, and latrine. Initially, consideration was given to 

maintaining tents as sleeping quarters year round on account of the mild winters, but ultimately wood 

barracks were constructed instead. A gas main and electric line were brought into the camp, and a well 

was drilled to provide water. 

On September 10, 1934, enrollees started project work, which for the first month consisted of hand labor. 

The young men made repairs to the spillway tunnels at Lake Avalon, cleaned laterals, and constructed a 

pipeline for the camp water supply. By October, the camp had acquired a number of trucks, and work 

shifted to repairing features damaged by floods and reconstructing other features to afford greater 

protection in the event of future floods. 

Initially, the main focus of work for Camp BR-3 enrollees was McMillan Reservoir, an important storage 

unit of the Carlsbad Project. The reservoir had been built over a gypsum formation and began to leak 

badly after its completion. By 1934, the leaks had increased significantly, and coupled with deposits of 

silt in the reservoir, the supply of irrigation water had seriously diminished. Engineering surveys revealed 

that an extension and reconstruction of the East Embankment of the reservoir would resolve the leaks. 

In October 1934, the CCC began building the East Embankment extension, which consisted of a new dam 

2,200 feet long and 21 feet high. Enrollees completed the labor intensive work in October 1935. 
A-18

Camps BR-3 and BR-82, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

They quarried the rock (stratified limestone) by hand, without the use of explosives, and hauled it in dump 

trucks to the dam, an average distance of 2 miles. Enrollees hand-laid rocks used as riprap on the 

upstream face of the dam. The extension, together with the reconstruction of the old East Embankment, 

involved the placement of 58,230 cubic yards of earth fill and 10,270 cubic yards of rockfill and riprap. 

In a November 1934 draft article for The Reclamation Era, the author described the first company of 

enrollees at Carlsbad as follows: “Many of the men are inexperienced, but considering their extreme 

youth, many of the enrollees have shown marked interest and a willingness to learn, and their morale and 

efficiency have steadily improved.” On May 15, 1935, the initial group of enrollees was transferred to 

Wyoming and replaced by a company comprised of veterans who finished the McMillan Reservoir 

improvements. 

In mid-November 1935, CCC enrollees began overhauling the dam and spillways at Avalon Reservoir. 

The improvements were intended to increase the safety factor of these features in the event of floodflows. 

The CCC raised the main dam 6 feet in height by constructing a rock masonry wall on the upstream face 

and earthfill and rockfill on the downstream face. Spillway No. 2 channel was improved by straightening 

it, and Spillway No. 3 was protected by a rock masonry crest. By July 1936 the dam and spillway 

enhancements were 90 percent complete. 

Other work undertaken during this same time included clearing the main canal of growth along its banks 

and eliminating rodents. A crew of 12 men under a foreman started the latter task in November 1935. 

During February 1936, the CCC youths prepared ground for a tree nursery and, the next month, planted 

about 10,500 seedlings, mostly of Chinese elms. Once large enough for transplanting, the trees were 

distributed to owners of lands under the project. Apparently, the work completed by the CCC was well 

received by the local citizens; a newspaper article published on June 28, 1936, reported that “The camp 

has blended in and become a part of the community. Never has a word of adverse criticism been heard” 

(Daily Current-Argus 1936). 

Between May 31 and June 10, 1937, rising floodwaters of the Pecos River threatened McMillan Dam with 

failure. During the peak of the flood, on May 31, a serious crack developed in the dam, and water started 

pouring from the leak. CCC enrollees patrolling the dam quickly blocked the leak with sandbags. 

Thereafter, all CCC enrollees were directed to emergency flood protection work there. Crews of 22 to 

24 CCC men were on constant duty at the dam until June 3, when reports of further flood water coming 

down the valley required the assistance of additional CCC men from nearby U.S. Forest Service and 

Division of Grazing camps. Men from all three camps worked continuously in shifts from the morning of 

June 4 through the morning of June 6, placing sandbags on the reservoir face of the dam where leaks 

might occur at high water. As a result of the emergency work of the CCC enrollees, the dam withstood 

the pounding floodwaters, and the city of Carlsbad, with the surrounding irrigated valley, was saved from 

damage. 

Following the flooding, Camp BR-3 enrollees were later directed to rehabilitate both McMillan and 

Avalon dams. J.R. Yates, superintendent of Camps BR-3 and, later, BR-82 as well, had immediate charge 

of the CCC forces involved in the project. Actual work on the major reconstruction of McMillan Dam 

began in November 1937. CCC crews removed the top 11 feet of the dam and replaced it with compacted 

earthfill, raising the crest to a new structural height of 57 feet. Using heavy-duty trucks, the enrollees 

hauled rock riprap from a quarry about 1 1⁄2 miles away and dumped it on the upstream face of the 

embankment. They then spread the rocks into place. As part of the construction, the CCC also added 
A-19

Camps BR-3 and BR-82, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

a 2-foot-wide sand and gravel filter against the upper 12 feet of the dam’s original hand-laid stone wall. 

On the downstream toe of the dam, crews installed 1,350 feet of drainage tile. 

Other work at McMillan Dam included improvements to the headgate structure, outlet channel, and 

Spillway No. 2. Immediately below the headgates, a large cavity had formed in the outlet channel due to 

water releases through the gates. A considerable amount of the eroded material had washed down further 

into the channel. CCC crews were tasked with reconstructing this channel. The work involved excavating 

and regrading the channel, backfilling the cavity with compacted rock and gravel, and pouring a 

reinforced concrete apron, 15 inches thick, on the channel floor for a distance of 100 feet below the 

headgates. The CCC also built rock masonry retaining walls near the headgates, which served not only a 

safety function but also improved the appearance of the gate structure. 

Having nearly completed the rehabilitation of McMillan Dam by the end of March 1938, the CCC forces 

next made repairs to Spillway No. 2. During the floods, a large hole had washed out immediately below 

the lower part of the spillway. The repairs involved excavating all of the loose rock from the cavity and 

building a rock masonry and concrete protective wall along the spillway. 

From January 1938 to March 1938, CCC forces and equipment were also employed on improving and 

widening Spillway Channel No. 2 at Avalon Dam. Enrollees excavated rock and gravel that had been 

deposited in the channel, poured a concrete floor in the upper end of the channel to prevent erosion, and 

built a rock wall on the east side of the spillway to prevent erosion of that side of the channel. 

Upon completion of the rehabilitation of both dams, the following was reported: “A great deal of interest 

and enthusiasm was maintained by the CCC boys throughout the reconstruction of the McMillan Dam and 

the enlargement of the spillway channel at the Avalon Dam. The men were given an opportunity to 

participate in major construction jobs and were able to observe modern construction practices at close 

range. Many of the boys received excellent training in the handling of both light and heavy construction 

equipment.” (The Reclamation Era 1939). As a result of the experience gained, several enrollees found 

jobs with private contractors shortly after the work was finished. 

During fiscal year 1939, a second CCC camp, BR-82, was established on the Carlsbad Project adjacent to 

Camp BR-3. The original occupants of the new camp, members of Company No. 320, arrived on July 12, 

1938. That same year, some of the enrollees were stationed at Alamogordo Dam, where they constructed 

buildings for a side camp and started making improvements for recreational use of the reservoir area. 

Crews eventually planted over 18,000 trees, installed fencing, and laid a water line. Enrollees at the main 

camp were primarily occupied lining canals and laterals on the project with concrete and, in some 

instances, with rubble masonry. At Avalon Dam, landscaping was installed in the area of the dam tender’s 

house. Approved work included terracing a steep and rocky slope and planting it with grass, building a 

stone wall at the side and rear of the caretaker’s house, dismantling an old warehouse and building a new 

one, and constructing a 2.35-mile-long truck trail road. 

During fiscal year 1940, CCC enrollees continued to be engaged in numerous activities. At Alamogordo 

Dam, the men completed more recreational enhancements and conducted some work to improve the 

spillway channel below the dam. Flood control operations were completed at Hackberry Draw, 

which included enlarging the existing embankment and channel to allow for greater flows. CCC 

enrollees continued the work of lining project canals and laterals with concrete or rock. Other 
A-20

Camps BR-3 and BR-82, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

CCC accomplishments included the construction of 153 water control structures (primarily concrete), 

eradication of rodents and other predators, and the installation of 36 miles of ditchriders’ roads. As at 

other camps, CCC enrollees had the opportunity to participate in educational programs and were given 

extensive safety training. 

Camp BR-82 closed on November 1, 1941, and the enrollees, who belonged to Company No. 3820, 

transferred to Camp BR-3. About 25 men from the main camp were assigned to continue work at 

Alamogordo Dam, where they built picnic tables and fireplaces in the recreational area and continued 

fencing along the reservoir. The enrollees were quartered at Soil Conservation Service Camp 23-N. 

Camp BR-3, then occupied by Company No. 850, shut down on May 20, 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-3 was built on 10 acres of Government land and 30 acres of private land. Apparently, 

Camp BR-82 was constructed adjacent to Camp BR-3. Included in the temporary occupancy permit 

issued to the Air Forces Advanced Flying School at the Carlsbad Air Base in June 1942 (see 

“Disposition/Current Status”) is a list of 57 frame portable and frame rigid buildings and permanent 

fixtures on the property. Among the buildings are 10 barracks (3 were frame portable [20 feet by 

150 feet]; 6 were frame rigid [20 feet by 94 feet]; and 1 was frame rigid (20 feet by 56 feet]), a recreation 

hall, a mess hall, an infirmary, an auditorium, 2 educational buildings, an officers’ quarters, an army 

office, 2 bath houses, 2 latrines, a workshop, a camp exchange, a barber shop, a technical main shop, a 

projectory room, and a number of other smaller buildings. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

Following the closure of both camps, a temporary occupancy permit was issued to the Air Forces 

Advanced Flying School at Carlsbad Air Force Base. On September 22, 1942, the camps were turned 

over to the Army Air Base and remained under its jurisdiction at least until the end of March 1944. At 

that time, about one-third of the buildings had been removed and the remaining buildings were vacant. 

Final disposition is unknown. 

SOURCES 

“CCC Accomplishments on Federal Reclamation Projects, Fiscal Year 1940,” The Reclamation Era 30 

(November 1940), 318. 

“CCC and Emergency Work,” The Reclamation Era 27 (August 1937), 188-190. 

“CCC Reconstructs McMillan Dam and the Avalon Spillway, Carlsbad Project,” The Reclamation Era 29 

(April 1939), 72-73, 79. 

CCC, Office of the Director, “A Report Covering the Activities of Civilian Conservation Corps Camps 

Assigned to Reclamation Projects in 14 Western States, August 1934 - May 31, 1937," for release to 

afternoon papers, July 3, 1937, Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

“Emergency Conservation Work, D. B. R. 3, Camp Carlsbad, New Mexico,” draft article for The 

Reclamation Era, no author, November 1934, Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 
A-21

Camps BR-3 and BR-82, Sources (continued) 

“Light and Gas Will Be Given Carlsbad CCC,” Daily Current-Argus, July 27, 1934. 

M. Hufstetler and L. Johnson, Renewable Technologies, Inc., Carlsbad Irrigation District, National 

Register of Historic Places registration form, 1991. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 47, 48, and 89, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, Box 4, 

Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Boxes 2 and 15, Entry 26, National Archives, Denver. 

“Veterans’ Help Keeps Project in Good Shape,” Daily Current-Argus, June 28, 1936. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camps BR-3 and BR-82: Carlsbad Project, view of CCC camp at Alamagordo Dam, December 20, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-22

Camps BR-3 and BR-82: Carlsbad Project, canal lining project, April 30, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camps BR-3 and BR-82: Carlsbad Project, canal lining project, April 30, 1940 (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-23

Camps BR-3 and BR-82: Carlsbad Project, canal rehabilitation, September 17, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camps BR-3 and BR-82: Carlsbad Project, terraces at dam tender’s quarters, 

Avalon Dam, December 10, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-24

Camps BR-3 and BR-82: Carlsbad Project, dam tender’s quarters at Avalon Dam, December 10, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-25

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-4 Camp Name Ysleta 

State Texas County El Paso 

Location Two miles northeast of Ysleta on a mesa 

Reclamation Project Rio Grande Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established August 1934 Date Terminated November 30, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Ysleta, BR-4, was among the first nine CCC camps allotted to the Bureau of Reclamation, and 

the first of four Reclamation camps assigned to the Rio Grande Project. The other three camps were 

BR-8, BR-39, and BR-54. 

Authorized by the Secretary of the Interior on December 2, 1905, the Rio Grande Project furnishes 

irrigation water to over 178,000 acres of land in the Rio Grande Valley in south-central New Mexico 

and west Texas. About 60 percent of the lands receiving water are in New Mexico; 40 percent are in 

Texas. Storage for the project is provided in Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs, both in New 

Mexico. Other features include 6 diversion dams, 139 miles of canals, 457 miles of laterals, 465 miles 

of drains, and a hydroelectric powerplant. 

Originally, Camp BR-4 was designated as Camp DBR-4, indicating its status as a drought relief camp. 

These were part of the CCC program, but were confined to States that had suffered severely from the 

drought and were financed by drought relief funds. Altogether, there were six DBR camps among the 

first nine Reclamation camps. 

The first enrollees assigned to Camp BR-4 belonged to Company No. 1854, which was composed of 

230 men. Although construction of the camp was not completed until September 22, 1934, enrollees 

began project work in August as soon as trucks for their use arrived on site. The primary focus of 

Camp BR-4 throughout its existence consisted of improvements to the irrigation and drainage system 

in the El Paso Valley and the Texas part of the Mesilla Valley. 

The first work undertaken by CCC enrollees involved building up and surfacing the banks of a section 

of the Franklin Canal that ran through the eastern part of El Paso, where they had been worn away by 

pedestrian and auto traffic. A concrete core was placed in the canal banks to prevent breaks by 

gophers. Initial work by the CCC also included construction of new buildings at the Reclamation yard 

at Ysleta. These buildings consisted of a division office and storehouse, machine shop, foundry, 

carpenter shop, cement house, oil house, and two lumber sheds and creosoting vat, all enclosed by a 

stone fence. Except for the lumber sheds and carpenter shop, all of the buildings were constructed of 

adobe with stucco finish inside. Reclamation contributed about $20,000 towards this endeavor for 

skilled labor and materials. 

Improvements to the Franklin Canal continued over a number of years. Considerable effort went into 

planning and building an operating road on the banks of the canal, which extended for over 30 miles. 

This involved raising and surfacing sandy places, grading and widening other areas, and installing 

concrete cores along some stretches. 

Along other canals and laterals, enrollees replaced many of the old deteriorating timber farm turnouts 

with reinforced concrete boxes equipped with cast iron screw lift gates. Reclamation paid for the gates 
A-26

Camp BR-4, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

from operation and maintenance funds; the camp furnished all other material and labor. To protect 

canal banks below check structures, CCC crews placed concrete along the banks. Other improvements 

to the irrigation system included lining laterals with concrete; replacing wooden checks with concrete 

ones; replacing open flumes with culverts; placing riprap on eroded canal and lateral banks; and 

grading, surfacing, and, in some cases, widening canal and lateral banks to create miles of operating 

roads, all of which greatly facilitated maintenance activities. The Tornillo Canal, and the Jornado, 

Salatral, and Juan d’Herrera Laterals, were among features subject to upgrades that were mentioned in 

various reports. CCC enrollees also enlarged and extended the Texas Lateral and constructed the 

2-mile-long Vinton Cutoff Lateral. 

Pest control and rodent trapping was an important project for the camp throughout its existence. A 

crew for exterminating rodents was established; by the end of FY 1939, approximately 90,000 gophers 

had been trapped and 100,000 poisoned. The CCC also conducted considerable experimental work to 

control the spread of noxious weeds. Different methods tried for the elimination of bindweed included 

chopping plants out by hand, spraying them with oil, and spraying them with oil and then burning 

them. Enrollees treated Johnson grass, willows, and tules with calcium chlorate with varying degrees 

of success. Another attempt to control noxious weeds consisted of fencing rights-of-way for pasturing 

of sheep on canal and lateral banks. A second part of the weed eradication program consisted of 

planting desirable seeds, such as brome grass and strawberry clover, to determine their ability to 

establish themselves and crowd out undesirable weeds. 

During the last 2 years of the camp’s existence, CCC enrollees assisted Reclamation on the Riverside 

Canal Extension by hauling material to raise low sections of the canal banks to proper grade, and by 

moving the old river levee, which ran parallel and adjacent to the canal, to form one canal bank. Crews 

also built some minor structures including timber farm bridges, turnouts, and a check and flume 

crossing, and worked on the Hansen Feeder Canal. 

In October 1937, Company No. 1854 left Camp BR-4 and Company No. 2872, consisting of black 

enrollees, arrived from Fort Bliss. They continued to occupy the camp until it closed on November 30, 

1941. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Buildings were constructed at Camp BR-4 starting in July 1934. Land for the camp was leased from a 

private property owner. A total of 32 buildings were enumerated on a 1943 disposal report. They 

included six frame barracks (five rigid and one portable), a school building (frame, rigid), infirmary 

(frame, rigid), mess hall (frame, rigid), kitchen (frame, rigid), officers’ quarters (frame, rigid), technical 

services quarters (frame, rigid), headquarters (frame, rigid), supply room (frame, rigid) recreation hall 

(frame, rigid), latrine (frame, rigid), bath house (frame, rigid), garage (frame, rigid), pump house 

(frame, rigid), carpenter shop (frame, rigid), oil house (frame, rigid), mechanic shop (frame, rigid), 

technical services office (frame, rigid), technical carpenter shop (frame, rigid), feed room (frame, 

rigid), watch tower (masonry), oil house (rock, rigid), and paint house (frame, rigid). In addition, the 

camp included a permanent metal water storage tank. 
A-27

Camp BR-4 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

On March 15, 1942, Camp BR-4 was transferred from Reclamation to the CCC for occupation by a 

National Park Service Company to work on a defense project at Ft. Bliss Military Reservation in 

Texas. 

SOURCES 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Rio Grande Project, 1936 through 1941, Boxes 143 and 144, 

Engineering and Research Center Project Histories, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 36, 48, and 49, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 2, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

A-29

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-5 Camp Name Currant Creek 

State Utah County Wasatch 

Location 23 miles east of Heber, Utah, on Currant Creek 

Reclamation Project Strawberry Valley Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 1934 Date Terminated Fall 1937 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The Strawberry Valley Project in central Utah experienced a number of serious water shortages in the 

Dust Bowl years. This early Reclamation project, authorized in 1905, supplies water to about 

45,000 acres around Spanish Fork. The largest project component consists of Strawberry Valley Dam, 

located on the Strawberry River about 29 miles southeast of Provo, Utah. The dam stores water in 

Strawberry Valley Reservoir. 

To offset the depletion of project water supplies, in 1934 the CCC assigned Camp Currant Creek, 

Camp BR-5, to the Strawberry Valley Project to construct the 5-mile-long Currant Creek Feeder Canal 

to bring additional water into Strawberry Valley Reservoir from the Green River Watershed. 

Originally, the camp was designated DBR-5, indicating its establishment as a drought relief camp. 

These camps were part of the CCC program, but were confined to States that suffered severely from 

drought and were financed by drought relief funds. 

Camp BR-5 was located on the western edge of the Uinta Basin 23 miles east of Heber, Utah, on the 

headwaters of Currant Creek, a tributary of the Duchesne River. Because of the camp’s high elevation, 

it was only occupied during the summers; in winter, camp enrollees moved to Camp BR-11, located at

a lower elevation at Bridgeland, Utah, on the Moon Lake Project. 

CCC enrollees built the feeder canal, which diverts water from Currant Creek at an elevation of 

9,000 feet, during the summers of 1934, 1935, and 1936. The canal traverses a rather steep, heavily 

wooded mountainside, which made construction difficult. During the first summer, the entire camp cut 

heavy timber and cleared the canal right-of-way for the entire distance of 5 miles, and excavated a 

small amount of the canal. Most of the latter work, and the building of two rock emergency spillways 

and a small diversion dam, were accomplished during the summers of 1935 and 1936 by a small stub 

camp from Camp BR-12. The greater part of the excavation, which amounted to 95,000 cubic yards, 

was strenuous and necessitated the use of heavy equipment such as scarifier machines, scrapers, and 

tractors. CCC enrollees also used the equipment to trim the slopes of the canal banks, remove rocks, 

and clear the construction site. At the closing of the stub camp on October 10, 1936, the canal was 

readied for operation during the season of 1937. 

The supervisory and facilitating personnel consisted of one camp superintendent, one general foreman, 

one to two operating foremen, two to four caterpillar operators, one mechanic-blacksmith, and, 

occasionally, a few skilled laborers. Other personnel such as subforemen, warehouse men, truck 

drivers, safety men, and clerks were recruited from the enrollees. 

Despite the remote locality of the camp, the enrollees exhibited a “fine cooperative spirit and high 

morale” (Civilian Conservation Corps 1937). Many showed great interest in the operation of the heavy 

equipment and in the construction methods. A large number received training in skilled and semiskilled work. 
A-30

Camp BR-5 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

This camp was of the summer tent type and, in addition to 36 tent floors, consisted of a mess hall 

(116-foot by 20-foot by 35-foot wing), wash house (20 feet by 60 feet), two latrines, two oil and gas 

sheds, a cooler building (10 feet by 14 feet), and a blacksmith shop. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

Following the abandonment of the camp in the fall of 1937, Reclamation desired to salvage the camp 

buildings for use elsewhere. In a letter dated March 12, 1938, R. W. Williams, Acting Reclamation 

Commissioner, wrote to Robert Fechner, director of the CCC, requesting permission to reuse materials 

from BR-5 at Camp BR-64 in Heber and, possibly, at a CCC summer side camp at an unnamed 

Reclamation reservoir in Utah. On March 16, 1938, Fechner approved the salvaging of Camp BR-5 by 

Reclamation for CCC use elsewhere. 

SOURCES 

Civilian Conservation Corps, Office of the Director, “A Report Covering the Activities of Civilian 

Conservation Corps Camps Assigned to Reclamation Projects in Fourteen Western States, August 

1934-May 31, 1937,” July 1937, Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 36, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009
A-31

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-6 Camp Name Ephraim 

State Utah County Sanpete 

Location Twin Springs, 19 miles east of Ephraim, Utah 

Reclamation Project Sanpete Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 1934 Date Terminated Fall 1937 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Ephraim, BR-6, was one of the first nine CCC camps allotted to the Bureau of Reclamation. 

Originally, the camp was designated DBR-6, indicating its establishment as a drought relief camp. 

These were identical in principle to regular Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) camps (renamed 

CCC camps) but were confined to States that had suffered severely from the drought. Reclamation’s 

first nine CCC camps included six DBR camps among them. 

The Sanpete Project, to which Camp BR-6 was assigned, originated during the drought years of the 

1930s. Authorized in 1935, the Reclamation project was designed to supply agricultural lands around 

Ephraim and Spring City with additional water. Reclamation contracted for the construction of the 

Ephraim and Spring City tunnels between 1935 and 1939 to divert surplus water from the eastern slope 

of the Wasatch Plateau in Central Utah to project lands on the western slope. 

Camp BR-6 was established in the summer of 1934 on the headwaters of Cottonwood Creek, a 

tributary of the San Rafael River. Located in the mountains of the Manti-La Sal National Forest at an 

elevation of 10,000 feet, the camp was first occupied by members of Company 1967 under the 

command of Captain L. E. Thompson. The work of the CCC forces consisted principally of 

constructing two small feeder canals, with an aggregate length of 3.5 miles, leading to the Ephraim 

Tunnel and two small feeder canals with an aggregate length of 2 miles leading to the Spring City 

Tunnel. The two tunnels were used for diverting the surplus waters of Cottonwood Creek to the 

Ephraim and Spring City Divisions of the Sanpete Project. The CCC forces also assisted in hauling 

concrete aggregates, cement, and timber for the tunnels over a rough mountain road from Ephraim and 

Spring City. Other CCC accomplishments included the construction of several small bridges and two 

small, masonry diversion dams. 

The supervisory and facilitating personnel at the camp consisted of one camp superintendent, one 

general foreman, one to two operating foremen, two to four caterpillar operators, one mechanicblacksmith, and, occasionally, a few skilled laborers. Engineering services were provided where 

necessary by Reclamation engineers. 

Due to the location of Camp BR-6 at high elevation, it was occupied only during the summers. In 

winter, camp enrollees moved to Camp BR-12 at a lower elevation at Huntsville, near Ogden, Utah. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-6 was of the summer tent type. In addition to tents, the camp included a frame mess hall 

(150 feet by 20 feet), a frame pump house (8 feet by 10 feet), a frame wash house (20 feet by 40 feet), 

a frame latrine (10 feet by 24 feet), a screen and lathe cooler house (12 feet by 17 feet), and an officers’ 

frame latrine (10 feet by 12 feet). 
A-32

Camp BR-6 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

After Camp BR-6 was abandoned in the fall of 1937, Reclamation desired to utilize the materials from 

the buildings to construct a CCC side camp east of Spring City, Utah, to house CCC enrollees for the 

construction of a feeder canal system for the Sanpete Project. CCC Director Robert Fechner approved 

salvage of the buildings by Reclamation on March 22, 1938. Apparently, the buildings were not 

dismantled in 1938, because a release form for them was signed in June 1939. On the form, the 

CCC liaison officer of the Ninth Corps Area recommended that all buildings be turned over to the 

Regional Forester, U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Ogden for CCC purposes. The form noted that 

“the camp buildings are hardly worth salvaging . . . and the buildings are no longer needed by this 

Bureau on the Sanpete Project (“Report on Disposition”).” 

SOURCES 

Civilian Conservation Corps, “Report on Disposition of CCC Camp Structures,” Box 11, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Kenneth Baldridge, “Nine Years of Achievement: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Utah,” Ph.D., 

Brigham Young University, May 1971. 

Reclamation, General Correspondence, “Work Program for ECW Camps-Utah,” September 12, 1934, 

Box 183, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11 and 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Report, Box 2, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR:6: Sanpete Project, enrollees waiting for roll call before going to work, date 

unknown (Reclamation History Program photo database). 
A-33

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

 

Camp Number BR-7 Camp Name Deaver 

State Wyoming County Big Horn 

Location Deaver 

Reclamation Project Shoshone Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established August 1935 Date Terminated July 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Ready for occupancy in August 1935, Camp Deaver, BR-7, was the first of three CCC camps 

established on the Shoshone Project; the other two were Camps BR-72 and BR-87. Located near Cody 

in northwestern Wyoming, the Shoshone Project provides irrigation water for about 89,000 acres of 

land. Key features of this early Reclamation endeavor include Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir, 

Shoshone and Heart Mountain Powerplants, and a network of canals and laterals. CCC forces assigned 

to the three camps on the project completed construction and maintenance work on the Frannie, 

Garland, Willwood, and Heart Mountain divisions. 

Enrollees at Camp BR-7 focused primarily on rehabilitating the irrigation and drainage system on the 

Frannie Division, although they also worked on the Frannie Canal system within the Garland Division 

and assisted Camp BR-72 on the Willwood Division. Some of the items accomplished included clearing 

and cleaning canals, laterals, and open drains; replacing deteriorated wood water control structures and 

worn-out metal pipe culverts; controlling erosion below wasteways by placing rock riprap; installing dry 

rock paving in canals for erosion control; and constructing operating roads along canals and laterals. 

Among the larger improvements completed by Camp BR-7 enrollees was the replacement of part of 

Lateral W-114-F siphon that had been seriously damaged by alkaline soils. 

Camp BR-7 enrollees also reconstructed 22 miles of telephone line from Deaver to the various 

ditchriders’ houses, placed stretches of bentonite lining in laterals to determine its merits for decreasing 

canal seepage, treated Government lands for the control of rodents and predatory animals, and 

conducted various weed control projects. Crews experimented with eradicating perennial weeds by 

clean cutting the roots on small blocks of canal, lateral, and drain ditch banks; planted brome grass on 

canal banks and demonstration plots of strawberry clover; and conducted seed control work on a portion 

of canal right-of-way by cutting and burning plants. The camp completed a survey of perennial weeds 

on both public and private lands in the Frannie Division. 

CCC enrollees from Camp BR-7 also provided emergency assistance in several cases. In 1937, men 

from the camp made repairs to the Alkali Creek chute, which washed out unexpectedly. In 1941, crews 

made emergency repairs to the Frannie Canal to prevent a threatened break. They also assisted in fire 

suppression work on Blackwater Creek in the Shoshone National Forest. A number of men, some of 

them CCC enrollees from another camp, lost their lives in the fire, and others suffered severe burns. 

More specifically, the accomplishments of the three camps assigned to the Shoshone Project included 

the construction of 25 vehicle bridges, both timber and concrete; over 6,800 yards of fencing; about 

1,100 yards of guardrail; 330 yards of stone walls; 34 miles of telephone lines; 530 new water control 

structures; and 1 fish-rearing pond. Enrollees also cleared and cleaned 800,000 square yards of canals 

and laterals, lined 24,143 square yards of canals and laterals, planted 6,238 trees, and treated 

32,879 acres for rodents. 
A-34

Camp BR-7, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

The community reacted very favorably to the Shoshone Project CCC program. To publicize the 

CCC program, open houses were held at various times at the camps. In April 1937, more than 

1,000 people visited Camp BR-7 during the fourth anniversary celebration of the CCC. That same year, 

it was reported that “Most of the enrollees have conducted themselves very satisfactorily in the various 

towns in which they spend their evenings and weekends and this has changed the attitude of many who 

were opposed to the establishment of CCC camps on the projects” (Windle 1937).

Oral history interviews conducted with several of the enrollees at Camp BR-7 provide a glimpse of their 

experiences. Travis Belue from Hilford, Texas, lied about his age to join the CCC at 16 to help his 

struggling family. Out of money and living in desperation, they survived on jack rabbits they caught. 

With the $25 a month that Travis sent home every month, his parents were able to buy a small home. 

Travis arrived in Deaver on a troop train on August 8, 1935. The camp had just been built and the only 

water available came from the irrigation ditch. This changed once the piping was completed. 

Travis felt homesick the first year at camp and didn’t venture out. By 1936, he joined his fellow 

CCC enrollees in excursions to town. On one such outing, he attended a dance in Cowley, Wyoming, 

where he met a girl who became his wife a year later (Gimmeson 2001). 

Another enrollee, John Richards, described the use of heavy equipment to undertake canal repairs. 

Trucks, caterpillars, a road grader, and a ditcher for cleaning out ditches, made the work go much faster 

and easier. For building new concrete structures, enrollees shoveled by hand sand, gravel, and cement 

into a concrete mixer. The enrollees went up into the hills to find sandstone for riprapping canals. 

After laying the first stones at the bottom of the canal, enrollees stair stepped more of them up the 

sides. Other riprap was made by cutting willows into bundles and tying them with baling wire 

(Gimmeson 2001). 

The camp closed on July 1, 1941, because the national defense program made it impossible to obtain 

enough enrollees to keep all CCC camps in operation. A large amount of work approved for 

Camp BR-7 remained incomplete when the camp shut down. The most urgent items were later finished 

by enrollees from Camp BR-72. 

 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Located on Federal lands, Camp BR-7 buildings were of the rigid type and included the following: five 

barracks (20 feet by 100 feet), one barrack (20 feet by 50 feet), one office and technical quarters (20 feet 

by 100 feet), one recreation hall (20 feet by 100 feet), one headquarters building (20 feet by 70 feet), 

one infirmary (20 feet by 30 feet), one latrine (10 feet by 20 feet), one bathhouse (20 feet by 40 feet), 

one mess hall and kitchen (20 feet by 110 feet), one educational building (20 feet by 80 feet), three 

garages (one 20 feet by 20 feet, and two 24 feet by 50 feet), and one oil house (6 feet by 8 feet). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

The rigid type buildings at Camp BR-7 were not suitable for dismantling and reuse elsewhere; therefore, 

the camp was transferred to Reclamation on November 19, 1942. On August 1, 1943, the Deaver 

Irrigation District obtained a lease for the camp. As of March 1944, it was still being used by the 

District, which expressed interest in purchasing it for operation and maintenance purposes. 
A-35

Camp BR-7, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

Within a few months, the status of the camp changed dramatically when about 110 German prisoners of 

war arrived there by train from a camp in Douglas, Wyoming. The prisoner’s first task consisted of 

remodeling an armory building and barn in Lovell, Wyoming, for use as prisoner of war housing. As 

time went on, the prisoners helped the local farmers out, mainly in the beet fields. Army guards 

escorted the captives from converted Camp BR-7 to their work sites. After the war, the camp was 

subleased as housing for Mexican National workers for the season of 1947. 

Today, the site of the CCC camp is apparently privately owned. Two of the original buildings still exist, 

one in its original location, another moved to a different property. 

SOURCES 

Conversation with Susan Patterson, Deaver Irrigation District, Deaver, Wyoming, on March 3, 2009. 

Johanna K. Gimmeson, German POW Camp in Deaver, Wyoming, pamphlet printed by Polecat 

Printery, Powell, Wyoming, 2001. 

L. J. Windle, Regional Director, “Narrative Report on CCC for the Ninth Enrollment Period Ending 

September 30, 1937, BR Camp No. 7,” 1937, Box 49, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Shoshone Project, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, Boxes 

168 and 169, Engineering and Research Center Project Histories, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, and 47 through 49, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-36

Camp BR-7: Shoshone Project, view of camp, date unknown (courtesy of Shoshone 

Irrigation District). 

Camp BR-7: Shoshone Project, enrollees digging ditch for water supply line from Deaver 

Reservoir, August 28, 1936 (courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation District). 
A-37

Camp BR-7: Shoshone Project, enrollees preparing joint in steel pipe for 

water supply from Deaver Reservoir, August 28, 1936 (courtesy of Shoshone 

Irrigation District). 

Camp BR-7: Shoshone Project, enrollees working with dragline to widen Deaver 

Canal; note former width of canal, August 28, 1936 (courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation 

District). 
A-38

Camp BR-7: Shoshone Project, completed concrete chute on lateral 114, 

Frannie Division; left chute is for flood water, June 19, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-7: Shoshone Project, Frannie Division, Lateral 209-F, Station 0 

and 25, March 13, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-39

Camp BR-7: Shoshone Project, Frannie Division, completed structure at 

station 0 and 25, Lateral 209-F, May 7, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver).

Camp BR-7: Shoshone Project, members of CCC Company No. 4822 in parade at 

Lovell, Wyoming (cooks in white), date unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver).

A-41

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

 

Camp Number BR-8 and BR-54 Camp Name Elephant Butte 

State New Mexico County Sierra 

Location Elephant Butte Reservoir 

Reclamation Project Rio Grande Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established BR-8: October 1934 

BR-54: August 1935 

Date Terminated BR-8: August 1939 

BR-54: May 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

There were four CCC camps assigned to the Rio Grande Project: Camps BR-4, BR-8, BR-39, and 

BR-54. The Elephant Butte camps, BR-8 and BR-54, were located at Elephant Butte Dam, the 

headquarters for the storage division of the project, and, on account of the lake, also a popular recreation 

area for boating and fishing. A suitable work program for the enrollees was developed, which consisted 

mainly of improving infrastructure for the operation, maintenance, and administration of the dam and 

reservoir, and of upgrading the recreational facilities. Since the dam had been built primarily for 

irrigation storage, little regard had been given to recreation. No campgrounds existed, and facilities for 

day use were inadequate. Reclamation seized the opportunity to utilize CCC labor to remedy the 

recreational deficiencies. 

Camp BR-8 was among the first nine camps assigned to the Bureau of Reclamation and was operated 

cooperatively with State Parks and the National Park Service (NPS). All CCC work was subject to the 

approval and inspection of the NPS. Construction of the 230-man camp began on September 17, 1934, 

and was completed on October 17, 1934. The camp’s first occupants were members of Company 

No. 855, comprised of “Caucasian” veterans from Texas and New Mexico. They numbered about 

200 men and consisted of junior enrollees and Local Experienced Men. 

In association with construction of Elephant Butte Dam in 1910-11, Reclamation established a 

permanent Government headquarters complex that still existed in the 1930s. Located one mile east of 

the dam, the buildings provided an economic and convenient locale for the CCC camp. Electricity, 

water, and sewage systems were also already in place, although in poor condition. 

Under the CCC program, a number of the old headquarters’ buildings were refurbished. The young men 

converted the hospital to apartments. Initially, the administration building was used as a concession 

building, and then it was remodeled into a modern, 18-room hotel upon completion of a new concession 

building in 1938. A two-story hotel served as the company headquarters, recreation hall, reading room, 

canteen, classrooms, storerooms, and officers’ and technicians’ quarters. The mess hall originally 

retained its original use but later was converted to two apartments and a storeroom. The testing 

laboratory became the infirmary. Fourteen cottages provided housing close to the CCC camp for 

families of the company officers and supervising personnel. 

New construction was limited to a bath house, latrine, mess hall extension, and group of barracks. Due 

to money thus saved, it was possible to build 22 cabin-type barracks to accommodate 6 CCC enrollees 

each, and only 2 of the usual 4 or 5 fifty-men barracks. This was done in anticipation of relocating the 

cabin-barracks along the lakeshore for use as tourist cabins at the termination of the CCC program. 

On March 13, 1935, Governor Clyde Tingley of New Mexico telegrammed CCC Director Fechner, 

urging the approval of a second camp at Elephant Butte Reservoir. He wrote: “I have viewed practically 

all projects under construction in the state. Elephant Butte Project Number BR-8 greatest of all and 
A-42

Camps BR-8 and BR-54, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

most essential. Can be made the playground of America’s largest body of water under dam in state. I 

am particularly interested in project and will use state money to assist in building driveway along shore 

of lake and will appreciate moving another camp in immediately” (Tingley 1935). Reclamation 

Commissioner Elwood Mead had no objection to a second camp at Elephant Butte as long as it did not 

preclude the establishment of another camp on the Rio Grande Project at Las Cruces, New Mexico. The 

ECW approved both Camp BR-54 and Camp BR-39 for occupancy in the summer of 1935. 

Situated in the hills behind the lakeside recreation area about 1/4 mile from BR-8, Camp BR-54 was 

initially referred to as Christobal or Engle. Enrollees built the camp under the direction of John H. 

Vealey, and it was occupied on August 14, 1935. The first CCC force assigned to BR-54 was 

Company No. 3830 under commanding officer Q. A. Sanders. Enrollees were veterans recruited from 

Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. 

Initially, separate project superintendents oversaw the work conducted by the two camps. Since the 

camps’ activities overlapped so much, in March 1939 both camps were placed under L. J. Selly, project 

superintendent for Camp BR-54. The hilly, steep, and rocky terrain at the reservoir made construction 

challenging and difficult. All building sites and service areas required terracing and deposition of fill 

dirt. Every bit of excavation for road construction, trenching for pipelines, and terracing and 

landscaping involved drilling and blasting. Enrollees even blasted holes to plant ash, cedar, juniper, 

pinyon, and poplar trees, making rock showers a common occurrence. Soil for planting had to be 

hauled in over a considerable distance. Army supervisors often complained that the men had to work in 

solid rock. To supply plants for the landscaping, a nursery was established at the reservoir. 

During the first 4 years that both camps operated, enrollees accomplished a tremendous amount at 

Elephant Butte Reservoir. They graded, widened, and improved existing roads in the vicinity of the 

dam, headquarters, and recreational area. The roads had been one-way truck trails, and all were 

dangerous and in poor shape. About 4 miles of road had to be relocated, which involved heavy rock 

construction. The men built a completely new electric transmission and distribution system, and 

converted the 150-kilowatt hydroelectric plant serving the area to automatic operation. Enrollees laid a 

new 6-inch, cast-iron water main from the storage tank to the reservoir area and a new distribution 

system which included an extensive sprinkler system to provide water for new plantings. Work forces 

also installed a new sewer system and disposal plant. 

A major achievement was enhancement of the shoreline terrace for recreation and service use. The area, 

which encompassed about 7 acres and was 1 mile long, had served as the railroad grade and quarry pits 

during the dam’s construction. Before any new construction could take place there, enrollees excavated 

30,000 cubic yards of rock and placed 15,000 cubic yards of earthfill. Rock riprap was then installed 

along the shoreline to protect it from the high water level of the reservoir. 

Enrollees remedied the inadequacy of recreational facilities by constructing a good camping and 

picnicking area. The limited area that had been available was intensively developed to provide as many 

camping spaces as possible. Each site was equipped with a fireplace, table and bench combination, and 

electric light, with an outlet mounted on a post for plugging in appliances or a trailer. The CCC built 

toilet and shower facilities, as well as parking areas. 
A-43

Camps BR-8 and BR-54, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

Another major enhancement to the public amenities completed by the CCC was a large Spanish 

Colonial style concession building. Constructed of stone covered with cement stucco, the building 

incorporated restrooms, a store, restaurant, confectionery, pavilion or lounge room, and attendants’ 

quarters. The rambling building was situated at one side of the parking area at the head of a 

combination stone stairway and trail, which led down to the boat docks and diving platforms for 

swimmers. 

At the opposite side of the parking area, the CCC started work on a connected group of service 

buildings consisting of a boat repair shop, gasoline and oil service station, and a locker room with 

individual lockers available to boat owners wishing to store their motors, boating accessories, and 

fishing tackle. Enrollees also constructed an inclined boat ramp made of steel rails and concrete leading 

from the boat repair shop down to the boat docks. 

The edge of the terrace in the vicinity of the concession building and docks was finished off to form a 

stadium for seating of spectators during regattas and other water sports. Beyond the concession 

building, a wading pool for children was planned. 

In the immediate vicinity of the dam, enrollees accomplished a general cleanup of debris and refuse, 

including removal of all unnecessary telephone and electric poles. An extensive amount of terracing, 

placement of masonry retaining walls, trail building, and ditching for improved drainage was also 

undertaken. Excavation of the spillway channel, left unexcavated when the spillway chute was 

originally constructed, amounted to a major job involving a large amount of rock excavation. 

The addition of a fish hatchery 3/4 of a mile below the dam, along the east bank of the Rio Grande 

River, generated a great deal of public interest. During the dam’s construction, the fish hatchery site 

had been the location of the construction camp. Once the dam was in operation, the rapid fluctuations in 

reservoir levels, especially during fish spawning season, necessitated artificial stocking. This had been 

accomplished by transporting fish from as far as 200 to 300 miles away. The Department of the Interior 

and Department of Commerce signed an interdepartmental agreement providing for a hatchery to be 

built by Reclamation CCC enrollees on reservoir reserve land and turned over to the Bureau of Fisheries 

for operation. The hatchery design consisted of 12 ponds, with a total water surface of about 12 acres, 

strung out in a single row on a gravelly river terrace. Black bass were to be the principal species 

produced. The capacity was expected to be 250,000 to 500,000 fish. 

Construction of the hatchery began on October 1, 1937, as a major work item for both BR-8 and BR-54 

enrollees. By the close of 1939, the majority of work had been completed. The camps’ annual report 

for that year stated that the hatchery was the largest single feature being worked on by the two camps. 

The project included a cottage for the operating foreman, necessary storage and service facilities, a 

holding house and hatchery building, and a pump house. The road leading from the east end of the dam 

to the hatchery was also improved. A driveway was planned for the length of the hatchery along the 

river, and picnic grounds were scheduled to be built. 

In addition to all of the experience gained during work hours, CCC enrollees had other learning 

opportunities. At Camp BR-8, Camp Commander John Lawson served as the first educational adviser 

in 1935. Seven instructors taught Company No. 855 enrollees the following courses: arithmetic, auto 

mechanics, civil service, English, first aid, life saving, penmanship, photography, hygiene, spelling, 
A-44

Camps BR-8 and BR-54, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

topography, and typing. Initially, no high school or college level courses were given. Biweekly 

spelling bees sharpened spelling skills, and the camp’s traveling library provided an additional 

educational resource to enrollees. Class offerings expanded under the camp’s next educational adviser, 

Theodore Nelson. By late 1938, courses had been added in geography, American history, algebra, and 

high school literature and Spanish. Enrollees could attend morning classes on Monday through Friday 

before work. 

Initially, Camp BR-54 lacked both an educational adviser and library. In 1935, enrollees could only 

attend a current events class. By late 1938, this had changed significantly, and both morning and 

evening classes were available in a variety of subjects. Among the high school classes being offered 

were algebra, composition, civics, American history, Spanish, and spelling. The Works Progress 

Administration instructor and educational adviser made special efforts to instruct Hispanic males in 

reading and writing. Both camps held Protestant and Catholic religious services. 

When not working or taking classes, enrollees could participate in a variety of social activities. Outside 

play revolved around basketball, volleyball, baseball, and horseshoes. Fishing and swimming were also 

enjoyed by the young men. Indoors, the enrollees could listen to the radio; play table tennis, pool, 

dominoes, and checkers; or spar with a punching bag. BR-8 enrollees established a photography club 

and set up a dark room. A glee club was formed at the camp, and leather work and drama classes were 

added. Camp BR-54 enrollees cultivated a cactus and flower garden, along with cedar trees and yuccas. 

Movies for enrollees from both camps were offered twice a week. 

Meals at the camps consisted of a variety of filling and nutritious foods. A menu for BR-54 enrollees on 

December 1, 1936, offered the following for breakfast: dry cereal, milk, hot cakes, and coffee. Lunch 

that day consisted of Irish stew, boiled beans, mashed potatoes, bread, and tea. Dinner selections were 

macaroni and cheese, fried spinach, Boston baked beans, bread, baked apples, and Postum. 

Company No. 855 left BR-8 on June 1, 1936, and relocated to BR-54. A February 23, 1940, report 

noted that 60 percent of the company was “Spanish.” There is little, if any, mention of the camp’s 

Hispanic youth in other reports, where enrollees are described under the heading “Caucasian.” 

Company No. 3832W, consisting of young “Caucasians” from New Mexico, with Robert Kirk as 

commander, took the place of Company No. 855 at BR-8 and remained until August 10, 1939, when 

they transferred to a camp in Bayfield, Colorado. By then, it was no longer deemed necessary to have 

two camps at Elephant Butte to complete unfinished work, and Camp BR-8 was terminated. 

At BR-54, Company No. 855 remained active until May 10, 1941, when the camp shut down. 

Following the closure of BR-8, BR-54 enrollees continued with the recreational improvements that were 

well underway. Work remained to be done at the fish hatchery, which was in an “untidy and unfinished 

condition.” Enrollees regraded and then landscaped the area with stone curbs, walls, terraces, grass, 

shrubs, and trees. 

Men from BR-54 also completed overnight accommodations at the reservoir in response to public 

demand. In fiscal year 1940, CCC workers built six cabins in “New Mexican” style architecture. They 

were of masonry construction with concrete floors. Each cabin came equipped with a bathroom, 

kitchenette, and bedroom large enough for two beds. The structures had running water, electricity, and 

sewer connections. By the time BR-54 closed, enrollees had finished 15 cabins. Four [the 1940 
A-45

Camps BR-8 and BR-54, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

CCC Annual Report states eight but the Elephant Butte Historic District National Register of Historic 

Places (National Register) form indicates four] cabins were located in Hospital Canyon. These cabins 

could not be used conveniently because there were no roads, walks, parking areas, etc., to serve the area. 

An 18-foot roadway was constructed through the center of this building group. Parking areas were 

installed on each side of the road for the cabins. Curbs and walls separated the parking areas from 

lawns and plantings. Terraces and water lines were placed where needed. 

At the “old hospital,” renovated as apartments, the CCC installed a new roof and retaining walls and 

built curbs along the road edge to divert rain water. The enrollees also converted the old Reclamation 

headquarters office building into a hotel containing 18 guest rooms, 13 of which had private baths. At 

the service end of the building, an office, four rooms with baths, and two large rooms were refurbished. 

A small 12-foot by 20-foot log shelter, open on all sides, was built west of the concession building. 

CCC forces continued the job of landscaping to enhance the reservoir. At the boat shop, they 

constructed curbs to regulate traffic, installed pedestrian walkways, and planted shrubs and trees. 

Around the overlook, the men completed foot trails, terracing, and planting. 

The CCC made major contributions to the development of Elephant Butte Reservoir as a recreational 

area and transformed the landscape by building a variety of structures, terracing the hillsides, and 

planting hundreds of trees. Today, many of the CCC buildings and other features still remain and 

comprise a major component of the Elephant Butte Historic District, listed in the National Register in 

February 1997. Identified as contributing to the district are CCC-built structures located in the Hatchery 

Group (masonry-lined arroyo and small bridges, fish hatchery residence, hatchery office building, 

hatchery pond area, holding house, and hatchery); the Water Tank Hill Group (picnic area and retaining 

walls); the Hospital Canyon Group (2 cottages); and the Lake Side Group (pergola, rest rooms, 

concession building, boat house, 15 tourist cabins, campground, and landscaping). According to the 

Elephant Butte Historic District National Register form, “The CCC work at Elephant Butte is so 

extensive and well preserved that it provides a direct link to this aspect of national history.” 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-8, constructed on Reclamation-acquired land, consisted of the following: 22 cabin-type 

barracks, 2 large barracks, 1 mess hall extension (30 feet by 34 feet), 1 bath house (20 feet by 27 feet), 

1 latrine (16 feet by 20 feet), and 1 oil house (9 feet by 14 feet). All were of the fixed type and 

constructed in September 1934. 

Camp BR-54 was also constructed on Federal land under the jurisdiction of Reclamation. Buildings at 

the camp were all wood frame. Rigid structures included the following: an officers’ quarters and 

technical services quarters (20 feet by 97 feet); 5 barracks (20 feet by 104 feet); a mess hall (20 feet by 

121 feet) and kitchen wing (20 feet by 56 feet); a headquarters building (20 feet by 32 feet) combined 

with a storehouse (20 feet by 32 feet); a welfare exchange building (20 feet by 33 feet) combined with a 

recreational hall (20 feet by 67 feet); an infirmary (20 feet by 33 feet); a bathhouse/latrine (20 feet by 

37 feet); a garage (20 feet by 30 feet); an oil house (9 feet by 14 feet); and a pumphouse (9 feet by 

10 feet). The only portable structure was the educational building (20 feet by 130 feet). Other features 

installed at the camp were a flag pole, rock masonry bulletin board, and rock masonry fish pool. 
A-46

Camp BR-8 and BR-54 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

In April 1939, after approval was granted to terminate Camp BR-8, Department of the Interior 

CCC Advisory Council Representative Conrad Wirth requested permission of CCC Director Fechner to 

allow the Army to salvage the camp buildings for CCC purposes, except for the 22 cabin-type barracks. 

In accordance with the original plans for the cabins, Wirth requested that they be turned over to 

Reclamation for use in the recreational development at Elephant Butte. On May 13, 1939, the Treasury 

Department Procurement Division formally transferred the cabins to Reclamation. The other buildings 

were released to the Army for salvage. 

On December 15, 1942, the CCC prepared a report recommending that the camp structures at BR-54 be 

turned over to Reclamation “for use and salvage as needed in the development, improvement and 

maintenance of irrigation storage, power and recreational facilities at Elephant Butte and Caballo 

Reservoirs.” A March 29, 1944, memo states that the camp was transferred to Reclamation and was 

intact, except for one building which had been sold to the Army. 

SOURCES 

“Camp BR-8-N Elephant Butte Reservoir,” draft article for The Reclamation Era, Box 36, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

David Phillips, SWCA Inc., Environmental Consultants, “Elephant Butte Historic District National 

Register nomination form,” passages have been excerpted and incorporated in this form. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Rio Grande Project, 1937 through 1941, Boxes 143 and 144, 

Engineering and Research Center Project Histories, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Administrative and Project Records 1930-1945, Boxes 179 and 183, Entry 7, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11 through 13, 36, and 48, Entry 22, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, Box 8, 

Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Telegram from Governor Clyde Tingley to Robert Fechner, March 13, 1935, Box 183, Entry 7, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

“Work of the Civilian Conservation Corps at Elephant Butte Reservoir,” The Reclamation Era 28

(January 1938), 16-18. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-47

Camp BR-8: Rio Grande Project, view of camp and Elephant Butte Reservoir, date unknown 

(courtesy of Marron and Associates, Inc.). 
A-48

Camp BR-54: Rio Grande Project, view of camp, 1941 (CCC Yearbook, courtesy of Graciela 

Morales-Scott). 
A-49

Camps BR-8 and BR-54: Rio Grande Project, CCC work projects, 1941 (CCC Yearbook, courtesy 

of Graciela Morales-Scott).
A-50

Camps BR-8 and BR-54: Rio Grande Project, camp activities, 1941 (CCC Yearbook, courtesy of 

Graciela Morales-Scott). 
A-51

Camp BR-54: Rio Grande Project, camp personnel, 1941 (CCC Yearbook, courtesy of Graciela 

Morales-Scott).
A-52

Camps BR-8 and BR-54: Rio Grande Project, landscaping cabin grounds, 1941 

(CCC Yearbook, courtesy of Graciela Morales-Scott).

Camps BR-8 and BR-54: Rio Grande Project, view of tourist cabins constructed by CCC, 2008 

(photo by Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation).
A-53

Camps BR-8 and BR-54: Rio Grande Project, view of pergola constructed by CCC, 2008 (photo by 

Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation).

A-55

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-9 and BR-10 Camp Name Guernsey 

State Wyoming County Platte 

Location Lake Guernsey State Park: 1 mile NW of Guernsey, Wyoming 

BR-9: T. 27, R. 66 W., sec. 22, E1/2 SE1/4 SE1/4 SW1/4, 

SW1/4 SW1/4 SE1/4 

BR-10: T. 27, R. 67, sec. 21, SW1/4 SE1/4 SW1/4, 

NW1/4 SE1/4 SE1/4 SW1/4 

Reclamation Project North Platte Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established BR-9: May 21, 1934 

BR-10: July 6, 1934 

Date Terminated BR-9: August 7, 1938 

BR-10: January 8, 1936 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Guernsey, BR-9, at Lake Guernsey State Park was the first of six CCC camps that operated on the 

North Platte Project. Established on May 21, 1934, during the third CCC enrollment period, the camp 

was created under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service (NPS). The occupants of 

Camp BR-9 consisted of members of Company No. 844, which originated as a U.S. Forest Service unit 

in Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1933. A second camp, occupied by Company No. 1858, was established at Lake 

Guernsey on July 6, 1934. The camp was initially called Camp DBR-10, which identified it as a 

drought relief camp. These camps were part of the regular CCC program but were confined to States 

that had suffered severely from drought and were financed by different appropriations. 

The Bureau of Reclamation completed Lake Guernsey Dam and Reservoir in 1927 as part of the North 

Platte Project. No recreational development occurred at the time. Availability of CCC labor in the early 

1930s provided a perfect opportunity to create a State park at the reservoir on Federal lands that had 

been purchased for the project. Along with work completed at Elephant Butte Reservoir in New 

Mexico (see Camp BR-8), construction of Lake Guernsey State Park was one of the first two joint 

Reclamation/NPS/CCC endeavors initiated. The park soon evolved into a showplace of State park 

design in Wyoming and became the most important early example of recreational development around a 

Reclamation reservoir in the West. Park features completed by the CCC include a lakeshore drive and 

skyline drive, an exceptional group of overlook and picnic shelters, a museum, water fountains, bridges, 

and an extensive trail system. 

Company No. 844 arrived at Lake Guernsey on May 21, 1934, under the supervision of Camp 

Superintendent J. H. Coffman, who would oversee most of the work in the park over the next 5 years. 

Camp BR-9 was set up on a scenic bluff north of the dam, and the boys were occupied most of the first 

season building the barracks and other facilities for the camp itself. In July 1934, members of Company 

No. 1858 reported at Lake Guernsey and set up Camp BR-10 about 1 mile west of Guernsey Dam. 

At the time, the reservoir’s shoreline remained largely undeveloped (although it already attracted 

visitors) apart from the powerplant and some construction-related buildings near the dam. A lakeshore 

drive, extending north from the dam along the reservoir, had also been started as part of an early Civil 

Works Administration work relief project. NPS landscape architects began their studies for recreational 

improvements at Lake Guernsey in 1933. The first comprehensive plans for the park were dated 

November 1934, about the time the CCC recruits had finished camp construction. Richard G. Redell, 

NPS landscape architect who went on to become chief planner of the park, drew up the initial plans. 
A-56

Camps BR-9 and BR-10, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

By the spring of 1935, Redell and another landscape architect, C. Eldon Jones, had developed a “master 

plan” that clearly delineated major park roads, trails, overlooks, shelters, and other facilities. The plan 

featured a single entrance on the southern edge of the property. The entrance road then forked 

immediately after the entry into the two main proposed park roads: Lakeshore Drive on the east side of 

the lake, to be lined with picnic areas and piers; and Skyline Drive ascending the high bluffs on the west 

side of the reservoir, and leading to overlooks and picnic shelters at scenic viewpoints. 

The master plan depicted the southeastern shore of the reservoir, near the dam and powerplant, as the 

most developed portion of the park. A hill located north of the dam, which offered scenic views of the 

surrounding reservoir, became the focal point for this area. Camp BR-9 was sited on the west side of 

the hill, and, adjacent to the camp, the NPS had their headquarters buildings. Plans for the area also 

included lots for the construction of leased vacation homes along the lake shore (a policy authorized 

earlier by Reclamation), as well as a superintendent’s residence. 

The NPS designers laid out an extensive trail system to provide visitors the opportunity to explore the 

park on foot. The steep topography required the construction of a large number of steps along the trails, 

and CCC enrollees used the plentiful local building stone to perfect their stone-laying skills. 

At the heart of the trail network, on the summit of the hill overlooking Lake Guernsey, a site was 

reserved for the park’s most important building, the museum. Designed early in 1935, this exceptional 

building was the work of one of the resident architects, Roland Pray. The main entrance was purposely 

laid out facing west, providing visitors leaving the building with a fine view of Laramie Peak. Built 

entirely by CCC crews (with help from Local Experienced Men) out of locally quarried bluff and white 

sandstones, the museum was enclosed by a roof framed of heavy, hand-hewn timbers covered with 

2-inch planks and split cedar shingles. Inside, the building contained two windowless exhibition halls, a 

library room, a small office, and a store room. CCC enrollees hand-fabricated wrought-iron hardware 

door hinges, latches, lamps, chandeliers, and light scones. Fourteen different display cases were 

arranged around the outside walls of the exhibit halls and depicted the prehistoric and historic 

background of eastern Wyoming. John Ewers of the NPS museum planning staff at Berkeley, 

California, planned the exhibits. Most of them still exist and have been maintained in their original 

location. 

The two CCC camps at Lake Guernsey were extremely busy through the winter of 1934 and in 1935, 

and the park soon became a focal point of CCC activity in Wyoming. By the spring of 1935, regional 

inspector Kenneth Jones reported that construction on the museum, park trails, shelters, and other 

projects was progressing well and that the “appearance of energy shown by the enrollees is greater than 

in any other camp I know.” The nearby town of Guernsey followed events at the park closely, and, as 

usual, the visit by the CCC regional inspector warranted a story in the Guernsey Gazette, which also 

published Roland Pray’s rendering of the park museum, as well as status reports on other projects 

underway in the park. 

By 1935, several major structures (in addition to the park museum) were being built by the two 

CCC camps, now well established on either side of the lake. While Camp BR-9 enrollees continued 

work on the museum and other projects on the east side of the lake, Camp BR-10 enrollees made 

construction progress on Skyline Drive and various picnic shelters and other structures at designated 

points. Architect E.S. Moser, assigned to Camp BR-10, provided designs for a combination picnic and 

overlook shelter, a comfort station, and picnic facilities for what was called the North Bluff area at the 
A-57

Camps BR-9 and BR-10, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

terminus of Skyline Drive. The CCC boys built the handsome picnic shelter of locally quarried buff 

limestone, and the nearby comfort station was executed in massive sandstone blocks. By the fall of 

1935, Thomas Tucker, the superintendent of Camp BR-10, reported completion of the North Bluff 

comfort station and good progress on the picnic shelter. Another lookout was constructed at Brimmer 

Point, and numerous road and trail projects were underway. 

In January 1936, progress slowed with the scaling back of the national CCC program and the resulting 

closure of Camp BR-10. The remaining camp in the park came under the supervision of a new regional 

inspector, Halsey M. Davidson. Davidson noted that several projects had been left incomplete by 

Camp BR-10 but would be taken up by Camp BR-9, adding that the “excellence of the work being 

done” by that camp was “commendable.” 

Despite the loss of one camp, the CCC at Lake Guernsey experienced a halcyon summer in 1936. 

Superintendent Coffman reported that the museum and other major stone structures in the park were 

98 percent complete by that fall and that the recruits were moving ahead on various smaller projects, 

such as log guardrail construction, and greeting visitors and gathering information on them. 

As 1936 came to a close, so too did many of the projects initiated in 1934. By then, the new museum 

was already being recognized as an architectural highlight of the entire CCC State park effort, and the 

structure was praised as one of the most beautiful small museums in the West. In 1937, Richard Redell 

began drawing up another master plan indicating further park development projects for Lake Guernsey. 

Some of the recommendations called for widening park roads, enlarging parking areas and creating new 

ones, and expanding the trail system. Many of these improvements were undertaken in 1937 and 1938. 

The fiscal year 1938 annual report for Camp BR-9 stated that enrollees were engaged mostly on 

construction of park roads, landscaping, and other recreational facilities, and also had completed some 

riprapping on the Interstate Canal and other work items on Guernsey Dam. The following fiscal year, 

the CCC boys were mainly busy with recreational projects around the lake up until August 7, 1938, 

when Camp BR-9 was disbanded. The enrollees packed up, and the next day, they continued their 

CCC experience at another Reclamation camp, BR-83, in Veteran, Wyoming. A small detail of men 

remained behind for the purpose of completing unfinished projects. 

The outstanding significance of the contributions made by the CCC at Lake Guernsey resulted in the 

designation of Lake Guernsey State Park as a National Historic Landmark on September 25, 1997. The 

nomination form documents the history of the two CCC camps at the park and summarizes its 

significance as follows: “Lake Guernsey State Park. . . epitomizes the artistic quality and high 

aspirations held for the state parks designed by the Park Service and built by the Civilian Conservation 

Corps (CCC) during the 1930's. The park represents the highest achievements of the collaboration of 

the Park Service, the CCC, and local park authorities (in this case, the local project office of the Bureau 

of Reclamation) during the New Deal.” The above information on the history of the CCC activities is 

excerpted largely from the Lake Guernsey State Park National Historic Landmark nomination form. 

Today, evidence of the CCC legacy exists in the numerous features built by CCC enrollees and still in 

use at Lake Guernsey State Park. The National Historic Landmark nomination form identifies 

60 contributing buildings, structures, and sites, of which all but a few were the work of the CCC. 

Reclamation still owns the park facilities and has an agreement with Wyoming State Parks to manage 

them. 
A-58

Camps BR-9 and 10 (continued) 

 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-9 was originally made up of 22 structures. All were of the “fixed type” and were 

constructed by the Army in 1934. After closure of the camp, the army requested, and received 

permission, to move the recreational building (20 feet by 84 feet) and one barrack (20 feet by 112 feet) 

for use at Camp BR-83, Wyoming. Two other barracks (20 feet by 112 feet) were salvaged by the 

Bureau of Reclamation for CCC use at Camp BR-1, Minatare, Nebraska. The remaining buildings 

were left in place for use as a side camp. In February 1943, those buildings were transferred from the 

CCC Division to Reclamation. Today, two of them still stand at Lake Guernsey: a 1-story, woodframe shop building and a 10-bay, 1-story, wood-frame garage. There are also remnants of trails, 

footings, and foundations at the campsite. 

Camp BR-10 buildings were also of rigid wood-frame construction. None of the buildings survive. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

The two remaining structures of Camp BR-9 are included as contributing structures within the 

Guernsey Lake State Park National Landmark boundaries. 

SOURCES 

http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/westerntrails/galleryintroparks.html 

Phone contact with Todd Thibodeau, Wyoming State Parks, April 2008. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, North Platte Project, 1934 through 1938, Boxes 400 through 

402, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 13, 35, 36, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Susan Begley and Ethan Carr, National Historic Landmark Nomination Form, Lake Guernsey State 

Park, National Park Service, 1997. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-59

Camp BR-9: North Platte Project, view of camp, 1934 (Box 400. Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-9: North Platte Project, educational building, date unknown (courtesy of Wyoming 

State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails).
A-60

Camp BR-9: North Platte Project, classroom photo, 1937 (Box 8, Entry 21, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-9: North Platte 

Project, machinery repair 

shop and 10-stall garage, 

date unknown (courtesy of 

Wyoming State Parks, 

Historic Sites and Trails). 
A-61

Camp BR-10: North Platte Project, view of camp, 1934 (Box 400, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-10: North Platte Project, 

Captain F. W. Maxwell, regular Army, 

camp commander, June 1934 

(courtesy of Wyoming State Parks, 

Historic Sites and Trails). 
A-62

Camps BR-9 and BR-10: North Platte Project, completed water fountain and picnic area, January 5, 1935 

(Box 181, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camps BR-9 and BR-10: North Platte Project, picnic shelter under construction, January 15, 1935 

(Box 181, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-63

Camps BR-9 and BR-10: North Platte Project, fireplace in picnic shelter under 

construction, January 30, 1935 (Box 181, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camps BR-9 and BR-10: North Platte Project, picnic shelter under construction, 

February 15, 1935 (Box 181, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-64

Camps BR-9 and BR-10: North Platte Project, type of culvert, March 5, 1935 (Box 181, 

Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camps BR-9 and BR-10: North Platte Project, constructing stairway to trail leading to 

foot of spillway, March 5, 1935 (Box 181, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-65

Camps BR-9 and BR-10: North Platte Project, vehicle bridge under construction, 

March 26, 1935 (Box 181, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camps BR-9 and BR-10: North Platte Project, completed interior of CCC museum 

at Lake Guernsey, date unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-66

Camps BR-9 and BR-10: North Platte Project, museum, 2003 (photo by Christine Pfaff, Bureau of 

Reclamation). 
A-67

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-11 Camp Name Bridgeland 

State Utah County Duchesne 

Location Bridgeland, 5 miles east of Duchesne 

Reclamation Project Moon Lake Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 1934 Date Terminated September 30, 1939 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The Bureau of Reclamation’s Moon Lake Project in northeastern Utah is located on the north side of 

the Duchesne River, about 140 miles east of Salt Lake City. The project stores water in Moon Lake 

and Midview Reservoir to supplement the water supply for land along the Lake Fork and Uinta Rivers. 

Originally, the project was divided into two construction divisions: Moon Lake Dam, which was 

completed under contract in 1938, and the Moon Lake Canal System, which was constructed by 

CCC forces between 1934 and 1940 under the supervision of Reclamation engineer E. O. Larson. The 

canal system included the Yellowstone Feeder Canal, Midview Dam and Dike, Midview Lateral, and 

the Duchesne Diversion Works and Feeder Canal. The Moon Lake Canal system, through storage and 

exchange agreements, was designed to distribute the waters of the Duchesne and Lake Fork Rivers to 

project lands in the Uinta Basin. 

Camp Bridgeland, BR-11, was established on the Moon Lake Project in October 1934 as a winter 

camp. It was originally designated Camp DBR-11, indicating its origins as a drought relief camp. 

These camps were part of the regular CCC program, but were confined to States that suffered severely 

from the drought and were financed with drought relief funds. Enrollees from the high elevation 

summer Camp BR-5 moved down lower in the fall of 1934 to become the first occupants of BR-11, 

located more than 30 miles from Moon Lake Reservoir. 

Camp BR-11 enrollees set to work right away building the Duchesne Feeder Canal, Midview 

Reservoir, and Midview Lateral. Reclamation’s Denver office furnished detailed designs for the 

features. Within two years, the 17-mile-long Duchesne Feeder Canal had been completed. It diverts 

water from the Duchesne River to the Midview Reservoir and to lands along the Lake Fork River. The 

Midview Reservoir, an off-stream reservoir with a storage capacity of 5,800 acre-feet, involved the 

construction of four principal features: an earthfill dam, outlet works, dike, and spillway. The 

CCC completed practically all of the work on these features by the summer of 1938. Midview Dam, at 

the eastern end of the reservoir, has a crest length of 663 feet and a maximum height of 68 feet above 

bedrock. The main body of the dam consists of an earth embankment deposited in horizontal layers 

and compacted by rolling. A gravel and rock blanket was placed on the upstream slope for protection, 

and a fill composed of sand, gravel, and boulders covered the downstream face. Release of water from 

the reservoir was accomplished by means of a 3-foot-diameter, reinforced concrete conduit built under 

the dam near the left abutment. Two cast-iron slide gates installed midway in the 300-foot-long 

conduit regulated the flow of water through the outlet works. CCC enrollees constructed a 

2,500-foot-long dike of compacted clay, sand, and gravel at the north end of the reservoir. The 

embankment included a graveled roadway along the top. Near the upstream slope of the dike, the 

CCC built an overflow spillway to permit the discharge of floodwaters into a natural ravine leading 

away from the reservoir. 

Dedication of Midview Dam took place on September 10, 1937. Upon completion, it was the largest 

earthfill dam built in Utah by CCC enrollees. The dam and its appurtenant features were lauded as “a 

noteworthy example of the type of permanent construction and improvement accomplished under the 
A-68

Camp BR-11, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

CCC work program as a part of the Bureau of Reclamation’s program of water conservation.” 

(“Civilian Conservation Corps Constructs Midview Dam, Moon Lake Project, Utah,” The Reclamation 

Era, July 1938) 

Later in the same article, the author described the knowledge and skills acquired by the enrollees in 

completing the major construction project: “At the beginning of construction, the CCC enrollees, 

whose ages did not average more than 17 to 19 years, were inexperienced in construction methods or 

manual labor. These circumstances necessitated the employment of some skilled workmen, which 

provided an opportunity for the enrollees to adapt themselves to the type of work being done. The 

enrollees were trained in small groups directed by a foreman or enrollee leaders on the various types of 

work, such as operation of trucks, tractors, and other heavy equipment, the excavation and placing of 

embankment, construction of concrete forms, placing reinforcement steel, and other related work.” 

With their newfound skills, many of the CCC enrollees were able to find employment later with 

contractors or other Government agencies. 

The young men from BR-11 gained additional work experience during construction of the other two 

components of the Moon Lake Canal System: Midview Lateral and the Yellowstone Feeder Canal. 

Midview Lateral is 9 miles long and connects the Midview Reservoir with the Lake Fork River. In 

connection with the lateral, CCC crews built forty minor structures including a reinforced concrete 

siphon beneath the Lake Fork River to transport water to the Dry Gulch Canal on the other side. 

The 22.5-mile-long Yellowstone Feeder Canal conveys water from the East Fork of the Lake Fork to 

the west branch of Cottonwood Creek. Due to the work site being a considerable distance from 

Camp BR-11, a spike camp was established at Altonah, about 25 miles closer to the job. CCC crews 

began work on the canal in April 1938, and it was completed in July 1940. The last two miles were 

constructed by the Moon Lake Water Users Association. 

In addition to the hands-on training, CCC enrollees availed themselves of the opportunity to take 

classes in the educational building. Subjects ranged from spelling and grammar to blueprint reading 

and bee culture to auto mechanics and warehousing. Enrollees also took advantage of inexpensive 

correspondence school courses offered by the California State Department of Education. These 

included subjects such as journalism, elementary aeronautics, diesel engine, placer mining, chemistry, 

and photography. In the narrative report for the ninth enrollment period (April 1, 1937, to 

September 30, 1937), the author described the educational opportunities and other activities of the 

camp. Wednesday nights were devoted solely to job training; no passes were issued at camp on those 

nights, and the foremen were all required to teach some phase of the subject on which they gave job 

training during the day. Other activities available to enrollees included ping pong, billiards, tennis, a 

leaders’ club, first-aid classes, movies, and lectures on subjects such as “Americanism.” 

Company meetings were held each week, where job and camp problems were discussed, and talks were 

given to enrollees on subjects such as the importance of safety precautions, taking pride in the 

appearance of the camp, and personal hygiene. Early on in the camp’s existence, an enrollee 

contracted scarlet fever, and the camp was quarantined from March 8, 1935, to March 29, 1935. 

During unusually heavy snows during the winter of 1936-37, CCC enrollees helped to open a road that 

allowed safe passage of about 50,000 head of sheep stranded in Pleasant Valley in the Uintah Basin. A 

camp newsletter entitled “CCC Reflections,” that was published twice monthly, recorded events at 

Camp BR-11. 
A-69

Camp BR-11, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

In early October 1939, everyone at Camp BR-11 was transferred to newly established Camp BR-91 in 

Pleasant Grove, Utah. All subsequent construction activities on the Moon Lake Project were carried 

out from Camp BR-91 spike camps located at Altonah and Moon Lake. The additional work items 

consisted of building a parapet and curb wall on Moon Lake Dam, constructing 125 water control 

structures, placing riprap, and lining waterways. Early in 1941, such a small number of enrollees from 

Camp BR-91 were available to work on the Moon Lake Project that the Moon Lake Water Users 

Association cooperated by furnishing additional labor and equipment. When Camp BR-91 was 

disbanded in August 1941, Reclamation forces completed any unfinished tasks. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-11 was constructed on private land by the Army in September and October of 1934. 

Buildings were of the fixed type and totaled 20. These included four barracks (20 feet by 106 feet), a 

mess hall (20 feet by 137 feet), a kitchen wing (20 feet by 36 feet), an education building (20 feet by 

78 feet), an infirmary (20 feet by 40 feet), technical and officers’ quarters (20 feet by 40 feet), 

headquarters (20 feet by 127 feet), a bath house (20 feet by 40 feet), and various other storage and 

utility buildings. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

In the summer of 1940, Reclamation received permission from the CCC to salvage the buildings at 

Camp BR-11. Both the U.S. Grazing Service and U.S. Forest Service had requested transfer of some 

of the buildings for further use, and in August 1940, Reclamation approved their dismantling. The 

U.S. Grazing Service obtained 12 buildings, and the other 8 went to the U.S. Forest Service. 

Today, at the site of BR-11, there is a wooden interpretive sign, apparently installed by the Boy Scouts, 

and two stone pyramidal piers built by the CCC. 

SOURCES 

Camp BR-11 is mentioned in articles on Reclamation’s CCC program in the following editions of The 

Reclamation Era: January 1935 (pp. 22-23); January 1937 (pp. 20-21); February 1937 (pp. 38-39); 

August 1937 (pp. 188-190). 

“Civilian Conservation Corps Constructs Midview Dam, Moon Lake Project, Utah,” The Reclamation 

Era 28 (July 1938), 136-138. 

Kenneth W. Baldridge, “Nine Years of Achievement: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Utah,”

Ph.D., Brigham Young University, May 1971. 

Reclamation, “A Report Covering the Activities of CCC Camps Assigned to Reclamation Projects in 

Fourteen Western States,” July 1937, Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Moon Lake Project, 1936 through 1941, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Correspondence, Box 183, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-70

Camp BR-11: Moon Lake Project, view of camp, August 1939 (Bureau of 

Reclamation, Provo Area Office). 

Camp BR-11: Moon Lake Project, enrollees seated for transportation (note safety 

gates across back of truck), April 2, 1937 (Box 10, Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-71

Camp BR-11: Moon 

Lake Project, concreting 

operations for parapet 

wall at Midview Dam 

(Box 97, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-11: Moon Lake Project, inlet to Lake Fork Siphon (Box 97, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-72

Camp BR-11: Moon Lake Project, completed parapet and curb walls on 

Midview Dam, March 29, 1940 (Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver).

Camp BR-11: Moon Lake Project, driving laminated timber piling for cutoff wall along 

axis at Duchesne Feeder Canal diversion structure, March 2, 1939 (Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver).
A-73

Camp BR-11: Moon Lake Project, Boy Scout sign at site of Camp BR-11, 2000 

(Bureau of Reclamation, Provo Area Office).

Camp BR-11: Moon Lake Project, view of site of Camp BR-11, 2000 (Bureau of 

Reclamation, Provo Area Office). 

A-75

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-12 Camp Name Huntsville 

State Utah County Weber 

Location 2 miles northwest of Huntsville, T. 6 N., R. 1 E., sec. 12 

Reclamation Project Ogden River Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 15, 1934 Date Terminated Spring 1938 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Huntsville, BR-12, was established as a winter camp on the Ogden River Project, located in 

north-central Utah near Ogden and Brigham City. The project came into being during the Great 

Depression to furnish an irrigation supply to almost 25,000 acres of land lying between the Wasatch 

Mountains and the Great Salt Lake, and a supplemental municipal water supply for the city of Ogden. 

President Roosevelt approved the project on November 16, 1935, and construction proceeded the 

following year using funds allotted under the National Industrial Recovery Act of June 16, 1933. 

Pineview Reservoir, completed in 1937, stores water for project use. 

Camp BR-12 was initially occupied in October 1934 as a winter camp for enrollees from the high 

elevation summer Camp BR-6. Both camps were among the first group allotted to the Bureau of 

Reclamation and were designated as drought relief camps. These were identical in principle to regular 

Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) camps (renamed CCC camps) but were confined to States that 

had suffered severely from the drought. 

CCC enrollees from Camp BR-12 contributed to the construction of Pineview Dam by completing 

features not covered under the Government’s contract with Utah Construction Company of Ogden and 

Morrison-Knudsen Company of Boise, Idaho. The young men from the camp cleared the reservoir site 

of buildings, brush, and fences; constructed parapet and curb walls on the dam; built fences at the dam 

to prevent access to areas considered vulnerable to sabotage; and placed reinforced concrete gate sills 

in the dam spillway to raise the water surface elevation by 1 foot. They also completed cleanup of the 

area around the dam and the installation of landscaping. Other major accomplishments included the 

extension of the South Ogden Canal and wasteway, the construction of wasteway reservoirs located 

above orchard country to prevent flooding of cultivated lands, the construction of distribution features 

of the irrigation system, the construction of equalizing reservoirs, and the dismantling of a portion of 

the 72-inch wood stave pipeline at Ogden Canyon. 

In the summers of 1935 and 1936, a small spike camp from BR-12 provided assistance on the 

Strawberry Valley Project (see Camp BR-5). Enrollees helped out excavating the feeder canal and 

building two rock masonry emergency spillways and a small diversion dam. Another spike camp from 

BR-12 was established on the Hyrum Project in Utah and operated for several months each year in 

1935 and 1936, and in all of 1937. In the latter year, the enrollees lived in a U.S. Forest Service camp. 

Work accomplished included construction of a diversion dam on the Little Bear River; riprapping of 

the spillway channel below Hyrum Dam; construction of a parapet wall, curb walls, and a toe drain on 

Hyrum Dam; obliteration of borrow pits and unsightly areas in the vicinity of the dam; silting of 

portions of the Hyrum-Mendon Canal; and construction of a concrete headgate in the canal. 

Camp BR-12 produced a newsletter called “Canyon Echoes.” 
A-76

Camp BR-12, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

By the summer of 1938, Reclamation had discontinued use of BR-12 as a main camp. The U.S. Forest 

Service expressed interest in occupying Camp BR-12, and it was turned over to that agency on 

August 1, 1938. In fiscal years 1939 and 1940, a small group of enrollees on detached service from 

Camp BR-64 at Heber, Utah, continued work on the Ogden River Project. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-12 was constructed on Federal land at the Pineview Reservoir site. Further research is 

needed to identify the number and types of buildings at BR-12. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

The disposition of Camp BR-12 after it was turned over to the U.S. Forest Service in August 1938 is 

unknown. 

SOURCES 

H. T. Cory, “Civilian Conservation Corps Work on Reclamation Projects,” The Reclamation Era 25 

(January 1935), 22-23. 

Reclamation, Annual Project History, Ogden River Project, 1936, Box 119, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Correspondence, Boxes 179, 181, and 183, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Box 11 and Boxes 47 through 49, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Box 11, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-77

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

 

Camp Number BR-13 Camp Name Yuma 

State Arizona County Yuma 

Location Yuma Mesa, T. 9 S., R. 23 W., sec. 2, just north of U.S. Highway 80 

Reclamation 

Project 

Yuma Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established Fall 1935 Date Terminated May 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Yuma, BR-13, was one of two CCC camps established on the Yuma Project; the other was 

Camp BR-74. Construction of Camp BR-13 began in July 1935, and although completed in 

September, it was not occupied until later that fall. Because of the intense summer heat, the 

CCC vacated the Yuma camps during the summer months for the first few years. Starting in fiscal 

year 1939, at least one of the two camps operated year-around. Camp BR-13 remained open 

throughout the year starting in 1939 and continuing through 1941. 

Located along the Colorado River in southern Arizona and California, the Yuma Project received 

authorization for construction in 1904. Original features of the project include Laguna Dam on the 

Colorado River, the Boundary Pumping Plant, the Siphon Drop Powerplant, and an extensive system 

of canals, laterals, and drains. By the 1930s, many features of the distribution system had deteriorated. 

Much of the work accomplished by the CCC consisted of repairing or replacing irrigation structures. 

The Yuma Project CCC enrollees from both camps contributed greatly to improving and upgrading the 

distribution system. Work crews mainly replaced worn-out old wood structures with concrete ones, 

but also added some new features at various locations. During the 1937 season, the CCC replaced 

73 wooden turnouts, 22 combination structures, 11 check structures, 4 lateral turnouts, and 2 concrete 

pipe culverts. Among features completed in 1939 were a new check and wasteway on the West Canal 

at the 21-mile point in the Valley Division. Enrollees also added two new checks that year in the East 

Main Canal for better water elevation regulation. During the 1940 season, the CCC replaced 252 

wooden structures with reinforced concrete structures. The CCC structures can be identified by the 

“CCC” mark stamped in the concrete. By the time the camps closed, 855 water control structures had 

been constructed. 

Another major CCC work component consisted of lining canals and laterals with concrete. During 

preparation, pouring, and curing of in-place concrete lining, affected sections of canals and laterals had 

to be shut down. Since the Yuma climate permitted agricultural activity year round, these closures 

interfered with the need for continual water delivery. Any interruption of service to conduct 

maintenance activities created hardships for farmers. Consequently, enrollees installed lining in 

relatively short sections. This led Reclamation to explore more efficient ways to conduct canal repairs, 

notably the use of precast concrete slab linings. 

Reclamation constructed a precast concrete slab plant at the Reclamation headquarters in Yuma. Each 

4- by 6-foot slab weighed approximately 600 pounds. The canal being repaired was shut down only 

for laying the floor, which was done with poured-in-place concrete. Once the floor was laid, the canal 

could be used to irrigate fields during hours that crews weren’t installing slabs. This method 

considerably reduced the amount of time that a canal segment was out of service. The CCC conducted 

most of the canal lining between 1940 and 1942. 
A-78

Camp BR-13, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

Colorado River water diverted into Yuma project canals carried a large amount of silt that periodically 

had to be removed so that canals could operate properly. Over a period of years, this led to the creation 

of huge piles of dredged material. CCC enrollees leveled considerable reaches of these “unsightly 

embankments” by using tractors equipped with bulldozer blades or pulling road graders. 

Another CCC effort involved eradicating weeds and gophers. In one year alone (1939), 21,965 

gophers were trapped on, or adjacent to, project canals and lateral right-of-ways. During the operation 

of the Yuma CCC camps, enrollees treated 21,532 acres for the control of rodents and other predatory 

animals. The CCC also eradicated weeds on 3,222 acres of Government right-of-way and treated 

3,552 acres for insect pest control. 

Additional work activities included landscaping, constructing at least 140 miles of telephone lines, 

improving operating roads along canals, and placing pipelines. In 1939, enrollees assisted in 

constructing a four-room house and garage on the Reclamation grounds in Yuma. After an earthquake 

shook the area in 1940, CCC enrollees helped repair damages. In 1941, crews spent time clearing 

brush and trees from the apron of Laguna Dam. Work was slow and difficult because of water 

constantly flowing over portions of the cleared area. 

Camp BR-13 accommodated an average of 200 enrollees a year. Aside from their project work, 

enrollees could take advantage of numerous educational and recreational activities. The young men 

enjoyed movies, recreational trips, and various sports. A baseball team was organized, and 

numerous games were played with teams from the local high school, the American Legion, and other 

organizations. A swimming pool, built adjacent to the project East Main Canal, was a popular 

diversion. Each evening, trucks provided transport for those who wished to go swimming. Lectures 

and entertainment were also scheduled throughout the span of the CCC program. 

Large numbers of enrollees attended classes during off hours at the well-equipped shop located at the 

Yuma Project headquarters. Enrollees learned how to use electric welding machines, an acetylene 

machine, a furnace and casting outfit, lathes, a large shaper, a pneumatic hammer, drill presses, and 

precision tools. Job instruction classes were another popular choice. Building concrete structures and 

placing concrete lining required considerable skill, and enrollees were eager to learn. CCC foremen 

took great care to give proper instruction in handling tools, setting forms, placing screeds, bending and 

placing reinforcing steel, and finishing and curing concrete. Enrollees built scale models of the 

structures that were being built on the project. Yuma project employees pitched in and taught some 

classes such as clerical work and shorthand. Enrollees also took classes to advance their regular 

schooling. For example, in fiscal year 1939, 25 men received their eighth grade diplomas at a special 

ceremony arranged for the occasion. 

In 1941, with a decreasing number of enrollees at the camp, less work was accomplished. The camp 

closed for good the following year, on May 7. During its existence, the camp was occupied by various 

companies including Nos. 835, 2860, 794, and 2833. 
A-79

Camp BR-13 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-13 was located on Government withdrawn lands. Buildings were of rigid frame 

construction. They included five barracks (two that measured 20 feet by 135 feet and three that 

measured 20 feet by 108 feet), a mess hall and kitchen, an office and supply building, an infirmary, an 

officers’ and foremen’s quarters, a recreation hall, a bathhouse, a latrine, a technical service building, 

seven garages, a pump house, a repair shop, and several smaller service buildings. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

Following the camp closure, Camp BR-13 was transferred to the Army. On June 22, 1942, 

Company “L” No. 364 Infantry occupied the premises. By March 1944, the camp was once again 

vacant but in good condition. Two additional barracks had been erected by the Army. A small 

contingent of military police was scheduled to move in soon. Final disposition of the camp is 

unknown. 

 

SOURCES 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Yuma Project, 1936, and 1938 through 1941, Box 364, 

Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 47, 48, and 163, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Boxes 12 and 13, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, The Historic Yuma Project by Christine Pfaff, Rolla Queen, and David Clark, Denver, 

Colorado, 1992. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-80

Camp BR-13: Yuma Project, plan of Camp BR-13, December 7, 1937, revised June 13, 1941 

(Box 163, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-81

Camp BR-13: Yuma Project, view of camp, 1936 (Box 364, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camps BR-13 and BR-74: Yuma Project, CCC enrollee off-the-job training, foundry class 

at headquarters shops, pouring molten bronze into molds, July 12, 1939 (Box 22, 

Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-82

Camp BR-13: Yuma Project, 

placing precast concrete 

slabs in Woods Lateral, 

September 20, 1939 (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-13: Yuma Project, 

concrete precast slabs 

placed in Woods Lateral, 

September 20, 1939 (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-13: Yuma 

Project, raising concrete 

lining, B-8 Lateral, Yuma 

Mesa, March 15, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver).
A-83

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-14 and BR-19 Camp Name Tempe 

State Arizona County Maricopa 

Location Near Papago Park 

Reclamation 

Project 

Salt River Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established BR-14: October 23, 1935 

BR-19: October 24, 1935 

Date Terminated BR-14: June 2, 1937 

BR-19: March 31, 1938 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

During the summer of 1935, the Army directed the construction of two CCC camps on the Salt River 

Project, one of the first five Reclamation projects authorized for construction in March 1903. The 

Tempe camps, BR-14 and BR-19, were located about 8 miles east of Phoenix, near Papago Park, in 

the vicinity of Tempe. Camp BR-19 was situated about 3 miles north of Tempe, and BR-14 was 

about 4 miles north. 

Camp BR-14 was first occupied at the end of October 1935 by enrollees of Company No. 805. They 

began fieldwork in mid-November and continued until the beginning of June 1936, when the camp 

shut down for the summer. From October 13, 1936, to June 2, 1937, Company No. 2864 

continued the work performed by the previous enrollees. Thereafter, the camp ceased operations. 

Camp BR-19 also opened in late October 1935. Members of Company No. 2544 first occupied the 

camp, but in late January 1936, they were replaced with Company No. 2849, consisting of young 

men from Arizona and Texas. Both camps were permanently abandoned at the end of March 1938. 

Work done by the CCC forces consisted of the replacement and betterment of a wide variety of 

irrigation structures throughout the Salt River irrigation project, which covered an area of about 

242,000 acres around Phoenix. Enrollees restored canals and laterals to their original dimensions, 

lined waterways to facilitate the flow of water, built or rebuilt about 275 miles of roads for the use of 

ditchriders, placed rock riprap along canal banks to prevent erosion, replaced old wooden irrigation 

and drainage structures with concrete, and installed precast concrete pipe. 

To enable enrollees to carry out the construction program, a variety of buildings was needed. At 

Camp BR-19, an area for buildings was graded, surfaced, and fenced. As funds became available, 

enrollees added an office, adobe warehouse for cement storage, garage, blacksmith shop, carpenter 

shop, oil house, wash rack and greasing rack, gasoline and oil station, and various sheds. In addition 

to these facilities, a sand and gravel processing plant was built in the river bottom south of Tempe. 

A notable accomplishment of the camp enrollees was the manufacture of concrete pipe. A plant was 

established at Camp BR-19 with the ability to cast 18-inch, 24-inch, 30-inch, and 36-inch pipe. A 

curing yard equipped with revolving sprinklers adjoined the casting floor, and beyond the yard 

fence, 10 acres of ground were leveled off and used for storage. The plant manufactured about 

44,000 linear feet of pipe of all sizes during the operation of the camps. The product made by the 

enrollees compared very favorably with commercial pipe. Over 35,000 linear feet of concrete pipe 

were laid by enrollees at both camps. 

Additional accomplishments of the CCC forces included the construction of 4 miles of fencing, 

12 dwellings (not for CCC use), 2 other buildings (not for CCC use), and the eradication of 
A-84

Camps BR-14 and BR-19, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

60,000 gophers. To achieve all this, the enrollees made use of 35 trucks, 3 tractors, 8 concrete 

mixers, and 4 log sawing machines, among other equipment. 

Engineers from the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association (SRVWUA) developed descriptions, 

plans, estimates, and locations for all work contemplated by the camps. At the beginning of each 

week, staff from the association’s Water Department and the camp superintendent met to select work 

for the week that best fit in with water delivery schedules, the location of the work, and the number 

of enrollees available, which averaged about 162 over both camps’ nearly 3-year existence. The 

SRVWUA provided large amounts of cement, lumber, and other materials, and also furnished 8 to 

12 skilled carpenters and truck mechanics. 

On Saturdays, CCC enrollees could attend a number of off-the-job training classes in subjects like 

civil engineering, house building, welding, blue print reading, metal art craft, truck driving, first aid, 

safety, and gas engines. The camp’s technical personnel taught the classes with assistance provided 

by the camp educational adviser and other experts from the Arizona State Teachers’ College at 

Tempe. A number of enrollees even pursued college credits. The camp received praise for its fine 

educational program. 

For recreation, enrollees had the opportunity to engage in various sports, dances, and lectures. 

Cooperation among Reclamation, the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association, the Army, and the 

enrollees was praised as excellent. James J. Lane, the CCC project superintendent throughout the 

lifespan of the two camps, was credited with much of this success. 

 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-14 was of the all-year permanent type and consisted of four barracks with the “usual 

accessory structures.” 

Camp BR-19, located on land owned by the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association, was the 

larger of the two camps and also of the all-year permanent type. Buildings included: five 20-foot by 

104-foot barracks, an infirmary (20 feet by 33 feet), an office with supply room (20 feet by 73 feet), 

an office (17 feet by 20 feet), officers’ quarters (20 feet by 97 feet), a mess hall (20 feet by 121 feet), 

bath house (20 feet by 30 feet), recreation hall (20 feet by 100 feet), latrine (14 feet by 20 feet), 

photo dark room (10 feet by 12 feet), open front garage (14 feet by 20 feet), open front garage-shop 

(20 feet by 100 feet), tool room (12 feet by 20 feet), open front storeroom (16 feet by 27 feet), adobe 

storeroom (16 feet by 35 feet), oilhouse (10 feet by 12 feet), and water tank. 

 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

Following closure of the camps, Reclamation declared that it had no further use for the properties 

and requested salvage of both camps, including all buildings and fixtures, by the Army for CCC use 

elsewhere. The request was approved for Camp BR-14 on April 12, 1938, and for Camp BR-19 on 

May 17, 1938. By June 30, 1938, the buildings had been dismantled, and all equipment and 

materials were moved to other projects or otherwise disposed of in accordance with regulations. 
A-85

Camps BR-14 and BR-19 (continued) 

SOURCES 

“Official Annual – 1936, Phoenix District, 8th Corps Area, Civilian Conservation Corps,” printed by 

Direct Advertising Company, October 1936. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 47, and 49, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Monthly Work Progress Reports, Box 5, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

“Final Report of Construction Projects by the CCC, BR-14 and 19,” Entry 21, RG 115, Archival 

Research Catalog Identifier 293610, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-19: Salt River Project, view of camp, 1938 (Box 143, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-86

Camp BR-14: Salt 

River Project, detail of 

CCC enrollees leaving 

for work project: note 

steps used for 

loading, seating 

arrangement, and 

closed tool boxes, 

March 22, 1937 

(Box 15, Accession 

No. 8NS-115-95-112, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-14: Salt River Project, removable tool boxes that are also used for 

seats in trucks, March 23, 1937 (Box 15, Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-87

Camp BR-14 and BR-19: Salt River Project, Tempe Canal, Lateral 4, new 

gates, 1936 (Box 143, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-19: Salt River Project, replacing old wooden turnout with concrete 

one, December 16, 1937 (Box 143, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-88

Camp BR-19: Salt River Project, manufacturing concrete pipe, 1937 

(Box 143, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver).

Camp BR-19: Salt River Project, gasoline driven concrete vibrator, 

January 26, 1937 (Box 15, Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-89

Camp BR-14 and BR-19: 

Salt River Project, new 

Eastern Canal gate 

structure, date unknown 

(Box 143, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-14 and BR-19: Salt River Project, gates near 

105th Avenue and Lower Buckeye, 2000 (photo by Richard 

Boston, Bureau of Reclamation). 

Camp BR-14 and BR-19: Salt River 

Project, CCC stamp in concrete, 2000 

(photo by Richard Boston, Bureau of 

Reclamation). 

A-91

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-17 and BR-18 Camp Name Topock 

State Arizona County Mohave 

Location North of Parker Dam in Topock 

Reclamation Project Parker Dam Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established November 6, 1935 Date Terminated BR-17: December 31, 1935? 

BR-18: April 30, 1936 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Two CCC camps, BR-17 and BR-18, were established to aid in the construction of Parker Dam on the 

Colorado River. The dam, built by Reclamation and paid for by the Metropolitan Water District of 

southern California, stores water in Lake Havasu for use by Los Angeles and its greater metropolitan 

area. Water is delivered from the lake to southern California through the Colorado River Aqueduct. 

Parker Dam also provides flood control for the mouth of the Bill Williams River, as well as water and 

storage for the Colorado River Indian Reservation and the Parker-Gila Project. 

Construction of the dam started in late 1934, and Government and contractor camps were established 

close to the dam site. The CCC camps were located further upstream in Topock. Company No. 1849 

occupied Camp BR-17 on November 6, 1935; Company No. 2833 occupied Camp BR-18 on that same 

date. The CCC forces completed 574 acres of clearing at the Parker Dam reservoir site. They also 

maintained 7.5 miles of operating road. 

Both Topock camps operated only a short time until completion of the reservoir clearing. The final 

progress report for Camp BR-17 indicates that field work ceased on December 31, 1935. Camp BR-18 

shut down on April 30, 1936. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp buildings were all temporary in nature and included headquarters, barracks, two storehouses, two 

shops, and other facilities. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

The buildings at both camps were dismantled. Two storehouses and two shop buildings, all 

of corrugated sheet metal, were taken apart and transported in October 1937 for use at Camp BR-74 in 

Yuma. Apparently, one set of barracks was also moved to the Yuma camp. 

 

SOURCES 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Parker Dam Project California-Arizona, 1934-35, Box 440, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Monthly Work Progress Reports, Box 5, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11 and 47, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

A-93

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-20 Camp Name Tulelake 

State California County Siskiyou 

Location Five miles west of Tulelake; west side of Hill Road, T. 48 N., R. 3 E., sec. 25 

Reclamation Project Klamath Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 20, 1935 Date Terminated July 1, 1938 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Tulelake, BR-20, was one of two Reclamation camps established on the Klamath Project; the other 

was Camp BR-41. The Klamath Project received authorization by the Secretary of the Interior on May 

15, 1905. Construction began the following year, and upon completion, the project brought water to 

about 240,000 acres of cropland in south-central Oregon and north-central California. By the early 

1930s, the irrigation system required rehabilitation, and both camps assigned to the Klamath Project were 

engaged in that task. The director of the Emergency Conservation Works (renamed CCC) approved the 

occupation of both camps in April 1935 pending an investigation of the sites by Army inspectors. 

Apparently, a third camp on the Klamath Project, BR-40, was approved for Bend, Oregon, but was never 

built. 

In June 1935, an advance group of civilian crews, a foreman, carpenters, and plumbers started camp 

construction. To provide assistance, a contingent of enrollees, first from Company No. 2514 and then 

from Company No. 1910, served as cooks, drivers, laborers, and administrative personnel. Reclamation 

supplied all of the necessary trucks and heavy equipment. 

The camp officially began operation on October 20, 1935. That day, 133 CCC enrollees of Company No. 

544 from Fort Knox, Kentucky, arrived by truck at Tulelake from Merrill, Oregon. They were under the 

supervision of Captain W. C. Dittmore and Lieutenant C. G. Beggs. According to the camp report for the 

sixth enrollment period (October 1935 through March 1936), “The men arrived in good condition and in 

good spirits. They immediately began arranging to make themselves comfortable in camp. Furnaces had 

already been placed in the barracks and other buildings and, although the weather was quite cold, the men 

were comfortable. The following day the men were put to work cleaning up and getting the camp in 

shape for permanent occupancy. It was only a day later when the Captain turned over a portion of the 

men to the Acting Camp Superintendent for the commencement of field work.” 

In late April 1936, Company No. 544 moved to Camp Lava Beds in Merrill, Oregon. Camp BR-20 was 

temporarily abandoned and then reoccupied on October 19, 1936, this time by Company No. 3866, 

consisting of young men from southern Texas. In December 1937, Company No. 3866 moved out, and 

Company No. 1578 occupied the camp until July 1, 1938. At that time, the entire company transferred to 

Reclamation’s Camp BR-78 on the Orland Project in California. 

Camp BR-20 was located 1 mile from the headquarters of the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 

managed by the U.S. Biological Survey (now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). During its entire 

existence as a Reclamation camp, BR-20 was run on a cooperative basis with that agency. When 

Reclamation relocated its enrollees to the Orland Project, the U.S. Biological Survey assumed control of 

the camp. 

The work accomplished by both Reclamation CCC camps assigned to the Klamath Project did much to 

improve its condition. Activities included the construction of concrete and timber water control 
A-94

Camp BR-20, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

structures; concrete lining and riprapping of canals to prevent excessive loss of water and channel 

erosion; building of minor roads on canal banks; excavation of lateral and drain ditches; construction of 

vehicle bridges across channels; removal of weeds from canal, lateral, and drain ditch banks; and, prior to 

June 30, 1937, cleaning and clearing of channels and the eradication of rodents. Both camps 

intermittently participated in emergency work and fighting forest fires in cooperation with the U.S. Forest 

Service. Camp BR-20 enrollees also constructed over 11 miles of telephone lines and built fencing along 

canal right-of-ways. Enrollees from Camp BR-20 also contributed to improvements at the Tule Lake 

National Wildlife Refuge. Historic photographs depict the young men laying rock walls at the 

headquarters building. 

Enrollees at Camps BR-20 and BR-41 received praise for their hard work. The sixth enrollment period 

report for the camps provided the following description: “The manner in which the men in both camps 

applied their efforts was truly remarkable, and it was not long before the camps became well established 

and the work program began to show signs of progress . . . They wanted to work, to prove their worth and 

better themselves, when given the opportunity. Moreover, they proved this when offered the facilities of 

the buildings and teaching personnel at the Merrill and Tulelake high schools for evenings.” 

Many interested enrollees signed up to take night classes such as typing, shorthand, English, math, 

citizenship, penmanship, and journalism. Some of the young men, who had never even had the 

opportunity to complete grade school, greatly advanced their education. For those who did not attend 

classes at the high schools, there were also courses taught at each camp. The young men received 

instruction in first aid, orchestra practice, and safety at work, in addition to the regular curriculum of 

English, arithmetic, typing, shorthand, and journalism courses, among others. 

According to the seventh enrollment period report for the camps, committees on education, safety, 

religion, recreation, and camp discipline were organized with the express purpose of improving the “camp 

life, intelligence and well being of the men.” 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp Tulelake consisted of 23 major buildings and assorted auxiliary structures grouped within a 

rectangular plan. Administrative offices, living quarters, a mess hall, and a hospital ward were grouped 

around a large courtyard that was intersected by rock-lined walkways. A flagpole was positioned in the 

center of the courtyard. The service area and related structures were located south of the courtyard. The 

service area included six large storage or garage buildings, several small machine and equipment storage 

sheds, a gas pump and oil house, and grease and wash racks. Buildings were added as the camp evolved 

under its existence as U.S. Biological Survey Camp BF-3. Additions included a pump house and portable 

barrack in the summer of 1939, and a concrete pad tennis court in 1940. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

Once Reclamation ceased to occupy Camp BR-20, it was taken over by the U.S. Biological Survey. The 

camp was redesignated Camp Tulelake BF-3; and on July 8, 1938, members of Company No. 5486 

arrived there from Camp BF-1 in Clear Lake, California. The camp operated until the termination of the 

CCC program in the summer of 1942. The buildings were left in place. 

After closure of the camp, it remained vacant until January 1943, when the War Relocation Authority 

appropriated the camp for short-term use as housing for “disloyal” Japanese-American citizens interred 
A-95

Camp BR-20, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

at the Tule Lake Relocation Center. The men were moved out of the camp in the spring of 1943, and it 

was again abandoned, this time for a year. In the spring of 1944, the War Department selected the site of 

Camp BR-20 to house German World War II prisoners. By October 1944, 800 prisoners occupied the 

camp. In May 1946, the War Department returned custody of the camp to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, which continues to own the property today. 

Three buildings still remain at the site of Camp BR-20: a barracks, a mess hall, and a shop. The 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently rehabilitating the barracks building. 

SOURCES 

“Camp Tulelake,” Historic American Building Survey No. CA-2683, prepared by Lou Ann Speulda, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, September 1997. 

“Camp BR-20, Klamath Project,” draft article for The Reclamation Era, Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Klamath Project CCC Period Reports on file at Klamath Office, Bureau of Reclamation. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Klamath Project, 1935, 1936, and 1937, Box 61, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Administrative and Project Records 1930-1945, Box 179, Entry 7, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 36, 47, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-96

Camp BR-20: Klamath Project, camp site plan (“Camp Tule Lake,” Historic American Building Survey No. CA-2683). 
A-97

Camp BR-20: Klamath Project, view of camp, March 7, 1940 (courtesy of Lou Ann 

Speulda-Drews, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 

Camp BR-20: Klamath Project, CCC enrollees lining J Canal near Bloody Point, 1937 

(Box 161, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-98

Camp BR-20: Klamath Project, concrete lining constructed by 

CCC enrollees at head of J-1 Lateral, 1937 (Box 61, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver).

Camp BR-20: Klamath Project, rock wall construction at wildlife refuge headquarters, 

date unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-99

Camp BR-20: Klamath Project, view of wildlife refuge headquarters showing rock wall 

construction, date unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-20: Klamath Project, remaining CCC buildings with barracks in center, 2007 

(courtesy of Lou Ann Speulda-Drews, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 
A-100

Camp BR-20: Klamath Project, barracks building undergoing rehabilitation, 

June 2007 (courtesy of Lou Ann Speulda-Drews, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service).

Camp BR-20: Klamath Project, interior of barracks building, June 2007 

(courtesy of Lou Ann Speulda-Drews, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). 
A-101

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

 

Camp Number BR-21 Camp Name Tahoe 

State California County Placer 

Location Adjacent to Tahoe City, T. 15 N., R. 17 E., NW1/4 NW1/4 sec. 7 

Reclamation Project Newlands Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 1935 Date Terminated November 1935 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

During the summer of 1935, three CCC camps were built on the Newlands Project: BR-21, BR-34, and 

BR-35. Reclamation requested the camps for the purpose of rehabilitating and enlarging the Newlands 

Project, one of the first five Reclamation projects authorized under the Reclamation Act of 1902. The 

project provides water to lands in the west-central Nevada counties of Churchill, Lyon, Storey, and 

Washoe. Project water comes from Lake Tahoe, which lies on the California/Nevada border; the 

Truckee River, which drains Lake Tahoe; and the Carson River. Since December 31, 1926, the project 

had been operated and maintained by the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District. By the mid-1930s, the 

irrigation district and its users faced dire financial straits and lacked funding to care for project 

irrigation and drainage works. Many of the water control and conveyance structures had fallen into 

disrepair, and existing storage had proven inadequate. 

Camp Tahoe, BR-21, located adjacent to Tahoe City, California, was established as a summer camp. It 

occupied land in a pine forest on the shores of scenic Lake Tahoe. The Army began camp construction 

on June 13, 1935, and on July 24, 1935, 180 enrollees from Company No. 258 arrived from Waterford, 

Mississippi, to occupy the new facility. Sixteen Local Experienced Men joined them. The work force 

made numerous repairs and improvements to structures connected with the Lake Tahoe outlet gates, 

and cleared and cleaned the outlet channel and adjoining land. The enrollees also provided valuable 

assistance at the proposed Boca Dam site (feature of the Truckee Storage Project authorized in 1935) in 

connection with the test pit, road construction, and other preliminary work. 

Two days after reaching Camp Tahoe, a detachment of 30 men from Company No. 258 left for Reno, 

Nevada, where a spike camp was established for the purpose of constructing Camp Reno, BR-37, on 

the Truckee Storage Project. The enrollees completed the new camp on November 11, 1935, at which 

time the rest of the CCC forces at BR-21 transferred there. The abandoned summer camp was turned 

over to the custody of Reclamation, which hired a caretaker paid from CCC funds to keep watch over 

the site. 

In April 1938, Reclamation requested permission to salvage materials from the camp for use at a 

CCC side camp in Boca, California (see Camp BR-92). The CCC granted permission on April 15, 

1938. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-21 was located on Federal lands. The camp was of the usual summer tent type and included 

a mess hall, with accompanying small buildings. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

The camp was dismantled for use at a side camp in Boca, California. 
A-102

Camp BR-21 (continued) 

SOURCES 

Civilian Conservation Corps, “Official Annual,” Sacramento District, Ninth Corps Area, 1938, 

National Association of CCC Alumni, St. Louis, Missouri. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Truckee Storage Project, 1934 through 1937, Box 564, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11 and 47, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-103

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-22 Camp Name Grand Junction 

State Colorado County Mesa 

Location About 1 mile east of Grand Junction, east of Lincoln Park 

Reclamation Project Grand Valley Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established July 27, 1935 Date Terminated May 29, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Grand Junction, BR-22, was one of two CCC camps established on the Grand Valley Project; the 

other was Camp BR-59. Construction of Camp BR-22 began July 2, 1935, on land belonging to the city 

of Grand Junction, located about 1 mile east of that city on Highway 24. The camp was occupied later 

that month by newly formed Company No. 2803. The nucleus of that company consisted of a cadre of 

12 men who arrived at the camp on July 23, 1935, from Fruita, Colorado. They were joined several 

days later by 189 men from Tulsa, Oklahoma, under the command of Captain L.L. Chambers, and on 

August 5 and 6, by 16 Local Experienced Men. During the next week, the men were issued clothing, 

received typhoid shots and smallpox vaccinations, and completed other camp processing requirements. 

Thereafter, the enrollees began project work under Reclamation’s Technical Supervisor, T.L. Sundquist. 

By the 1930s, the Grand Valley Project’s aging irrigation system required attention. Construction of the 

project had been authorized by the Secretary of the Interior on September 23, 1912, after a series of 

lengthy delays. Features included the Grand Valley Diversion Dam, a powerplant, two pumping plants, 

two canal systems totaling 90 miles, over 160 miles of laterals, and 113 miles of drains. Both Grand 

Valley CCC camps focused on rehabilitating the irrigation system. Camp BR-22 performed most of its 

work on the lower end of the project, and BR-59 enrollees spent most of their time on the upper division 

that extended from the Grand Valley Diversion Dam to the Grand Junction airport. 

Primary accomplishments of both camps included replacing outdated and broken wooden water control 

structures with concrete ones, lining canals and laterals with concrete to stop seepage, and installing 

drain pipes to relieve land saturated with high ground water levels. Some of the pipes were placed to a 

depth of 14 feet. CCC enrollees constructed or reconstructed a total of 2,271 water control structures 

and installed 120,969 square yards of concrete lining. The latter work was considered especially 

important because it benefited peach orchards, a valuable crop in the Grand Valley. A 1937 report on 

Reclamation’s CCC activities praised the concrete lining accomplished by enrollees: “The camps have 

performed wonderfully well in this work, and the class of work accomplished by the enrollees compares 

very favorably with like work placed under contract. Work of this nature is very hard, but it is the most 

popular work performed by the boys in these camps, and results in many of them developing into real 

concrete men and obtaining employment elsewhere.” (Civilian Conservation Corps 1937). 

The list of other CCC achievements on the Grand Valley Project included constructing a 7-foot by 

7-foot concrete siphon on the Main Canal; installing a generator at the Grand Valley Diversion Dam; 

maintaining Applegate Siphon; constructing eight bridges on the canal bank road, to span the large 

gulches rising in the Bookcliffs; clearing and cleaning canals; riprapping canals and laterals with either 

rock or brush; constructing canal maintenance roads; and refurbishing or relocating telephone lines. 

Enrollees also eradicated poisonous and noxious weeds such as water hemlock, whorl-milkweed, and 

Russian thistle; and eliminated rodents, mainly prairie dogs. Crews from Camp BR-22 refurbished a 
A-104

Camp BR-22, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

dwelling at Reclamation Maintenance Camp 7 and one from Camp 6 that was moved 2 miles west of 

Little Salt Wash. They also constructed a new combined project shop/warehouse building to replace a 

temporary one located on leased land. The diversity of work experience offered the enrollees an 

unusual opportunity to become excellent truck drivers, mechanics, clerks, rough carpenters, mixer 

operators, rock masons, and landscaping specialists. 

As at other camps, enrollees had opportunities to participate in educational and recreational activities. 

Classes offered at Camp BR-22 included first aid, math, reading, penmanship, journalism, 

woodworking, leather work, typing, bookkeeping, and music, among others. Eligible enrollees could 

continue their education by taking classes at Mesa Junior College for a nominal tuition fee. The camp’s 

traveling and permanent library provided ample reading materials for the enrollees. They could relax in 

the comfortable ambiance of a reading room equipped with “beautiful furniture, floor lamps and rug.” 

On-the-job practical training offered by Reclamation staff included pouring, placing, and finishing 

concrete; correct placement of weirs and turnouts; backfilling and puddling structures; and the use and 

care of trucks and other equipment. 

The recreation hall was equipped with reading, writing, card, pool, and ping pong tables; a piano; and a 

well-stocked magazine rack. Every week, enrollees could attend motion pictures shown at the camp. 

Field trips provided the young men with opportunities to enjoy the surrounding scenery at places such 

as Grand Mesa and Colorado National Monument. Camp enrollees also participated in a variety of 

athletics including wrestling, basketball, baseball, and boxing. In 1937, the young men built a camp 

tennis court so they could enjoy that sport as well. A newsletter produced by Camp BR-22 enrollees, 

entitled “The Cotton Pickers Revue,” contained information on camp activities. In an issue published in 

July 1938, the writer lamented, “What this company needs is more dances. Since last October we have 

had but two shindigs of this nature, and the dancing men are getting itching feet again.” Despite this 

lament, records indicate that enrollees maintained good morale throughout the camp’s existence. 

During the first year of the camp’s existence, enrollees spruced up its appearance by planting trees, 

grass, flowers, and shrubs; painting the building interiors in pastel colors and the exteriors green with 

white trim; and hanging pictures in the mess hall and recreation hall. The camp roads were graded and 

resurfaced, which further contributed to Camp BR-22’s neat appearance. 

When W. J. Chiesman, Reclamation’s Regional Director in Grand Junction, received word that the 

CCC intended to close the camp in May 1942, he fired off a telegram to the commissioner, urging that 

the termination date be extended. Chiesman wrote that closure would make it “impossible to complete 

work now open which must be completed in order to give necessary water service. Unable to get help 

on the project as the young men are in the army and men remaining must farm at this time of year.” The 

camp’s closure was put off until May 29, 1942; thereafter, the occupants, Company No. 2803, prepared 

for departure to an unidentified CCC camp in the Northwest. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

The camp consisted of a headquarters building, 5 barracks housing 40 men each, a recreation hall, mess 

hall, technical building, and an 8-foot by 10-foot building used for storing oil and housing the gasoline 

pump. In 1938, the technical building was remodeled for use as an infirmary, and an educational 

building measuring 20 feet by 80 feet was constructed by the enrollees as part of the educational 

program. 

 
A-105

Camp BR-22 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

In the fall of 1942, Camp BR-22 was transferred to the Army for use as a motor repair shop and school. 

In the summer of 1943, CCC Director James McEntee approved the transfer of the property from the 

War Department back to Reclamation for final disposition. A note in the chronology of important 

events for the Grand Valley Project included in the 1944 Annual Project History states: “One hundred 

Mexican Nationals arrived for farm labor. Housed at BR-22.” 

SOURCES 

Civilian Conservation Corps, Office of the Director, “A Report Covering the Activities of CCC Camps 

Assigned to Reclamation Projects in Fourteen Western States, August 1934-May 31, 1937,” July 1937, 

Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

“History of Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado, Littleton District - Grand Junction District,” 

compiled by L.A. Gleyre and C.N. Alleger, Denver, Colorado, Press of the Western Newspaper Union, 

Summer 1936. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Grand Valley Project, 1936 through 1941, and 1944, Box 320, 

Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

“Reclamation Bureau’s CCC Camps Accomplishing Much on West Slope,” The Daily Sentinel, 

January 1, 1939. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 47, 48, 98, and 99, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Box 20, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-106

Camp BR-22: Grand Valley Project, angledozer 

widening canal banks near Palisade for road 

purposes, 1938 (Box 320, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-22: Grand Valley Project, ditchrider’s residence, ride No. 3, reconstructed 

by CCC; also, test plot of brome grass and crested wheat (Box 320, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-107

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-23 and BR-71 Camp Name Montrose 

State Colorado County Montrose 

Location BR-23: 1⁄2 mile northwest of Montrose, adjacent to U.S. Highway 50 

BR-71: Adjacent to BR-23 

Reclamation Project Uncompahgre Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established BR-23: July 1935 

BR-71: July 1938 

Date Terminated BR-23: May 1942 

BR-71: October 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The CCC approved two regular camps, Camp Montrose, BR-23 and BR-71, as well as at least two side 

camps, for the purpose of making improvements to the Uncompahgre Project, one of the first five 

Reclamation projects authorized under the Reclamation Act of 1902. Construction began in 1905, and 

when finally completed, the project features included Taylor Park Dam and Reservoir, the Gunnison 

Tunnel, 7 diversion dams, 128 miles of main canals, 438 miles of laterals, and 216 miles of drains. The 

systems divert water from the Uncompahgre and Gunnison rivers to serve over 76,000 acres of project 

land. 

Construction of Camp BR-23, the first CCC camp on the Uncompahgre Project, started on June 28, 

1935, and was completed on August 1, just 1 day after the arrival of First Lieutenant August C. Carlson 

and 189 new enrollees from Ardmore and Sulphur, Oklahoma. On August 8, 1935, 16 Local 

Experienced Men joined the group. The arrival of additional enrollees from Oklahoma on August 10 

and 11 filled the camp to a capacity of 214 men. At the beginning of October 1935, Lieutenant Roy D. 

Justice replaced August Carlson as the company commander. As was typical, transitions in operating 

personnel and enrollees continued throughout the life of the camp. 

Within the first year, improvements made at the camp were “pushed to the limit to give the men a more 

satisfied feeling as to home comforts: big easy chairs, writing desks, pool table, magazine racks and 

pictures on the walls, curtains on the windows, library books and magazines, and plenty of games in the 

recreation hall; also the camp site has been improved, trees planted, slab rock walks laid and a new 

baseball diamond laid out on ground which was cleared of all brush by the entire company.” (“History 

of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado,” 1936) Enrollees built a stone gateway to mark the 

entrance to the camp. 

In July 1938, the CCC established a second camp, BR-71, at a site adjoining Camp BR-23 previously 

occupied by the Division of Grazing (later renamed the Grazing Service). The 177 enrollees at the new 

camp belonged to Company No. 3843. 

Work accomplished by the CCC consisted mainly of rehabilitating the irrigation system. With almost 

600 miles of canals and laterals, an unlimited amount of needed repairs kept the enrollees fully 

occupied. They replaced old wooden water control structures with reinforced concrete, or concrete and 

rock structures, riprapped canals and laterals to curtail erosion, placed large sandstone boulders along 

the banks of the Uncompahgre River above canal headgates to protect them during floods and high 

water, lined waterways with concrete, built cattle guards, installed concrete pipe siphons to replace old 

metal and wooden flumes, and constructed and improved canal operating roads to accept automobiles in 

place of horse-drawn vehicles. Other efforts included eradicating weeds and rodents, and assisting in 

fighting forest fires. 
A-108

Camps BR-23 and BR-71, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

Major features constructed by the enrollees included a new 60-foot-long dam and spillway at the 

Montrose and Delta headgate; a 700-foot-long reinforced concrete flume just below the outlet of the 

C.P. Siphon on High Mesa; the Selig Canal Chute, a 367-foot long metal and concrete structure; and the 

70-foot-long concrete Allerton Draw culvert on the “B” Lateral. In 1938, enrollees riprapped the face of 

Fruitgrowers Dam. In 1940, the CCC conducted substantial improvements to the East Canal Diversion 

Dam located on the Uncompahgre River. Work included replacing the river weir and main floodgates, 

reconstructing the headworks, and reflooring and rebuilding the sidewalls. CCC enrollees also 

contributed to visitor enhancements at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument, where 

they built foot trails. A number of the young men even volunteered to help build a community 

swimming pool in Montrose in their spare time. 

A tent side camp was established on June 15, 1936, in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison at the East 

Portal to the Gunnison Tunnel. The camp sat on tailings left from the excavation of the tunnel. One 

enrollee, Malcolm Taylor, described conditions as follows: 

“We slept in tents and our mess shack was four walls with a tin roof, lighted with 

kerosene lamps and one Coleman lantern. We were at water level and the sun would 

shine only once a day. We had a 50-gal. bag on a tripod that I had to till each day from 

the river. We also had 2 55-gal. steel barrels connected together with a shower head for 

bathing. Painted black to soak up the heat from the sun, the barrels did not get very warm 

so it was cold showers all around.” 

Despite the rather primitive conditions, Taylor loved the adventure and described it as the best summer 

he ever spent (“The Way I Remember It”). 

For the next 6 months at the side camp, a crew averaging 18 enrollees labored on widening and 

reconstructing the old, nearly impassable 12-mile road leading from the top of the canyon down to the 

East Portal. Using jack hammers, a compressor, and a bulldozer, as well as dynamite, the enrollees 

transformed the dangerous road into one fit for trucks. The strenuous work continued in the summers of 

1937 and 1938, and the results were praised as follows: “The success of this undertaking indicates the 

possibility of performing almost any type of construction through CCC” (“A Report Covering Activities 

of CCC Camps Assigned to Reclamation Projects in Fourteen Western States”). Another side camp was 

established in 1939 at Taylor Park, 100 miles from the main camp, to complete the unfinished work in 

the stilling basin at Taylor Park Dam and to build a parapet and curb wall along the top of that dam. 

When not working, the enrollees could participate in a variety of sports or enjoy different entertainment 

offerings. The National Guard gave the youths free use of the armory in Montrose, where dances, 

boxing, and basketball games were held. 

On July 8, 1941, Camp BR-23 was converted to a veterans camp. The former soldiers who occupied the 

camp ranged mostly in age from 40 to 60. With the transfer of Company No. 3843 from Camp BR-71 

to Camp BR-94 at Mancos on October 24, 1941, only Camp BR-23 remained in operation to continue 

improvements to the Uncompahgre Project. The veterans carried on until May 1942, when 

Camp BR-23 was also terminated. 

 
A-109

Camps BR-23 and BR-71, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

CCC reports praised the impressive work of both camps, in part due to the good relationship that existed 

between camp personnel and the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association. The young men left 

with newly acquired skills as truck drivers; caterpillar, bulldozer, and other heavy equipment operators; 

and as compressor and jack hammer operators. Some also gained office experience and learned to type. 

The varied educational program offered grade school, high school, vocational, and handicraft courses. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-23 was located on private land and was connected to the city of Montrose water supply and 

sewer system. Buildings at the 200-man camp consisted of five wooden barracks with plasterboard 

interior walls; a large mess hall and kitchen; recreation hall and headquarters building, which included 

offices for both the Army and technical service, and a supply room; officers’ quarters; technical men’s 

quarters; infirmary; and bathhouse. In addition, there was a stone oil house and 10-stall corrugated 

metal storage garage. 

Buildings at Camp BR-71 were of rigid stationary construction. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

On August 17, 1942, Camps BR-23 and BR-71 were transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

Sometime prior to March 1944, both camps were transferred to Reclamation and leased by Reclamation 

to the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users’ Association. 

SOURCES 

Civilian Conservation Corps, Office of the Director, “A Report Covering the Activities of CCC Camps 

Assigned to Reclamation Projects in Fourteen Western States,” July 1937, Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

“History of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado, Littleton District - Grand Junction District,” 

compiled by L.A. Gleyre and C.N. Alleger, Denver, Colorado, Press of the Western Newspaper Union, 

Summer 1936. 

Memo from Regional Director, C. B. Elliott, to Chief Engineer, January 30, 1936, Box 90, Entry 21, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

National Register of Historic Places nomination form for the Historic Canals (South, East, and Montrose 

and Delta Canals) on the Bureau of Reclamation’s Uncompahgre Project, prepared by Peggy Barnett, 

Bureau of Reclamation, January 1984. Property was not listed due to objections by private property 

owners. On January 31, 1986, the property was determined eligible by the Keeper of the National 

Register of Historic Places. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Uncompahgre Project, 1935 through 1941, Boxes 207 and 208, 

Accession # 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Uncompahgre Project, 1934 through 1936, Box 583, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 
A-110

Camps BR-23 and BR-71, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 47, 48, and 154, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 13, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Robert Parham, “The Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado, 1933-1942,” Master’s Thesis, 

University of Colorado, 1981. 

“The Way I Remember It,” clipping given to author by Malcolm Taylor, no source or date. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-111

Camp BR-23: Uncompahgre Project, map showing camp location (Box 21, Entry 21, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-112

Camp BR-71: Uncompahgre Project, site plan of camp, 1938 (Box 154, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver).
A-113

Camp BR-23: Uncompahgre Project, view of camp looking north taken from U.S. Highway 

No. 50, 1935 (Box 207, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver).

Camp BR-23: Uncompahgre Project, view of camp entrance constructed by enrollees, 1936 

(Box 207, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-114

\

Camp BR-23: Uncompahgre Project, truck drivers and their trucks in background after 

their Saturday bath, November 16, 1935 (Box 19, Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-23: Uncompahgre Project, enrollees 

working on Gunnison Tunnel truck trail, 1936 (Box 

207, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-115

Camp BR-23 and BR-71: Uncompahgre Project, backfilling around completed 

concrete pipe siphon at C.Q.A.-0.86, February 9, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-23 and BR-71: 

Uncompahgre Project, 

view of completed job at 

East Canal sump and 

headworks, March 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-116

Camp BR-23 and BR-71: Uncompahgre Project, completed chute at FL-9.16 looking 

downstream, March 4, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-23 and BR-71: Uncompahgre Project, 

setting forms for the F.L.-3.25 concrete check, 

March 18, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-117

Camp BR-23 and BR-71: Uncompahgre Project, placing rock and mortar in check in 

Spring Creek, April 21, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-23 and BR-71: Uncompahgre Project, view of completed headgate at F.C. 0.00, 

April 8, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-119

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-24 Camp Name Caldwell 

State Idaho County Canyon 

Location Deer Flat Reservoir, 6 miles southwest of Caldwell 

Reclamation Project Boise Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established September 1935 Date Terminated June 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Caldwell, BR-24, was one of four CCC camps established on the expansive Boise Project, which 

provides a full irrigation water supply to about 224,000 acres in southwestern Idaho and a small area of 

eastern Oregon. The three other CCC camps on the project consisted of Camps BR-25, BR-26, and 

BR-73. 

The primary assignment of Camp BR-24 was to rehabilitate the earthfill embankments that form Lake 

Lowell, originally known as Deer Flat Reservoir. Part of the original Boise Project plan, authorized in 

March 1905, the off-stream reservoir was constructed between 1906 and 1909. Located near Nampa, 

Idaho, it is an important storage and regulating unit of the Boise Project. Three embankments—the 

Upper, Middle (Forest Dam), and Lower—created the reservoir. In addition, the Roadway Dike at the 

eastern end of the reservoir was built to protect area farms from possible flooding. 

Camp BR-24 was located at the northwest end of the Lower Embankment, which is 46 feet high and 

7,270 feet long. High winds, resulting in severe wave action, had caused a great deal of erosion near the 

high water line of both the Lower and Upper Embankments, seriously damaging the features. Enrollees 

took on the job of protecting the upstream faces near the crest with heavy riprap and a parapet wall. The 

young men started at the Lower Embankment in September 1935. The work involved reshaping the 

upstream face of the embankment to the proper slope with gravel fill and then covering the slope with 

heavy rock riprap. The riprap was protected at the bottom of the slope by a toe wall. To accomplish 

this, the enrollees dug a 3-foot-deep trench at the foot of the embankment and filled it with rock. 

Initially, the intent was to rely on hand labor to the extent possible, but it soon became apparent that it 

was much too inefficient. When a quarry was opened in lava outcrop, about 2.5 miles south of the 

Lower Embankment, enrollees used air compressors, drills, and explosives to break up the rock. It was 

then hauled to the embankment on trucks. For several months, the young men loaded the rocks by hand, 

but this proved too slow, so hoists were used instead. Improvised portable derricks then lifted the 

heavier rocks into place at the embankment. A considerable amount of gravel had to be hauled to 

reshape the slope prior to placing the rock. At first, gravel was loaded by hand, but switching to the use 

of a dragline greatly expedited the task. Upon completion of the Lower Embankment in 1938, the 

enrollees continued with restoration of the Upper Embankment. 

The high quality of the enrollees’ endeavors on the Deer Flat Reservoir embankments earned them 

praise: 

The work has been exceptionally well done. The CCC boys have worked hard and with 

enthusiasm and are proud of the permanent structure that has grown under their hands. 

The boys quickly developed skill and aptitude at the job. Especially in the parapet, the 

finished wall is attractive in appearance and gives an impression of permanence and 

stability. The enrollees have learned something of the way to operate drills, compressors, 

hoists, and tractors, to handle big rock with all sorts of mechanical devices and by sheer 

strength. . .It is, without doubt, one of the most popular local CCC projects and the 
A-120

Camp BR-24, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

finished work will stand as an enduring monument to the CCC boys and the assistance 

they have rendered to the people of the Boise Valley in the conservation of their greatest 

asset-irrigation water (The Reclamation Era 1938). 

Aside from the work at Deer Flat Reservoir, BR-24 enrollees engaged in rehabilitating the Boise 

Project’s irrigation system. Activities included cleaning, clearing, and riprapping canals; excavating 

canals and drains; building canal roadways; and constructing water control features. Crews replaced old 

wooden pipe with modern concrete tile pipe and old flumes with concrete and tile siphons. Initially, the 

Federal Government supplied the tile from its plant in Dunaway, Oregon. In the summer of 1939, the 

camp began operating its own tile factory, located on the west end of the Lower Embankment, about 

1 mile from camp. Twenty-five young men were employed making 24-inch concrete tile for siphons to 

replace the wooden flumes on the project. Other crews that summer constructed a riprap wall 1,200 feet 

long on the drop on the feeder canal that delivered water into Lake Lowell south of Nampa; straightened 

and riprapped the 5-1/2-mile-long Bernard Wasteway; and rehabilitated laterals in the Gem Irrigation 

District. 

Other CCC efforts included weed eradication, rodent control, and tree planting in the camp garden area. 

Enrollees maintained a vegetable garden, as well as a nursery. Locust and walnut trees were raised and 

given to new settlers to plant on their farms. 

A newsletter entitled “The Damsite Echo” was published monthly at Camp BR-24. Articles described 

various aspects of camp life, including sports events, recreational activities, safety concerns, and news 

of enrollees. 

In 1941, the last full year of the camp’s operation, work was divided between the Boise Project and the 

Gem Irrigation District of the Owyhee Project. At the latter, enrollees rehabilitated the water delivery 

system, built cattle guards, and did roadwork. On the Boise Project, enrollees laid concrete pipe for the 

Dumpke Siphon and produced pipe for reconstructing turnouts and several other siphons. The youths 

also constructed a telephone line connecting the Notus office with Black Canyon Dam. 

Initially, local residents reacted negatively to the camp, but attitudes changed completely over time due 

to the work accomplished by enrollees. In the fiscal year 1939 CCC annual report for the Boise Project, 

these achievements were noted as follows: “Enrollees are to be complimented on the amount of work 

done and the time spent doing it. They are very willing workers and easily adapt themselves to any kind 

of work. They take pride in their work and try to get a first-class job done as soon as possible.” 

While the enrollees received compliments for their efforts, the technical staff, in particular the camp 

superintendent, did not. Camp inspection reports repeatedly noted the unsatisfactory morale and 

attitude of the technical personnel. They lacked teamwork, enthusiasm, interest, and cooperation. Much 

of this was attributed to the camp superintendent’s poor leadership and organization skills. Camp 

records were inaccurate, improperly filed, or misplaced. Some enrollees even went unaccounted for. In 

an April 1938 report, inspector Homer Graham wrote: “It is rather painful to write up this report on this 

camp. Supt. John S. Kerwin is well over 70 years old, I believe; he has wide construction experience, 

he is a fine old man, but that doesn’t solve the problem. With 150 to 175 enrollees and the increasing 

regulations and demands, a superintendent has a very large and strenuous job to handle” (“Report of 

Visit to Camp BR-24”). Matters continued to deteriorate, and, finally, in late 1941, Superintendent 

Leek from Camp BR-24 replaced Superintendent Kerwin.. The camp closed on June 1, 1942. 
A-121

Camp BR-24 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

The camp was located on Reclamation land that had been turned over to the water users for operation 

and maintenance. Buildings constructed were of the rigid type and included eight barracks (frame, 

20 feet by 64 feet), a mess hall and kitchen (frame, 20 feet by 119 feet by 35 feet ), army headquarters 

(frame, 20 feet by 127 feet), officers’ quarters (frame, 20 feet by 42 feet), infirmary (frame, 20 feet by 

43 feet), technical quarters (frame, 20 feet by 80 feet), laundry and bath house (frame, 20 feet by 

75 feet), education building (frame, 20 feet by 80 feet), cooler house (frame, 12 feet by 17 feet), and 

various garages, shops, storehouses, and other utility buildings. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

On December 1, 1942, the CCC turned over the entire camp to the Bureau of Reclamation. Early in 

1943, Reclamation made plans to advertise the sale of some of the buildings. Locals had expressed an 

interest in buying some of them for use as farm labor housing at other locations. Buildings to be sold 

included the eight barracks, the mess hall, and the cooler house. The sale did not occur due to interest 

shown in the camp, first by the Farm Security Administration, then by the War Department during the 

spring, summer, and fall of 1943. In a March 1944 memo on former CCC camps, the status of BR-24 is 

noted as “bids received from interested purchasers and project given permission to dispose of the camp 

by sale.” 

SOURCES 

“CCC Rebuilds Deer Flat Reservoir Embankments,” The Reclamation Era 28 (November 1938), 

230-231. 

Civilian Conservation Corps, Office of the Director, “A Report Covering the Activities of CCC Camps 

Assigned to Reclamation Projects in Fourteen Western States,” July 1937, Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver.. 

“Deer Flat CCC Camp is Now Operating New Tile Plant,” Caldwell News-Tribune, August 22, 1939. 

“Deer Flat Enrollees Are Occupied During Winter Months,” Caldwell News-Tribune, December 27, 

1938. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 35, 36, 47, 48, 49, and 85, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, “Report of Visit to Camp BR-24,” by Homer Graham, April 1938, Box 85, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-122

Camp BR-24: Boise Project, enrollees constructing toe wall and preparing to place 

rocks on slope of Lower Deer Flat Embankment, December 17, 1935 (Box 38, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-24: Boise Project, rock paving and parapet on Lower Deer Flat 

Embankment placed by CCC enrollees, 1937 (Box 39, Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-123

Camp BR-24: Boise Project, enrollees working in tree nursery at Camp BR-24, 

1939 (Box 39, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver).

Camp BR-24; Boise Project, concrete pipe manufacturing plant built and 

operated by Camp BR-24, 1939 (Box 39, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-124

Camp BR-24: Boise Project, enrollees placing a lateral 

drop, February 8, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-24: Boise Project, enrollees placing 

concrete pipe siphon on lateral system, 1939, 

(Box 39, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-24: Boise Project, enrollees placing 

gravel and rock riprap around inlet of overflow 

pipe in Gem Irrigation District drain, April 3, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-125

Camp BR-24: Boise Project, crew placing 24-inch concrete pipe, 

March 14, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-24: Boise Project, sheet metal and arch welding class, 1941 

(Box 40, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-126

Camp BR-24: Boise Project, auto mechanics class, November 14, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-127

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-25 Camp Name Arrowrock 

State Idaho County Boise 

Location T. 3 N., R. 4 E., sec. 15, SE1/4 

Reclamation Project Boise Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 1935 Date Terminated September 30, 1936 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Arrowrock, BR-25, was one of four CCC camps allocated to the Boise Project. The other three 

were camps BR-24, BR-26, and BR-73. Construction of BR-25 began September 3, 1935, on private 

land belonging to Roy Call. 

Camp BR-25 enrollees primarily conducted improvements at Arrowrock Dam, a key feature of the 

Boise Project, located on the Boise River about 20 miles north of Boise. When completed in 1915, the 

structure ranked as the tallest concrete dam in the world. CCC work at or near the dam included 

rebuilding the Government weather station, installing fences at the U.S. Forest Service Experimental 

Station, reconstructing about 5 miles of project telephone lines due to State highway construction, 

repairing the Boise River road, razing an old building at Arrowrock Dam in preparation for building 

new residences, and constructing rock retaining walls along the Boise River’s edge and a rock guardrail. 

Camp BR-25 was suspended at the end of the 7th period (September 30, 1936). Following the camp’s 

closure, a side camp from Camp BR-26 was maintained there to finish up work at Arrowrock Dam and 

the Boise River Diversion Dam. 

In April 1937, Reclamation Commissioner John Page granted permission to move the buildings from 

Camp BR-25 to a new site. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

No information was found. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

In 1937, the buildings at Camp BR-25 were relocated to establish a new camp on the Boise Project, 

BR-73. Enrollees at the Camp BR-26 side camp accomplished the move. 

SOURCES 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 47, 48, and 49, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Box 23, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-128

Camp BR-25: Boise Project, earth moving at Arrowrock Dam site, date unknown (courtesy of 

Idaho State Historical Society, MS 683, Box 5, Folder 34, Photo No. 11). 
A-129

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-26 Camp Name Payette 

State Idaho County Gem 

Location North shore of Black Canyon Reservoir, T. 7 N., R. 1, sec.19, NW1/4 

Reclamation Project Boise Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 1935 Date Terminated September 30, 1937 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Payette, BR-26, was one of four CCC camps associated with the Boise Project. The other three 

were camps BR-24, BR-25, and BR-73. Established in October 1935, Camp BR-26 was located on the 

north shore of Black Canyon Reservoir, about 2 miles above Black Canyon Diversion Dam. Work of 

the camp enrollees focused on improvements to the concrete gravity dam and surrounding features. 

Achievements included construction of a new vehicular bridge across the dam and new guardrails at the 

Black Canyon Powerplant, lining of the Black Canyon Canal, riprapping of the bridge abutments below 

Black Canyon Dam, and completion of a rock wall along the shoreline of the river below the dam. In 

addition, enrollees performed general cleanup, landscaping, lawn seeding, and repairs to buildings at 

Black Canyon Diversion Dam. They also conducted a gopher eradication program. 

In 1937, a spike camp from Camp BR-26 was set up at abandoned Camp BR-25 to finish work at 

Arrowrock Dam and the Boise River Diversion Dam. The spike camp enrollees also dismantled and 

helped move the portable buildings at BR-25 to Kuna, the site of Camp BR-73. Camp BR-26 was closed 

on September 30, 1937, and enrollees moved to BR-73. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Buildings at Camp BR-26 consisted of four barracks, a mess hall and kitchen, an officers’ quarters 

building, a technical service building, an infirmary, office building, supply building, bathhouse, latrine 

building, recreation building, gasoline house, pump house, and root cellar. All buildings, except the 

gasoline house and root cellar, were equipped with screen doors and had electricity. The camp was built 

on land belonging to the U.S. Government. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

In January 1938, following the closure of the camp, Reclamation agreed to the term transfer of 

Camp BR-26 to the Soil Conservation Service. Some refitting and repairs were conducted; and in 

February 1938, the camp was reoccupied and designated Camp SCS-9. Disposition, thereafter, is 

unknown. 

SOURCES 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 48, and 49, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-130

Camp BR-26: Boise Project, enrollees constructing retaining wall at Black 

Canyon Dam, 1936 (Box 39, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-26: Boise Project, CCC enrollees cleaning and painting steel 

penstocks at Black Canyon Dam, 1937 (Box 39, Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-131

Camp BR-26: Boise Project, upstream view of Boise River Diversion Dam before 

improvement work, 1937 (Box 39, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-26: Boise Project, Boise River Diversion Dam with new flashboard 

crest, concrete piers, and roadway constructed by CCC enrollees, 1937 (Box 39, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-133

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-27 Camp Name Minidoka/Rupert 

State Idaho County Minidoka 

Location Minidoka Dam 

Reclamation Project Minidoka Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 1935 Date Terminated June 30, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

In early 1935, the CCC agreed to furnish enrollees to Reclamation’s Minidoka Project, selecting 

Walcott Park as the site for both a camp and conservation project. Walcott Park is located along the 

shore of Walcott Lake, which was formed behind Minidoka Dam in 1906. The park was not 

systematically developed for public recreational purposes until the 1930s, when the CCC improved and 

expanded the grounds. From 1935 to 1942, the CCC had a profound effect on the appearance of the 

park; other than a few random improvements, it had remained relatively unchanged since the 1910s. 

In April 1935, Idaho Senator D. Worth Clark released the news that Camp Minidoka, BR-27, was one of 

27 new CCC camps to be opened in the State. Plans were also announced for a second camp on the 

Minidoka Project, to be located near the town of Paul. Last minute budget reductions, however, 

postponed work on the second facility, and the Paul camp did not open until 1938, when it was 

designated Camp BR-56. Camp BR-27 was established July 5, 1935, and completed by the end of 

September 1935, although a few minor structures were added later in the year. 

Camp BR-27 was first occupied late in October 1935, when Company No. 587 arrived under the 

command of Captain James Milton. With a strength of approximately 200 men, the company was 

primarily composed of enrollees from the Fifth Corps Area, which included Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, 

and West Virginia. These enrollees did not stay at the camp for long, however, for the entire company 

was transferred at the beginning of April 1936. Two days following the departure of Company No. 587, 

Company No. 3234 arrived from New Jersey. Thereafter, about once a year, Camp BR-27 received a 

new contingent of men and a new commanding officer. The camp continued to draw enrollees from the 

Fifth Corps Area, as well as the Second Corps Area, which included New York and New Jersey. A 

small number of local men, usually no more than 10 at a time, also served at Camp BR-27 during each 

enrollment period. 

Reclamation’s Minidoka Project manager drew up the CCC work plan for Camp BR-27 as part of his 

general duties, and a camp superintendent and foremen, assigned by the CCC, supervised the men at 

work. At Camp BR-27, Louis Petzoldt served as camp superintendent from 1936 until the camp closed 

in 1941, ensuring a continuity of authority despite the routine turnover of army camp commanders. 

E. B. Darlington, the Minidoka Project manager, submitted his first work program for Camp BR-27 in 

March 1935, outlining 15 projects ranging from the “improvement of the sewer system for public 

recreational grounds at Minidoka Dam” to “hauling rock and riprapping lateral banks in Burley 

Irrigation District.” 

Riprapping and other canal improvements eventually proved to be the CCC’s main task on the 

Minidoka Project. Rock was quarried and gathered in the desert, hauled to the canals and laterals, and 

hand placed on the banks to prevent leakages, washing, and erosion. Lining canals with clay and gravel; 

constructing service roads on the canal banks; excavating rock and earth from the South Side Canal to 
A-134

Camp BR-27, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

increase its carrying capacity; raising and widening the banks of the B Canal, North Side; replacing old 

deteriorated water control structures; constructing a concrete pumphouse foundation on the D-12 Drain, 

North Side; and cleaning the banks of the B and C Canals were other tasks accomplished on the 

irrigation system. Building a garage foundation, concrete basement, and stone wall at the 

residential/pumphouse area on the Second Lift Canal also occupied the time and energy of CCC men. 

Reclamation placed improvements to Walcott Park as a high priority. Initial work was completed 

according to a plan developed by Dana Templin, who succeeded Darlington as Minidoka Project 

manager in 1936. The work was confined to the “Old Park” area and consisted of blasting rocky 

outcrops, filling in low spots, removing old trees and stumps, and building stone walls and terraces. At 

the urging of the National Park Service (NPS), Reclamation eventually employed professional landscape 

architects to develop park plans. In November 1937, Reclamation Commissioner John Page wrote to 

Dana Templin to let him know that he had someone in mind for designing Walcott Park. The man Page 

had in mind was Richard Redell, a NPS landscape architect and city planner, who at the time was 

producing a plan for Guernsey Lake Park. 

Redell arrived at Camp BR-27 sometime in late January or early February 1938. After a few weeks 

onsite, he returned to Lake Guernsey, where he produced a preliminary design for Walcott Park dated 

February 21, 1938. In his plan, Redell proposed to expand the park by landscaping the peninsula to the 

east, as well as shore areas north and south of the peninsula. Although most of the new land was to 

serve as picnic grounds, a small cove by the powerhouse transformer yard was to become a swimming 

area, with a beach, swimming float, and bathhouse. In the Old Park area, Redell planned to consolidate 

the grounds by removing the last vestiges of the Minidoka Road and by converting the former garden 

and orchard, on the west edge of the park, into a picnic area. Although Redell’s plan served as the basis 

for Walcott Park’s eventual development, Redell did not supervise the work. 

In the fall of 1938, a new architect, Carl I. Shaw, arrived at Camp Minidoka. Shaw introduced several 

important changes to Redell’s master plan. These included additional parking and overlook areas on the 

new service road running north along the lakeshore, as well as a stone entrance gate on the Acacia Road 

along the riverbank. Shaw also decided not to build several small fountains that Redell had proposed, 

and he abandoned plans for a bathhouse. Perhaps most strikingly, Shaw proposed an extensive filling 

program to create new, low-lying land along the lakeshore to serve as picnic grounds. Shaw also carried 

out an extensive tree-planting program with the assistance of CCC enrollees. They planted about 

1,500 trees of a variety of species and established a nursery at the park to aid the growth of seedling 

trees. Enrollees collected volunteer seedlings from in and around the park and transplanted them to the 

two nursery plots. Two experimental plots of strawberry clover were also planted. 

In December 1939, S. R. Marean, the new Minidoka Project manager, learned that CCC cutbacks might 

require closing one of the camps on the Minidoka Project. With that in mind, the CCC undertook only a 

few minor projects in the park in 1940. These included the construction of a lava rock latrine and the 

completion of a new access road that crossed the North Side Canal over a wooden bridge built by the 

enrollees. The CCC also started work on a new irrigation system for the park. News of the potential 

camp closure sparked protest letters to Washington from the Rupert Chamber of Commerce and Rupert 

Rotary Club. Fortunately, both Minidoka camps survived the proposed cuts. 

Improvements made by the CCC transformed the appearance of Walcott Park. In addition to those 

items mentioned above, enrollees planted 3 acres of grass; constructed stone walls and terrace riprap; 
A-135

Camp BR-27, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

built seven septic tanks, five fireplaces, six picnic tables, one tennis court, one swimming pool, and a 

boathouse; and installed a sewage system. Another significant endeavor was weed eradication along the 

shores of Lake Walcott. Enrollees treated a total of 92 acres, primarily by applying chlorates supplied 

by benefitting agencies. A large-scale rodent eradication program consumed 6,420 enrollee man-days. 

Over an area of 187,900 acres, enrollees used poison, traps, and clubs to kill gophers, kangaroo rats, 

rabbits, magpies, coyotes, and squirrels all considered to be destructive. 

Another area that received the benefit of CCC labor was the Lake Walcott Wildlife Refuge. The 

U.S. Biological Survey (renamed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1940) had never had sufficient 

funding to actively manage the facility, and it was very poorly tended. In 1936, the agency’s regional 

agent stationed at Boise, T. B. Murray, suggested using CCC and Works Progress Administration labor 

to improve the refuge. Murray proposed using enrollee labor to fence parts of the refuge to reduce 

poaching and trespassing, and to plant trees, shrubs, and grasses for feed and cover areas. He also 

proposed building several small earthen dams on lake inlets to establish waterfowl feeding pools. 

Dana Templin agreed to allot some of his CCC labor to the wildlife preserve work program. 

CCC enrollees set to work on the refuge in September 1936. By the time they were done, 

12,339 man-days had been expended there. Four diversion dams were constructed, nearly 24 miles 

of fence were erected to enclose the refuge, and 67 miles of minor road were built to facilitate service. 

Nesting grounds were developed, and feed and ground cover were planted. Amidst internal squabbling 

within the U.S. Biological Survey over the construction of a headquarters complex at the refuge, the 

CCC constructed a stone service building with space for an office at one end and for housing trucks and 

boats at the other. The CCC provided the labor; the Biological Survey supplied the materials. A 

proposed residence and boathouse were never built. 

When Camp BR-27 closed in early July 1941, enrollees were transferred to Farson, Wyoming, to 

Camp BR-101. Marean transferred the architect, Carl Shaw, to the Paul CCC camp near Rupert 

(Camp BR-56) to continue improvements at Walcott Park. Through the summer, Shaw supervised 

enrollees from BR-56 as they completed installation of the irrigation system at the park. In addition to 

laying concrete pipe made onsite, the enrollees constructed a stone-lined canal just above the main 

pump, probably to help regulate the flow of irrigation water. When the Paul camp closed in May 1942, 

CCC improvements came to an end. 

 

(Most of the above information is excerpted from Fraserdesign, HABS No. ID-103, Walcott Park. For a 

more detailed account of the development of Walcott Park and CCC activities there, see the report) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-27 was located immediately adjacent to Walcott Park. The camp contained about 

18 wood-frame buildings, including an education building, infirmary, mess hall and kitchen, 

recreation building, supply warehouse, officers’ quarters, two garages, blacksmith shop, two latrines 

and eight barracks. Classified as “permanent” frame buildings, all were built according to standard 

plans supplied by the Ninth Army Corps. Most of these buildings stood on a small rise overlooking an 

unpaved service and loading area that separated the camp from the Old Park, immediately to the 

southwest. Few changes occurred after 1935. The most notable took place in 1939, when a 

stone/concrete retaining wall, loading dock, and sign board were installed at the east end of the parking 

area. (Excerpted from HABS No. ID-103, p. 47) 
A-136

Camp BR-27 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

In the fall of 1941, steps were initiated to dispose of the buildings at Camp BR-27. In January 1942, 

S.R. Marean, Minidoka Project manager, wrote to the headquarters of the Ninth Corps Area in San 

Francisco that “The fixed type truck shelters at this camp are now occupied by CCC equipment and are 

not now available. Fixed type barracks and other similar buildings belonging to the army are not now in 

use and may be salvaged for the purposes outlined in your letter . . .” Two months later, S.R. Marean 

wrote to the Commissioner that he had security concerns about the empty camp buildings located in 

such close proximity to Minidoka Dam and Powerplant, both vital structures. Due to the war, there 

were concerns that the buildings could offer shelter and concealment for a possible attempt at sabotage. 

Camp BR-27 was transferred to Reclamation for the agency’s use on December 1, 1942. Thereafter, all 

remaining buildings were gradually either demolished or removed. 

Camp BR-27's only structural remains are some mortared, rubble, lava rock foundation fragments that 

were originally part of the loading dock complex built by the CCC in 1939. On the higher terrain above 

the service and loading area, the campgrounds survive as an open, level, irrigated lawn. 

SOURCES 

Civilian Conservation Corps, “Pocatello Chieftan Annual,” Pocatello District, 1936, from collections at 

Idaho Historical Society. 

Fraserdesign, Walcott Park, Historic American Building Survey No. ID-103, prepared for the Bureau of 

Reclamation, March 1998. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 47, 48, and 112, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project, view of loading dock at CCC camp, February 6, 

1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-137

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project, Technical Service bulletin board, November 13, 1939 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project: a pile of about 300 of the 1,200 rabbits killed on this drive, 

date unknown (Box 9, Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-138

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project, moving trees, Walcott Park, January 25, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project, baited magpie trap set in desert, September 24, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-139

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project, fire duty west of Albion, Idaho, August 21, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project, park toilet near completion, September 3, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-140

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project: Subforeman Christian’s crew on South Side Main Canal 

riprap work, February 6, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project, lineup for noon meal on the riprap project, February 6, 

1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-141

 

Camp BR-27: Minidoka Project, current view of Walcott Park with CCC rock 

walls (courtesy of Margaret Bibbey, Laura Crandall, and Yvonne Daniel, 

Bureau of Reclamation). 

A-143

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-28 Camp Name Island Park 

State Idaho County Fremont 

Location Ashton T. 13 N., R. 43 E., sec. 28 

Reclamation Project Minidoka Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 22, 1935 Date Terminated October 31, 1935 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

This short-lived CCC camp, Camp Island Park, BR-28, was established to clear the reservoir site in 

association with the construction of Island Park Dam, located about 38 miles north of Ashton, Idaho. 

Company No. 231, consisting of 187 enrollees, arrived from Laurel, Mississippi, on July 22, 1935, at 

the scenic locale of Camp BR-28. During the 3 months of the camp’s existence, enrollees cleared 

150 acres of forested land for the reservoir and built 2.5 miles of access roads. A total of 6,781 

CCC man-days were expended on the project. Reclamation completed earthfill Island Park Dam in 

1938 as part of the Upper Snake River Project. In 1940, the dam and other project features were 

incorporated into the Minidoka Project. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Construction of the camp began on June 28, 1935, and was completed by August 31, 1935. The camp 

was located in the Targhee National Forest on U.S. Forest Reserve lands. 

The camp consisted of a combination of frame and tent structures. Frame buildings included a mess hall 

and kitchen (20 feet by 109 feet), bathhouse (20 feet by 40 feet), cold storage building (12 feet by 

17 feet), latrine (9 feet by 13 feet), “light plant house” (7 feet by 9 feet), bunkhouse and office (12 feet 

by 24 feet), shop (20 feet by 36 feet), tool house (12 feet by 18 feet), and oil house (14 feet by 16 feet). 

Tents with board floors served as sleeping quarters (32), a sick bay, and a commissary. Officers’ 

quarters were established in a log cabin. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

On August 28, 1936, the property was transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey, for use in 

connection with a wildlife refuge. 

SOURCES 

Walter Hillmer, “The Story of the Accomplishments and Personnel of the Civilian Conservation Corps 

in the Pocatello District,” 1935, Idaho State Historical Society collections. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Box 47, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Box 25, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

A-145

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-30 Camp Name Sidney 

State Montana County Richland 

Location Sidney, T. 23 N., R. 59 E., sec. 2 

Reclamation Project Lower Yellowstone Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 1935 Date Terminated October 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Sidney, BR-30, was established in the summer of 1935, after CCC Company No. 1214 was 

assigned to work on Reclamation’s Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project. Construction of the camp 

occurred between July and September of 1935, and it was occupied late that October. Members of 

Company No. 1214 were relocated to Camp BR-30 from the Milk River Project, presumably from 

Camp BR-32. At the time, the Lower Yellowstone Project had been in existence for nearly 25 years and 

irrigated about 54,000 acres of land just west of the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana and western 

North Dakota. Major components of the system included the Lower Yellowstone Diversion Dam and 

intake on the Yellowstone River, about 19 miles downstream of Glendive, Montana; the Main Canal, 

which ran 71.6 miles from the intake to the mouth of the Yellowstone at the Missouri River; and 

hundreds of miles of laterals and ditches. Sugar beets were the primary crop grown on the irrigated 

lands. 

The year-round CCC camp on the Lower Yellowstone Project had an average enrollment of about 

180 men. They were principally occupied with upgrading the project’s distribution system, although 

one of the first tasks involved the reconstruction of a 45-mile-long segment of the project’s telephone 

line between Intake and Sidney, Montana. Extensive improvements to the irrigation facilities consisted 

of replacing about 430 deteriorated timber structures with new concrete ones, constructing and graveling 

roadways on the Main Canal and some of the larger laterals, installing wastewater inlets, constructing 

large drainage structures, placing brush and rock riprap for river bank and channel protection, and 

revetment on the west bank of the Yellowstone River for the protection of laterals paralleling the river. 

CCC enrollees also accomplished the reconstruction of a major 300-foot-long, 30-inch steel pipeline. 

A program of special benefit to the local farmer was carried out by the CCC forces in demonstrating 

eradication methods of noxious weeds and showing the need for using certain adaptable grasses, 

including strawberry clover, for pasture. Enrollees conducted weed control in conjunction with the 

Board of Control of the Lower Yellowstone Project. Eradication experiments conducted at 

demonstration plots focused on Russian knapweed and Canadian thistle. Clean cultivation of the plots 

using a single-blade weed eradicator proved highly effective. The CCC workforce also exterminated 

animals deemed to be agricultural pests on 26,000 acres. 

CCC activities were scheduled around the irrigation season. During the early and later part of the year, 

when the canals and laterals were not in operation, most of the work centered on replacement of water 

control structures. During the operating season, CCC enrollees were kept employed on roadways, 

installing cattle guards, eradicating noxious weeds, and installing wastewater inlets. In the winter, the 

young men cleaned out canals and laterals, graveled roadways, and carried out revetment work along the 

Yellowstone River. 

In August 1940, a side camp was established at Savage, Montana, and was occupied throughout that 

winter. Five buildings were moved to the site from a National Park Service CCC camp at Watford City, 
A-146

Camp BR-30, History/Activities (continued) 

North Dakota. Enrollees assigned to the side camp reconstructed the Savage wasteway, riprapped 

below the Main Canal check at canal mile 19, and graded and graveled roadways. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

The camp was located on a parcel of Federal land a few miles above the midpoint of the Main Canal. 

The site lay in close proximity to the Ridgelawn Camp, one of several residential facilities on the Lower 

Yellowstone Project irrigation system occupied by project personnel. 

Camp BR-30 was the rigid or fixed type and consisted of five barracks (three were 20 feet by 131 feet; 

two were 20 feet by 80 feet), a mess hall and kitchen (20 feet by 102 feet), officers’ and foremens’ 

quarters (20 feet by 115 feet), army headquarters and recreation hall (20 feet by 131 feet), an 

educational building (20 feet by 131 feet), an infirmary (20 feet by 51 feet), a bathhouse (20 feet by 

84 feet), and miscellaneous storage and utility buildings. Perhaps the only formal landscape feature was 

a pair of well-crafted rubble stone masonry pillars erected on either side of the road at the entrance to 

the camp. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

As plans were being made to shut down BR-30 in the summer of 1941, Reclamation’s Regional Director 

in Montana, H. H. Johnson, recommended that the buildings remain in place under Reclamation for the 

time being. Reclamation retained control of the property and ended up leasing it in May 1943 to the 

Lower Yellowstone Project Board of Control (irrigation districts). Terms of the agreement specified 

that the irrigation districts could renew the lease on an annual basis for a period of up to 5 years. 

Just one year into the lease, the War Food Administration designated Camp BR-30 for use as a farm 

labor camp and assumed a sublease on the site. Due to the shortage of U.S. men available to perform 

farm work during the World War II years, the War Food Administration turned to outside laborers to 

assist in raising the region’s sugar beet crops. Camp BR-30 presumably housed the sugar beet workers 

brought to the area between May 1944 and the end of the war in 1945. The workforce was largely 

comprised of foreigners, mostly Mexican nationals. 

Local and Federal officials apparently perceived a need to continue operations of the farm labor camp at 

BR-30 for a short time after the war, while the region awaited its men to return home to their farms. 

Rather than the Federal Government, the camp was to be run by the Holly Sugar Corporation, which 

operated the largest sugar beet refinery in the area, at Sidney. In May 1946, the irrigation districts 

subleased the camp to Holly Sugar until the end of the year. 

Camp BR-30's role as a farm labor camp, however, was cut short. By May 1946, the War Department 

had begun to consider establishment of a branch camp to handle Prisoners of War (POW) that awaited 

repatriation to Germany. German POWs apparently came to Camp BR-30 within a short time. During 

their stay, some of the Germans were allowed to work on the sugar beet harvest at various farms on the 

project. Armed U.S. military guards escorted the prisoners back and forth between the camp and the 

farms each day and watched over them while they labored in the fields. The POWs’ occupancy at 

Camp BR-30 presumably coincided with a “severe windstorm of almost cyclonic portions” that blew 

through the camp in September of 1946, destroying three of the barracks and several other buildings. 

Although unverified, it seems likely that all of the POWs were processed and evacuated from the camp 

soon after that. 
A-147

Camp BR-30, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

The fate of Camp BR-30 in the following years is unknown. All of the remaining CCC buildings 

eventually succumbed to neglect and decay or, more likely, demolition. 

In the fall of 1996 and 1997, the University of North Dakota, Department of Anthropology, and 

Renewable Technologies, Inc., conducted cultural resources investigations of the Lower Yellowstone 

Irrigation Project for the Bureau of Reclamation. Among the sites documented were the remains of 

Camp BR-30. The only standing structure found at the site was a “sort of monument” consisting of a 

wooden roof supported by granite piers. The stones were laid in concrete mortar. On the west side, one 

of the granite stones was polished and etched with the words, “CO 2761 CCC, BR-30.” Similar stone 

foundations were present along the road to the northeast of the site at the camp entrance marker. In 

addition, investigators noted numerous depressions, and concrete slab and outline foundations at the 

camp site. To the southwest of the main portion of the site, archaeologists found a subterranean 

chamber in the top of a hill. A total of 24 archaeological features were identified at the former camp. 

At the time of the survey, the area was being used to stockpile irrigation material. 

The contractors concluded that “the archaeological site may have potential to yield important historical 

information and thereby be NRHP eligible under Criterion D. Subsurface testing is required to 

determine the archaeological significance of the site.” 

(The above information on the camp disposition and archaeological investigations is excerpted from 

University of North Dakota, Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project, 1996 and 1997 Cultural Resources 

Inventory, April, 2000) 

SOURCES 

Cynthia Kordecki et al, Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project, 1996 and 1997 Cultural Resources 

Inventory, Dawson and Richland Counties, Montana, and McKenzie County, North Dakota, University 

of North Dakota, Department of Anthropology, and Renewable Technologies, Inc, April 2000. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 35, 47, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Box 26, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-148

Camp BR-30: Lower Yellowstone Project, sketch map of camp features, Cynthia Kordecki et al, Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project, 1996 and 1997, Cultural Resources Inventory, April 2000. 
A-149

Camp BR-30: Lower Yellowstone Project, side camp, Intake, Montana, October 27, 1936 (Box 75, 

Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-30: Lower Yellowstone Project, enrollees building drop structure, location and date 

unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver).
A-150

Camp BR-30: Lower Yellowstone Project, a completed drop structure, location and date 

unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-30: Lower Yellowstone Project, enrollees working on canal structure, location 

and date unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-151

Camp BR-30: Lower Yellowstone Project, drop at end of Main Canal in 

need of replacement, May 21, 1936 (Box 75, Entry 21, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-30: Lower Yellowstone Project, new drop and riprap at end of Main Canal, 

September 22, 1936 (Box 75, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-153

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-32 Camp Name Babb 

State Montana County Glacier 

Location Babb, Near Camp 9 on the St. Mary River 

Reclamation Project Milk River Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established August 1935 Date Terminated October 15, 1939 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Babb, BR-32, was located on the St. Mary River at Camp 9, Reclamation’s operation and 

maintenance headquarters camp for the St. Mary Storage Unit of the Milk River Project. Located in 

north-central Montana, the Milk River Project was among the first five Reclamation projects authorized 

for construction in March 1903. The project furnishes water for the irrigation of about 121,000 acres of 

land along the Milk River between Havre and Nashua. 

The CCC established Camp BR-32 in August 1935 and occupied it during the summer months through 

1939. The camp’s primary purpose was to make improvements to the St. Mary Storage Unit to 

safeguard the project water supply. The St. Mary Storage Unit provides project water through a canal 

system originating in the western part of the State at the eastern portal of Glacier National Park. Not far 

east of the park, the canal crossed the St. Mary River valley through a two-barrel, 90-inch- diameter 

steel pipe siphon that measured 3,000 feet long. One of the pipes was originally buried underground to 

avoid the expense of placing it on piers. Over the years, moisture in the soil had damaged the pipe. One 

of the main tasks of Camp BR-32 enrollees consisted of excavating the pipeline and placing it on 

concrete piers. Because this could only be done when the ground was frost-free, enrollees worked 

during the summer months. Slip scrapers and a small tractor moved earth from around the pipe. 

Enrollees then placed concrete pedestals at about 20-foot intervals under the pipe to support it in place, 

after which the remaining earth sections between pedestals were removed. Finally, the large pipe was 

sandblasted and painted. Under the careful supervision of Reclamation technical staff, the enrollees 

successfully accomplished the job. In an October 1939 article in The Reclamation Era, the author 

wrote: “It was believed at one time that this difficult work could not be successfully carried out by 

inexperienced CCC forces, but experience has proven the contrary and an excellent job is being 

obtained with scarcely any accidents.” 

In addition to work on the siphon, Camp BR-32 enrollees cleared and burned 50 acres of timber along 

the shores of Sherburne Reservoir in Glacier National Park, constructed 4 miles of road from the State 

highway to camp, lined canal banks with gravel, placed field stone riprap for bank protection along 

waterways, and cleared and cleaned canal right-of-ways. Enrollees also eradicated rodents and other 

predatory animals on farmlands. Along with other CCC companies, Camp BR-32 enrollees assisted the 

U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service in controlling forest fires within Glacier National Park. 

Experienced foresters prepared the enrollees by conducting fire training in camp. 

The work undertaken by the enrollees gave them an excellent opportunity to become skilled truck 

drivers, and operators of tractors and other heavy machinery. Enrollees also received training in 

concrete construction. Camp staff continually stressed safety practices at work and in camp. 

The CCC abandoned Camp BR-32 in 1938. In April 1939, CCC Company No. 258 reoccupied the 

camp and upgraded the Hall’s Coulee Siphon. The camp remained active until October 15, 1939. 
A-154

Camp BR-32 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-32 was built on public land, and buildings were of the rigid and portable type. A December 

1942 list of rigid frame buildings included a mess hall (20 feet by 108 feet), kitchen (25 feet by 50 feet), 

generator house (8 feet by 10 feet), bathhouse (20 feet by 50 feet), and two latrines. Inasmuch as it was 

only a summer camp, the enrollees were housed in tents. A few original Reclamation buildings 

remaining at Camp 9, associated with the Milk River Project, were used for the U.S. Army headquarters, 

foreman’s quarters, and storage. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

Upon being abandoned, Camp BR-32 was recommended for transfer to Reclamation for use in project 

operation and maintenance activities. Apparently, by the time this action was taken in late November 

1942, the buildings and tent frames had deteriorated, and Reclamation desired to salvage them. The 

final disposition of the camp buildings is unknown. 

SOURCES 

“Barracks City News,” newsletter of Camp BR-69, Box 1, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 47, 48, and 111, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, The Historic Cultural Resources of the Milk River Project by Rolla Queen, Denver, 1991. 

William Maxey, “CCC Activities on the Milk River Project,” The Reclamation Era 29 (October 1939), 

257-259. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-155

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-33 Camp Name Augusta 

State Montana County Teton 

Location Pishkun Reservoir 

Reclamation Project Sun River Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established August 1935 Date Terminated September 1938 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Augusta, BR-33, was one of two CCC camps that existed on the Sun River Project; its successor 

was Camp BR-80. The CCC operated Camp BR-33 at Pishkun Reservoir only in the summers for four 

years beginning in 1935. When the camp closed in September 1938, enrollees moved to BR-80, located 

about 5 miles northeast of Augusta, Montana. The efforts of both camps resulted in a number of 

significant permanent improvements to the aging Sun River Project. Authorized in 1906, the expansive 

project irrigates about 93,000 acres of land lying along the Sun River in central Montana west of Great 

Falls. A series of dams and three reservoirs operate in conjunction with nine canal systems to deliver 

water from Sun River and its tributaries to farmers. The project is comprised of the Greenfield and 

Fort Shaw divisions. The Fort Shaw Canal and its laterals provide water to irrigate about 10,000 acres 

in the latter division, while the Sun River Slope Canal system furnishes water to irrigate about 

81,000 acres in the Greenfield Division. 

During its first summer in 1935, Camp BR-33 was occupied only 2-1/2 months, from August 2 to 

October 17. On May 16, 1936, Company No. 1999, consisting of 146 young men, arrived at the camp. 

An additional 46 men joined them at the end of May. During that summer, enrollees riprapped the 

North Pishkun Dike and repaired the operation and maintenance roads along the Pishkun Supply Canal 

and the Sun River Slope Canal. The camp also provided assistance in successfully fighting a fire raging 

in Sheep Creek Basin, about 75 miles away. 

On April 28, 1937, Company No. 4760, consisting of a crew of 40 men from Arroyo Grande, California, 

reoccupied the camp. Later that month, the arrival of 83 more enrollees from North Dakota increased 

the size of the workforce. During that summer, CCC teams continued to rehabilitate deteriorating 

canals. They also initiated significant improvements to Elbow Coulee Wasteway, located on the Sun 

River Slope Canal. Wastewater from the canal had scoured out about a mile-long channel with a total 

vertical drop of about 120 feet. Enrollees installed the first three of nine inclined drop structures 

consisting of grouted rock paving interspersed with large rock pilasters to slow the flow of rushing 

water. These drops created a series of cascading waterfalls through the mile of channel. Another 

CCC endeavor initiated that summer consisted of building the Willow Creek Feeder Canal from the 

Pishkun Supply Canal to Willow Creek Reservoir. The canal is about 7.5 miles long, located on a rather 

steep-sloping hill, and its construction involved extensive drilling and blasting through solid rock. The 

use of a dragline and caterpillar angledozer helped the enrollees immensely. Lastly, the 1937 summer 

crew assisted the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey in fencing nesting areas at Willow Creek and 

Pishkun Reservoir bird refuges. The camp closed for the winter on October 24. 

The following season, beginning on April 28, 1938, Camp BR-33 was occupied by 174 enrollees from 

Company No. 280 of Belden, California. They completed three more grouted masonry drop structures 

on the Elbow Coulee Wasteway and resumed construction of the Willow Creek Feeder Canal. Enrollees 

also built a fisherman’s outdoor shelter, a fireplace, and a parking area. 
A-156

Camp BR-33, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

Camp BR-33 continued to operate until September 1938, when year-round Camp BR-80 was ready for 

occupancy. Enrollees vacated the summer camp and moved to the new camp site, which remained 

active until November 30, 1941. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-33 consisted of semi-permanent and permanent-type structures. Forty-four tents on wooden 

platforms, apparently sleeping quarters for the enrollees, comprised the semi-permanent category. 

Permanent buildings included a mess hall (20 feet 5 inches by 103 feet, with central wings), office 

(20 feet by 30 feet), enrollees’ wash house (20 feet 3 inches by 42 feet 3 inches), enrollees’ latrine 

(10 feet 3 inches by 24 feet 4 inches), officers’ latrine (8 feet 3 inches by 10 feet 2 inches), officers’ 

quarters (unknown dimensions), and technical service quarters (unknown dimensions). Miscellaneous 

structures included an oil house (8 feet 3 inches by 12 feet 2 inches), pump house (5 feet 2 inches by 

5 feet 2 inches), and generator house (7 feet 2 inches by 9 feet 3 inches). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

By the summer of 1939, the U.S. Department of the Interior CCC administrators had determined that the 

abandoned Camp BR-33 would no longer be needed. Permission was requested of CCC Director 

Fechner to salvage all of the tent platforms and buildings and to use the salvaged lumber for the work 

carried out by Camp BR-80. This permission was granted on July 14, 1939. Two of the buildings from 

Camp BR-33 were dismantled and erected at BR-80, where they were used as a repair shop and 

storehouse. 

SOURCES 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories and Operation and Maintenance Report, Sun River Project, 

1937 and 1938, Box 190, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 47, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Historic Cultural Resources of the Sun River Project, by Rolla Queen, Denver, 1990. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-157

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-34 and BR-35 Camp Name BR-34: Newlands 

BR-35: Carson River 

State Nevada County Churchill 

Location BR-34: Within city limits of Fallon, originally near project maintenance 

yard. Location now approximately .2 miles north of intersection of Taylor 

and Williams Street. 

BR-35: 1/4 mile west of Fallon on Lincoln Highway near fairgrounds. 

Location is now part of Fallon behind Stockman’s Casino. 

Reclamation Project Newlands Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established BR-34: November 1935 

BR-35: November 1935 

Date Terminated BR-34: May 1942 

BR-35: December 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

During the summer of 1935, the CCC established three camps on the Newlands Project: BR-21, BR-34, 

and BR-35. The camps were established for the purpose of rehabilitating and enlarging the Newlands 

Project, one of the first five Reclamation projects authorized by the Secretary of the Interior under the 

national Reclamation Act of 1902. The project provides water to lands in the west-central Nevada 

counties of Churchill, Lyon, Storey, and Washoe. Project water comes from Lake Tahoe, which lies on 

the California/Nevada border; the Truckee River, which drains Lake Tahoe; and the Carson River. 

On December 31, 1926, the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District assumed operation and maintenance of 

the project. By the mid-1930s, the irrigation district and its users faced dire financial straits and lacked 

funding to properly care for project irrigation and drainage works. Many of the water control and 

conveyance structures had deteriorated, and existing storage capacity was inadequate. At the time, the 

project works consisted of about 70 miles of main canals, approximately 500 miles of laterals, and over 

300 miles of deep, open drains, in addition to storage reservoirs. 

Camps BR-34 and BR-35 were year-round camps, each built to accommodate 200 enrollees. 

Construction began in June 1935, and both were ready for occupancy in November 1935. Enrollees 

entering Camp BR-34 arrived from summer Camp BR-52, assigned to the Walker River Project. 

Camp BR-34 was occupied continuously thereafter, except for the summers of 1940 (from June 1, 1940, 

to October 12, 1940) and 1941 (beginning May 1, 1941). Enrollees from Camp BR-34 spent those 

intervals stationed at summer Camp BR-92 at Boca, California. Camp BR-35 was continuously 

occupied except from May 1 to October 1, 1939, during which time the enrollees also moved to Camp 

BR-92. 

During the first few years, Camp BR-34 and BR-35 enrollees spent the bulk of their time on the backlog 

of neglected or postponed maintenance. For example, they cleared and cleaned over 4 million square 

yards of canals and laterals to facilitate the flow of water. As conditions improved, the CCC ceased to 

handle strictly maintenance jobs and began the construction and reconstruction of a large number of 

various types of irrigation or related features. These included checks, culverts, turnouts, drops, flumes, 

wasteways, bridges, cattle guards, fences, ditchriders’ roads, and buildings. 

By the time both camps closed, the CCC had built 1,807 canal structures, 14 flumes, and 64 miles of 

roads. Enrollees also installed concrete canal linings, placed riprap lining on canal sections below drops 
A-158

Camps BR-34 and BR-35, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

and checks, enlarged narrow sections of the 32-mile-long Truckee Canal, lined the Lahontan Dam 

spillways with rock riprap to protect their banks, and constructed a stone guardrail at the same dam. 

Larger-scale accomplishments included the construction of the S-Line Regulating Reservoir, with a 

capacity of 1,500 acre-feet, and Sheckler Reservoir. The latter feature, with a capacity of 16,000 acrefeet, comprised the single largest project undertaken by the two camps. The work included building an 

earthen embankment and reinforced concrete outlet structure. CCC crews dug out 336,000 cubic yards 

of earth, put up 315,000 cubic yards of embankment fill, and laid 35,000 cubic yards of rock and gravel 

riprap. All of these accomplishments greatly benefited the project and reduced operation and 

maintenance costs significantly. 

Aside from greatly improving the project facilities, the young men from Camps BR-34 and BR-35 

conducted weed control and eradication; eliminated rodents; maintained demonstrational and 

experimental plots of strawberry clover, pasture grass, and trees; and assisted in firefighting efforts. 

During fiscal years 1936, 1937, and 1938, various spike camps were operated out of Camp BR-34. 

They were located at Mason, Nevada, at Lake Topaz, Nevada, and at Boca, California. At Mason, 

enrollees undertook preparation work for the consolidation of three canals, installed riprap, and 

constructed water control structures. At Lake Topaz, enrollees labored on a dike to increase the storage 

capacity of the off-stream reservoir that was built in 1921. In August 1938, a side camp of 75 men from 

Camp BR-34 was established at Boca to assist in work already begun there by enrollees from 

Camp BR-37. The young men cleared the future Boca Reservoir site of willows, logs, and debris; 

repaired existing roads; and realigned roads that would be inundated. The side camp operated until 

November 1938, when bad weather forced its closure, and the detachment returned to Camp BR-34. 

Buildings at the side camp were constructed of materials salvaged from summer Camp BR-21 at 

Lake Tahoe. 

The CCC annual reports for the camps describe a positive experience for the enrollees. Morale was 

excellent, and army officials rated both of the Fallon camps highly. Good cooperation existed among 

Army, district, county, and State officials, as well as camp personnel and other Government officials. 

Both camps participated in a variety of athletic contests, some with other CCC camps, and some with 

local teams. 

Area residents voiced their strong support for Camp BR-34 in March 1940, when they received word 

that the camp was among 250 slated for closure. Various individuals and organizations in Fallon sent 

letters and telegrams of protest to Nevada’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. Fortunately, 

for local citizens and enrollees, the proposed abandonment of the camp did not occur, and it continued 

to operate until May 1942. 

In the final Annual Narrative Report for Camp BR-34, the camp received the following praise: “Local 

sentiment is unanimous in appreciation of the useful work accomplished by the CCC and of the general 

conduct and character of the camp personnel” (Reclamation 1942). 

During the existence of camps BR-34 and BR-35, numerous companies occupied them. At 

Camp BR-34, these included Company Nos. 2501, 295, 4743, 3206, and 5495. Companies stationed at 

Camp BR-35 included Nos. 2505, 2533, and 1225. 
A-159

Camps BR-34 and BR-35 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-34 was located on land almost entirely owned by the Federal Government and under the 

supervision of the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District. The rest of the site belonged to the Williams 

Estate Company. A description of the camp under construction was found in a July 6, 1935, newspaper 

article in The Fallon Eagle. Buildings included a mess hall (146 feet by 24 feet) large enough to 

accommodate 225 men at a meal. Off the dining hall was a large connecting T, “where five cooks will 

preside over a battery of ranges which will be set up over oil burners, on concrete foundations. Just 

outside the kitchen door, which opens to the south, will be an ice refrigerator with a capacity of several 

beef carcasses.” Other buildings included four barracks in the shape of a “U,” each capable of housing 

52 enrollees; officers’ quarters; quarters for the supply division, and for the superintendents in charge of 

the Reclamation work performed by the enrollees; and a recreation hall. A baseball diamond and tennis 

courts provided athletic opportunities. 

Camp BR-35 was constructed on land belonging to the Williams Estate Company. All buildings but 

one were identified as of the rigid type. The latter consisted of four barracks (80 feet by 20 feet) with 

wings, one barrack (12 feet by 12 feet), a mess hall (145 feet by 20 feet), kitchen (40 feet by 36 feet), 

garbage house (12 feet by 9 feet), cooler (16 feet by 12 feet), headquarters (107 feet by 20 feet), 

recreation hall (125 feet by 20 feet), infirmary (42 feet by 20 feet), boiler house (40 feet by 12 feet), 

latrine (28 feet by 10 feet), warehouse and schoolroom (20 feet by 40 feet), boxing pavilion (24 feet by 

24 feet), garage (100 feet by 25 feet), and various small storage and auxiliary buildings. The education 

building (80 feet by 20 feet) was identified as portable. 

According to the fiscal year 1939 Annual Narrative Report for the two camps, “Camp improvements 

were continually on the increase. At present, both camps present a pleasing appearance and are a credit 

to the community” (Reclamation 1939) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

Vacated Camp BR-34 was turned over to the Army on November 7, 1942. Thereafter, it was occupied 

by a detachment of the Army Air Force. In January 1943, the Army decided that it no longer had any 

use for the camp and wished to turn it back over to Reclamation. Reclamation no longer wanted 

responsibility for the camp either and, apparently, did not retain control because the camp does not 

appear on a March 1944 list of CCC camps still in existence on Reclamation projects. 

Following closure of Camp BR-35, the camp was turned over to Reclamation. On June 24, 1943, the 

camp was transferred to Churchill County, Nevada, with the understanding that the Army would be 

permitted to remove any buildings or accessories for which it had an immediate need. 

Nothing remains of camps BR-34 or 35; however, at the Boca Reservoir spike camp, some concrete 

slabs overlooking the dam are still visible. 

SOURCES 

Information on the current locations of the camps, the companies that occupied them, and existing 

features provided by Renee Kolvet, Bureau of Reclamation, Boulder City, Nevada. 

“Abandonment of CCC Camp Here Protested,” Fallon Eagle, March 9, 1940. Clipping at National 

Archives, Denver (Box 117, Entry 22, RG 115). 
A-160

Camps BR-34 and BR-35, Sources (continued) 

“Rapid Progress Is Being Made Upon ECW Buildings,” Fallon Eagle, July 6, 1935. Clipping at 

National Archives, Denver (Box 29, Entry 21, RG 115). 

Reclamation, “Annual Narrative Report, Fiscal Year 1942, Newlands Project, CCC Camps BR-34 and 

BR-35,” 1942, Box 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, “Annual Narrative Report, Fiscal Year 1939, Newlands Project, CCC Camps BR-34 and 

BR-35,” 1939, Box 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project History, Truckee Storage Project, 1938, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 13, 48, 49, and 119, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Boxes 29 and 30, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Renee Kolvet, The Civilian Conservation Corps in Nevada, From Boys to Men, (Reno, Nevada: 

University of Nevada Press, 2006). 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-34: Newlands Project, general view of ECW camp, Fallon, September 28, 

1935 (Box 10, Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-161

Camp BR-35: Newlands Project, view of camp, September 28, 1935 

(Box 30, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-34: Newlands Project, 

view showing concrete intake 

for semicircular metal flume 

built by enrollees, April 25, 

1937 (Box 10, Accession 

No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-34: Newlands Project, 

left bank of canal cleared, March 

9, 1936 (Box 10, Accession 

No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-162

Camp BR-34: Newlands Project, view of lateral carried across a main 

canal in pipe supported by truss, July 8, 1935 (Box 10, Accession 

No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-34: Newlands Project, rodent control work, distribution of poison 

bait for eradication of pocket gophers, May 28, 1937 (RG 115, Box 10, 

Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, National Archives, Denver).
A-163

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-36 Camp Name Lovelock 

State Nevada County Pershing 

Location Southeast edge of Lovelock. T. 27 N., R. 31 E., sec. 26, SW1/4 SW1/4. 

Location now directly under I-80 overpass in highway right-of-way 

Reclamation Project Humboldt Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established August 1935 Date Terminated September 1938 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Lovelock, BR-36, was established to accomplish work on the Humboldt Project, located in 

northwestern Nevada on the Humboldt River. Reclamation project features include Rye Patch Dam and 

Reservoir, constructed under contract in 1935 and 1936, with incidental assistance provided by Camp 

BR-36 enrollees. The dam was built on the Humboldt River to supplement the water supply of the 

Lovelock Valley and protect irrigated acreage during low-water years by capturing flood waters. 

Camp BR-36 was completed and occupied in August 1935 by members of Company No. 1216. They 

remained there continuously until the camp’s closure in late September 1938. Enrollees first started 

project work in early September 1935, when they set about rehabilitating the badly deteriorated 

distribution system in the Lovelock Valley, which serves some 20,000 acres of land. The assistance 

greatly benefited the project water users, who were in such dire straits that they could not afford even 

the most urgent repairs. CCC efforts included clearing out canals and laterals overgrown with 

vegetation, and repairing or replacing checks, turnouts, culverts, bridges, and flumes. The enrollees 

replaced rotted, wooden water control structures with concrete ones, and deteriorating wooden flumes 

with metal ones. The improvements returned much of the system to excellent condition and enhanced 

its water delivery capabilities. 

During the first few years of the camp’s existence, as work proceeded on Rye Patch Dam and Reservoir, 

enrollees also pitched in at that site to perform work not covered in the construction contract. They built 

a telephone line, upgraded the road around the upper end of the reservoir, cleared brush around the dam 

and in the reservoir area, and placed riprap in the spillway channel. Following conclusion of the 

contract, considerable work remained to be done, which Camp BR-36 forces accomplished. While the 

CCC contributed supervised labor, equipment, construction surveys, and some materials, the Humboldt 

Project provided other materials, skilled labor, and supervisory inspection. CCC efforts focused on 

constructing reinforced concrete parapet and curb walls on the embankment. Enrollees also spread 

gravel on the reservoir slope near the embankment and spillway intake, improved a cutoff trench, and 

performed general cleanup and landscaping of the vicinity of the dam. The work involved both hand 

labor and the use of mechanical equipment. The result was “a neat and finished appearance to this 

structure” and an “outstanding example of good CCC accomplishment.” A January 1939 article in The 

Reclamation Era praised the enrollees as “active, alert, interested and industrious.” 

Heavy snowstorms during the winter of 1937 blocked roads to many of the outlying communities in 

western Nevada, leaving farmers, miners, and cattle stranded. Local authorities were unable to cope 

with the conditions, and CCC men and equipment from Camp BR-36 provided much needed rescue 

assistance. Over a 3-week period, the CCC enrollees worked in cooperation with the county 

commission to clear 380 miles of road, dig out 10 towns and 65 snowbound ranchers and miners in the 

outlying areas, and haul feed to many isolated herds of cattle. 
A-164

Camp BR-36, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

Lastly, BR-36 enrollees taught local farmers about the problem of noxious weeds and methods to 

eradicate them. 

During their non-work hours, enrollees participated in various sports and in the camp’s well-run 

educational program. Carpentry, woodworking, typing, and accounting proved to be among the most 

popular courses. A number of enrollees took correspondence classes, free of charge, offered through the 

University of San Francisco. Sports activities included baseball, basketball, volleyball, boxing, ping 

pong, and tennis. 

The immaculately clean mess hall offered a varied diet of meats, eggs, and fresh and cooked fruits and 

vegetables. The up-to-date kitchen included refrigeration, storage, steam cookers, percolators, and other 

equipment. Cooks dressed in white uniforms and waiters served the enrollees at long tables. Foremen 

and officers ate at a separate table. With plentiful food available, the enrollees quickly gained weight. 

Many of the enrollees of Company No. 1216 came from New York and New Jersey and were very 

young when they arrived at camp. Initial difficulty adjusting to camp life generated complaints about 

their work habits from staff. As the enrollees settled in and became accustomed to their new 

surroundings, their attitudes shifted. They showed a lot of enthusiasm and performed high-quality 

work. Their accomplishments received high praise in a March 25, 1938, special edition of the local 

newspaper, The Review-Miner, highlighting the area’s CCC camps. The community also showed 

appreciation for the young men. Local citizens invited them into their homes and made them feel 

welcome. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-36 was located on private land leased from the Inter-Mountain Investment Company of 

Lovelock. Buildings were of the fixed versus portable type and included four U-shaped barracks 

(20 feet by 75 feet back; 20 feet by 60 feet each leg), an administration building (20 feet by 126 feet), a 

mess hall (20 feet by 146 feet) and kitchen (36 feet by 40 feet), an infirmary (20 feet by 42 feet), an 

officers’ and technical services building (20 feet by 115 feet), a wood working shop (10 feet by 30 feet), 

a latrine (10 feet by 24 feet), a garage (22 feet by 40 feet), two warehouses, a garage and repair shop 

(22 feet by 118 feet), an oil house (10 feet by 22 feet), and a boiler house (10 feet by 16 feet). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

Camp BR-36 was vacated in September 1938. In January 1939, CCC Director Robert Fechner approved 

the permanent transfer of the camp to the Division of Grazing for CCC use. 

Nothing remains of the camp today. 

SOURCES 

Information on camp’s occupants and current condition provided by Renee Kolvet, Bureau of 

Reclamation, Boulder City, Nevada. 

Alfred Golze, “C.C.C. and Emergency Work,” The Reclamation Era 27 (August 1937), 188-90. 

Reclamation, Annual Project History, Humboldt Project, 1934 through 1936, Box 199, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 
A-165

Camp BR-36, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 47, 48, and 100, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 8, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Thomas Williamson, “CCC Construction of Parapet and Curb Walls, Rye Patch Dam, Humboldt 

Project, Nevada,” The Reclamation Era 29 (January 1939), 15-16. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-36: Humboldt Project, placing riprap at Rye Patch Dam (Box 44, 

Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver).
A-166

Camp BR-36: Humboldt 

Project, enrollees working on 

curb wall of Rye Patch Dam 

(Box 44, Accession No. 

8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-167

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-37 Camp Name Reno 

State Nevada County Washoe 

Location Washoe City, 5 miles southwest of Reno. Location is now the corner of 

Lakeside and McCarran. 

Reclamation Project Truckee Storage Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established November 14, 1935 Date Terminated August 2, 1938 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Two regular CCC camps, BR-37 and BR-92, and a spike camp from BR-34, provided assistance on the 

Truckee Storage Project. Approved for construction on September 21, 1935, the project was built by 

Reclamation to store and release supplemental irrigation water to about 29,000 acres of land in the 

Truckee Meadows surrounding Reno and Sparks, Nevada. The major project feature consists of Boca 

Dam and Reservoir, located in California, 27 miles southwest of Reno on the Little Truckee River. 

While the Federal Government constructed and maintains the dam and reservoir, the Truckee Storage 

Project irrigation works are privately owned. 

Camp Reno, BR-37, was the first CCC camp to operate on the Truckee Storage Project. On 

November 14, 1935, the newly completed camp became home to members of Company No. 258, who 

were relocated from summer Camp BR-21 at Lake Tahoe. From then on, Camp BR-37 operated 

continuously until it closed on August 2, 1938. Mr. Walter T. Frey held the job of camp superintendent. 

The camp’s work activities focused primarily on rehabilitating the privately owned distribution system. 

The water users didn’t pay for the CCC labor but covered the cost of materials. Improvements made by 

the enrollees included the installation of canal checks, turnouts, and headgates; metal flumes; a 16-foot 

by 42-foot wooden bridge across the Little Truckee River; concrete ditch lining to prevent loss of water 

by seepage; and rock riprap to prevent bank erosion. Enrollees also completed improvements to the 

Truckee River channel, including enlargement, straightening, and bank protection by rock riprap. 

During most of the camp’s existence, a CCC crew worked at Boca Dam, some 30 miles away. This 

work consisted of digging test pits, unloading and stockpiling concrete aggregate, clearing over 

900 acres of the reservoir site, constructing roads to replace roads that would be inundated, and 

conducting a general cleanup of the premises in the vicinity of the dam, which, in prior years, had been 

occupied as a townsite. 

After the closure of Camp BR-37, a detachment of enrollees from Camp BR-34 arrived at Boca Dam for 

3 months to continue the CCC work there. The detachment occupied a side camp that had been built by 

Camp BR-37 enrollees from materials salvaged from yet another camp, Camp BR-21 at Lake Tahoe. In 

Reclamation’s 1938 Annual Project History, Truckee Storage Project, the contributions of the CCC at 

Boca were praised as follows: “It is difficult to bring out a realization of the value of work done at Boca 

by the CCC forces as it was of such variety and particular types that an amount in dollars does not 

readily apply. It can be said, however, that their work was exceptionally satisfactory and of much more 

value than the usual observer could realize.” Further work at Boca Dam was completed by members of 

Camp BR-92, established in May 1939. 

On account of the proximity of BR-37 to the mountains west of Reno, CCC enrollees assisted the 

U.S. Forest Service in fire suppression work during the hot summer months. 
A-168

Camp BR-37, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

While Reclamation’s CCC camps operated, for the most part, with few problems, an incident at 

Camp Reno proved to be a highly publicized exception. On November 30, 1936, 100 enrollees, all from 

New York City, went on strike, declaring that they were dissatisfied with the food being served, and that 

the commanding officer was “too arbitrary” (Reno-Evening Gazette 1936). The strike was short lived; 

after the dismissal of a half-dozen ringleaders, the young men returned to work a few days later and 

things calmed down. Captain William Mansfield, commanding officer of the camp, attributed the cause 

of the strike not to poor food, but to a few men he described as “radicals.” He asserted that late nights in 

Reno were also to blame; enrollees arriving back at camp in the early hours of the morning missed the 

breakfast whistle and found themselves locked out of the dining hall. At the request of national CCC 

headquarters, the War Department launched a probe of the incident to determine if radical ringleaders 

were indeed the cause. Investigators attributed the disturbance to repeated problems among Mansfield, 

the foremen, and enrollees. Mansfield was replaced, and the camp experienced no further negative 

incidents. 

During 1936 and 1937, camp facilities were greatly improved, with the addition of athletic facilities and 

a new educational building and vocational shop. An auditorium in the educational building provided 

space for weekly camp meetings and entertainment programs. Extensive landscaping of the grounds 

enhanced the camp’s appearance. 

On April 5, 1938, just a few months before the camp closed, a celebration of the fifth anniversary of the 

CCC program was held at Camp BR-37. The public was invited to tour the camp and attend a dance in 

the mess hall. By then, camp enrollees could boast of many accomplishments. According to an article 

in the Reno Evening Gazette, they had replaced 129 defective water control structures; placed 

1,014 square yards of canal lining and 3,279 square yards of riprap to stop bank erosion in the Truckee 

River and canals; and moved 26,238 cubic yards of rock and earth to realign segments of ditches. Since 

leaving the camp, 73 enrollees had obtained skilled and unskilled positions, from laundry worker, at a 

salary of $15 per week, to foreman, at $125 a month. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-37 consisted of permanent (versus portable) type buildings. They included four horseshoeshaped barracks (back part, 20 feet by 75 feet; two sides, each 20 feet by 20 feet), a mess hall (20 feet 

by 146 feet) with a kitchen wing (35 feet y 40 feet), a recreational room and technical agency 

headquarters (20 feet by 126 feet), an administration building and officers’ quarters (20 feet by 

106 feet), an infirmary (20 feet by 42 feet), a laundry building (12 feet by 18 feet), two garages (20 feet 

by 105 feet; 20 feet by 40 feet), a latrine (10 feet by 24 feet), and several small storage and ancillary 

structures. 

The camp was built on private property leased from Mr. John Larson. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

On May 27, 1938, George Snow, Reclamation’s Regional Director in Reno, Nevada, requested 

clearance from the CCC to dispose of the buildings at Camp BR-37. On August 2, 1938, 

CCC headquarters in Washington D.C. approved Snow’s request. Salvage of the camp buildings was 
A-169

Camp BR-37, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

completed on September 30, 1938. All of the salvaged materials were hauled to the Newlands Project 

for use on CCC work conducted by Camps BR-34 and BR-35. 

Nothing remains of the camp today. 

SOURCES 

Information on current site condition provided by Renee Kolvet, Bureau of Reclamation, Boulder City, 

Nevada. 

“100 CCC Workers Go On Strike At Camp Near Reno,” Reno-Evening Gazette, November 30, 1936, 

12. 

Civilian Conservation Corps, “Official Annual,” Sacramento District, Ninth Corps Area, 1938, National 

Association of CCC Alumni archives, St. Louis, Missouri. 

“Open House Held and Dance Set For Tonight,” Reno Evening Gazette, April 5, 1938, Box 151, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Truckee Storage Project, 1934 through 1938, Box 564, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 47, 48, and 151, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Renee Kolvet and Victoria Ford, The Civilian Conservation Corps in Nevada, From Boys to Men, (Reno 

and Las Vegas: University of Nevada Press, 2006). 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-37: Truckee River Project, members of Company 

No. 258, chow time at Camp Reno, date unknown (copy 

courtesy of Conservation Corps Museum and Institute). 
A-170

Camp BR-37: Truckee River Project, members of Company No. 258 resting on 

Sunday morning, date unknown (copy courtesy of Conservation Corps Museum and 

Institute, California).

Camp BR-37: Truckee River Project, view showing typical concrete canal division 

box built by enrollees, July 13, 1936 (Box 19, Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-171

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

 

Camp Number BR-39 Camp Name Las Cruces 

State New Mexico County Dona Ana 

Location Las Cruces, S. Melendres Street, T. 23 S., R. 2 E., sec. 18 

Reclamation Project Rio Grande Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established August 17, 1935 Date Terminated May 25, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Las Cruces, BR-39, was one of four CCC camps established on the Rio Grande Project. The 

others included Camps BR-4, BR-8, and BR-54. Camp BR-39 opened August 17, 1935, with the 

arrival of enrollees from east-central Texas. Just 12 days later, an intense rainstorm flooded the greater 

portion of Las Cruces, including the camp. From August 30 to September 6, the enrollees and 

personnel moved to Camp SCS-16-N, on the east side of Las Cruces, until waters subsided and Camp 

BR-39 could be cleaned up. During that time, enrollees provided much appreciated assistance to the 

relief authorities aiding the stricken community. 

Upon completion of the flood cleanup, enrollees resumed the work originally assigned to them. At the 

Reclamation yard, the young men completed a warehouse, storage shed, and oil house. Enrollees then 

began to upgrade the recreational facilities at Leasburg Diversion Dam, located on the Rio Grande 

River, 62 miles north of El Paso, Texas. This assignment involved developing picnic grounds with 

concrete and rock picnic tables and restrooms, building stone walls, and improving the dam tender’s 

house. At Mesilla Dam, crews leveled, graded, and surfaced a 1.5 mile section of the operating road 

along the West Side Canal. 

During the sixth enrollment period (October 1935-March 1936), a series of check dams and flood 

retention dams were designed to be placed in the east and west forks of the Picacho Arroyo, which 

enters the Rio Grande Valley about 6 miles northwest of Las Cruces. This normally dry arroyo became 

flooded during periods of heavy rain, resulting in the destruction of Reclamation irrigation works at the 

mouth of the arroyo and damage to irrigable lands. 

Once designs were completed, CCC forces began construction of two substantial flood retention dams, 

Box Canyon Dam and Apache Dam. This ambitious effort consumed most of the CCC workforce from 

April 1936 to January 1938. Apache Dam is a concrete-core structure with exposed surfaces of rubble 

stone. The maximum height of the dam is nearly 50 feet with a crest length of 153 feet. The thickness 

of the base is 34 feet with a top width of 10 feet. Box Canyon Dam is of similar construction, although 

it is somewhat larger. The main portion of the dam is 49 feet high, 220 feet long, and 10 feet wide at 

the crest. In association with the construction of Apache Dam, CCC enrollees also built two other 

structures, both of masonry: a check dam immediately below the dam and a smaller 15-foot-high 

detention dam above the reservoir site. The latter served as a settling basin to lessen the deposit of silt 

in the main reservoir. 

While construction of the dams occupied most of the enrollees at Camp BR-39, some were kept busy 

clearing canal and lateral banks of brush; lining ditches and drains with concrete; installing features 

such as turnouts, wasteways, checks, siphons, and culverts; planting trees and eradicating weeds and 

gophers; and building operating roads or truck trails along practically all the drains in the Elephant 
A-172

Camp BR-39, Camp History/Activities (continued)

Butte Irrigation District. Crews also constructed two ditchriders’ houses (one at San Miguel was 

described as a “five room, thoroughly modern bungalow” [Mealey 1937]), added a truck shed and 

carpenter shop to the Reclamation yard, and built a large, stone water tower at Leasburg Dam 

recreational area. 

Upon completion of the dams, the CCC forces turned their attention to other work activities aimed at 

improving project facilities. The young men constructed a rock masonry ditchrider’s house a block 

away from the camp and a concrete office in Reclamation’s Las Cruces yards adjacent to the camp, 

built a rock masonry warehouse at Hatch to replace one destroyed by fire, cleared laterals of arroyo 

debris, lined waterways with concrete, built canal roadways, replaced a number of wooden bridges 

with concrete pipe culverts, reconstructed flumes and other water control structures, and completed 

some dike and levee construction for flood protection along the Trujillo and Placitos Arroyos. 

In July 1938, the Elephant Butte Irrigation District Board voted to allot $500 a month to 

Camp BR-39 to purchase materials for further rehabilitation of project features. This fund enabled the 

camp to carry on a far more extensive program than would have been possible under the limited funds 

allotted by the CCC. 

On August 2 of that same summer, 193 enrollees from Company No. 3355 of Pennsylvania arrived to 

occupy Camp BR-39. None of the young men had ever been West before, and they rejoiced in the 

warm sunny weather and absence of snow and sleet. The enrollees thrived. The following winter, the 

camp physician, Dr. Lane B. Cook, marveled at their good health. 

An integral part of the work accomplished by the Pennsylvania company consisted of installing 

fencing along canals and drains for the purpose of grazing sheep along the banks. This interesting 

experiment in weed control, undertaken in cooperation with the adjoining property owners, proved 

very successful. The CCC furnished the labor and fenceposts cut from the Caballo Dam site, and the 

landowners supplied wire and staples. Between July 1, 1938, and June 30, 1939, 13,795 rods of 

fencing were installed with “results so satisfactory that applications are on hand for more than four 

times the quantity already built” (Reclamation 1939). 

Another endeavor consisted of installing 13 cattle guards along the main canals and laterals. 

Unfamiliar with the term “cattle guard,” at least some of the young men thought it meant “a policeman 

that guarded cows” (Las Cruces Sun 1939). 

Late in 1938, a side camp was established at Hatch, New Mexico, about 36 miles north of Las Cruces. 

About 30 men stationed at the camp helped with construction and betterment activities in the Hatch 

and Rincon Valleys. The side camp continued to function through fiscal years 1940 and 1941. 

During the last 3 years of its existence, the camp continued some of the work programs started earlier. 

Enrollees replaced timber canal and lateral structures with concrete ones; installed new turnouts, 

checks, pipe culverts, and cattle guards; replaced timber bridges with pipe culverts; constructed 

operating roads; conducted rodent control; and built fencing along canals and laterals. In addition, 

repairs were made to Mesilla Dam and Leasburg Diversion Dam to prevent leakage. 
A-173

Camp BR-39, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

In keeping with the national CCC program, classroom education was offered at Camp BR-39, in 

addition to work experience. Space in the initial two classrooms proved inadequate, so in late 1937, 

enrollees embarked on the construction of a new permanent masonry building across the street from the 

camp. Enrollees enthusiastically described progress of the project in the camp’s newsletter called 

Organ Echoes. Built in the Spanish pueblo revival style to resemble the new Dona Ana county 

courthouse, the school with exterior stuccoed walls contained seven rooms. They included a reading 

room and library, woodworking shop, photography darkroom, office, bedroom for the assistant 

Educational Adviser, and classrooms. Interior walls were plastered and enrollees added decorative 

ceiling beams made of reused utility poles. The large library and reading room featured a stone 

fireplace made of quartz and various colored stones from the Organ Mountains. Handmade door 

handles and hinges, and Spanish style furniture crafted by the CCC added to the character of the 

building. Completed by July 1938, the CCC stone school was one of a kind in New Mexico, and 

rightfully a source of great pride for the enrollees who built it. 

A handful of academically advanced enrollees attended regular classes at the New Mexico College of 

Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. Another small group took vocational courses in woodworking and 

electrical work, available at the same college. 

Weekend duties included light chores around camp, and the enrollees at Camp BR-39 took great pride 

in planting lawns and flower beds (including a cactus garden) on the grounds. The Los Cruces Daily 

News extolled Camp BR-39 as a model camp that had “more fresh, green grass. . . than any lawn in 

town” (Melzer, page 141). 

During their free time, the young men enjoyed a variety of sports including softball and basketball. A 

camp orchestra played for camp dances and other events. 

Camp BR-39 was disbanded on May 25, 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Camp BR-39 was constructed in July 1935 on land belonging to the Elephant Butte Irrigation District. 

Seventeen buildings of rigid frame construction included five barracks (20 feet by 105 feet), one 

barrack (20 feet by 100 feet), a mess hall and kitchen (40 feet by98 feet), an office-supply building 

(20 feet by 73 feet), an infirmary (20 feet by 32 feet), an officers’ and technical quarters (20 feet by 

96 feet), a recreation hall (20 feet by 100 feet), a bath house (20 feet by 44 feet), a latrine (12 feet by 

28 feet), an oil/gas house (9 feet by 14 feet), a garage (18 feet by 93 feet), and a workshop (20 feet by 

100 feet). In addition, there was the masonry education building (42 feet by 62 feet) constructed by the 

enrollees, and a masonry ice house and root cellar. To enhance the appearance of the camp, enrollees 

planted 250 small evergreens, 64 pecan trees, a large rose garden, numerous grass plots, and flagstone 

walks. A tennis court and a basketball court were also added. 

The number of buildings at the Hatch Side Camp is unknown, although, in May 1939, Reclamation’s 

Chief Engineer in Denver approved the relocation of several one-room residences from the Caballo 

Dam Government camp to Hatch for additional barrack space. 
A-174

Camp BR-39 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On August 18, 1943, the Army transferred the vacated camp buildings to Reclamation for use as 

housing for German and Italian war prisoners who worked as farm laborers on the Rio Grande Project. 

Reclamation, in turn, issued a temporary license of occupancy for the camp to New Mexico State 

College for use as a prisoner of war compound (Dyson 1944). The Army also played a role in 

administering the camp, because it occupied the former schoolhouse built by the CCC for its 

headquarters. 

Following the war, the camp buildings were removed with the exception of the schoolhouse. On 

November 25, 1958, the Elephant Butte Irrigation District sold the schoolhouse to a private individual. 

Since 1998, the property has been owned by Human Systems Research (HSR), a local non-profit 

cultural resources firm. HSR successfully nominated the historic building to the New Mexico State 

Register of Cultural Properties, and is currently pursuing National Register of Historic Places 

designation. The firm has also been actively restoring the building to preserve its historic character. 

The site of the former CCC camp across the street from the schoolhouse is still owned by the Elephant 

Butte Irrigation District and serves as its administrative headquarters. The stone ditchrider’s house 

built by the CCC around the corner from the school on the corner of Miranda and W. Texas Streets still 

exists. 

SOURCES

CCC, “A Report Covering the Activities of CCC Camps Assigned to Reclamation Projects in Fourteen 

Western States, August 1934-May 31, 1937," Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Deb Dennis, Human Systems Research, telephone conversation and e-mail correspondence with Chris 

Pfaff, March, 2009. 

Memorandum from Avis M. Dyson to Commissioner Harry Bashore, on status of former CCC camps, 

March 29, 1944, Box 13, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

“N.M. CCC Camp Starts Flood Control Work,” El Paso Herald-Post, March 10, 1936. 

Organ Echoes newsletter, December 1937, June 1938, and August 1938. 

“Pennsy CCC Boys Here Do Good Job,” Las Cruces Sun, March 21, 1939. 

Reclamation, “Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1939, Summary of Accomplishments, Camp BR-39-N,” 

1939, Box 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Rio Grande Project, 1937 through 1941, Boxes 143 and 144, 

Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 
A-175

Camp BR-39, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, General Records of Reclamation Relating to CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 13, and 48, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of ECW, Box 33, Entry 21, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Richard Melzer, Coming of Age in the Great Depression: The Civilian Conservation Corps 

Experience in New Mexico, 1933-1942 (Las Cruces, New Mexico: Yucca Tree Press, 2000). 

W. P. Mealey, “CCC Erosion and Flood Control Program,” The Reclamation Era 27 (July 1937), 164-

65, 168. 

W. P. Mealey, “Narrative Report-Eighth Period, Camp BR-39-N,” 1937, File 39, Box 33, Entry 21, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009
A-176

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, plan of camp, 1937 (courtesy of Deborah Dennis, Human Systems Research, Inc.). 
A-177

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, view of camp showing portion of 

tennis court and entrance, date unknown (Box 75, Entry 21, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, CCC construction of Apache Dam, 

April 1, 1936 (Box 75, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-178

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, CCC construction of Apache Dam, 

April 1, 1936 (Box 75, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, Picacho Arroyo, check dam No. 1 

under construction, date unknown (Box 75, Entry 21, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver).
A-179

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande 

Project, Picacho Arroyo, check 

dam No. 2 nearing completion, 

1936 (Box 75, Entry 21, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver).

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande 

Project, Town Lateral lining 

under construction, 1936 

(Box 75, Entry 21, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-180

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, carpenter shop at Reclamation yard 

constructed by CCC, 1937 (Box 33, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, recreational area at Leasburg Dam, 1937 

(Box 33, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-181

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, 

camp education building 

constructed by CCC, 1938 

(courtesy of Deborah Dennis, 

Human Systems Research, Inc.). 

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, view of CCC education building in 2009 (courtesy of Deborah Dennis, 

Human Systems Research, Inc.). 
A-182

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, Apache Dam in 2008 (courtesy of Dan Carter, 

Bureau of Land Management). 

Camp BR-39: Rio Grande Project, 

view of CCC-constructed check dam 

in 2008 (courtesy of Dan Carter, 

Bureau of Land Management). 
A-183

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-41 Camp Name Klamath 

State Oregon County Klamath 

Location Two miles north of Merrill: T. 40 S., R. 10 E., sec. 35, NE1/4 NE1/4 

Reclamation Project Klamath Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 20, 1935 Date Terminated August 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Klamath, BR-41 was one of two CCC camps established on the Klamath Project; the other was 

Camp BR-20. The director of the Emergency Conservation Works (ECW; renamed CCC) approved 

the occupation of both camps in April 1935 pending an investigation of the sites by Army inspectors. 

Apparently, a third camp on the Klamath Project, Camp BR-40, was planned for Bend, Oregon, but 

never advanced beyond the approval stage. 

Construction of Camp BR-41 began June 14, 1935, and on October 20, 1935, the camp started 

operations. On that day, Lieutenant Otto Huefner arrived at Merrill from McGee, Idaho, with a 

contingent of 119 enrollees. They settled in to their new environment quickly and “it was only a short 

time before all the men were hustling around camp arranging their bunks in the barracks, building fires 

in the heaters, and generally making themselves comfortable. These men also arrived in good 

condition and in high spirits. The field work commenced the next day when the Camp Commander 

turned over a portion of the men to the Acting Camp Superintendent” (Reclamation 1936). 

Both camps on the Klamath Project were primarily engaged in rehabilitating project features. 

Activities included constructing concrete and timber water control structures; lining and riprapping 

canals, where necessary, to prevent excessive loss of water and channel erosion; building minor roads 

on canal banks; excavating lateral and drain ditches; constructing vehicle bridges across channels; 

removing weeds from canal, lateral, and drain ditch banks; installing sheet piling in the East Bank 

Levee of Lost River; and, prior to June 30, 1937, cleaning and clearing channels and eradicating 

rodents. Both camps intermittently participated in emergency work and cooperated with the 

U.S. Forest Service in fighting forest fires. Early on, Camp BR-41 enrollees also constructed fencing, 

eradicated noxious weeds, and laid pipeline. Following the closure of Camp BR-20 in July 1938, 

Camp BR-41 remained the only camp on the Klamath Project until August 1941, when it too was 

discontinued. 

A major accomplishment of Camp BR-41 consisted of raising Clear Lake Dam on the Lost River in 

California. This work started on April 21, 1939, when a detail of 36 enrollees and 1 foreman moved to 

a side camp built by Reclamation near the dam, which was 35 miles from the main camp. The 

enrollees increased the height of the earth and rockfill dam by adding 3 feet of fill from a site about 

one-half mile from the dam. They used a Reclamation dragline to load the fill into dump trucks, that 

then delivered the material to the dam. Enrollees also replaced an old bridge across the spillway with a 

15-ton load, timber truss one. 

During the last 2 years of its existence, Camp BR-41 completed improvements to the caretaker’s 

cottage at Clear Lake Station, built five timber bridges and two large concrete water control structures 

on the “P” Canal, and replaced a ditchrider’s cabin near Merrill that had burned. 
A-184

Camp BR- 41, History/Activities (continued) 

Men at both Camps BR-41 and BR-20 were praised for their hard work. According to the first report 

for the two camps during the sixth enrollment period: 

The manner in which the men in both camps applied their efforts was truly remarkable, 

and it was not long before the camps became well established and the work program 

began to show signs of progress. This certainly proved that there was no lack of 

industry or initiative in the men. They wanted to work, to prove their worth and better 

themselves, when given the opportunity. Moreover, they proved this when offered the 

facilities of the buildings and teaching personnel at the Merrill and Tulelake high 

schools for evenings (Reclamation 1936). 

Enrollees at both camps signed up for night classes, where they were taught a variety of subjects 

including typing, shorthand, English, math, citizenship, penmanship, and journalism. Some of the 

enrollees had never had the opportunity to even complete grade school. For those who did not attend 

the high school classes, they still had the option of attending classes at each camp. Instructors offered 

courses in first aid, manual training, orchestra practice, and work safety, in addition to the regular 

academic curriculum. Enrollees produced a semimonthly newsletter entitled “The Arrowhead,” which 

described camp activities and personnel. 

The daily routine of Camp BR-41 enrollees was very similar to the routine at other camps. The men 

arose at six o’clock, ate breakfast, policed their barracks, and reported to work at eight. The work day 

ended at four o’clock, and before supper, the whole company participated in the retreat ceremony. 

After supper, enrollees were free to study, read, or engage in other activities until bedtime at 

10 o’clock. Unless enrollees had to make up lost work time on Saturdays, they could participate in a 

variety of recreational activities that day including games and sports. During the summer, 

Camp BR-41 organized teams in baseball, tennis, swimming, and horseshoe pitching. At least once a 

week, camp officials organized recreational trips to Klamath Falls and the surrounding area. Religious 

services of all principal denominations were held in the camp from time to time. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

The buildings at Camp BR-41 were of the rigid versus portable type. The camp was constructed on 

public land. 

On April 14, 1939, a fire of unknown cause destroyed one of the four barracks at the camp. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Following the termination of Camp BR-41, CCC Director James McEntee authorized transfer of the 

property on November 10, 1942, to the Agriculture Department, Farm Security Administration (FSA). 
A-185

Camp BR-41, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

The camp was to be used for housing migratory labor. Reclamation was not apprised of this until 

January 1943, and it notified the CCC that it had hoped to retain the camp for use in the operation and 

maintenance of the Klamath Project. In early 1943, the CCC agreed to rescind the transfer of the camp 

and turn it over to Reclamation provided the FSA was in agreement. As of March 1944, Reclamation 

was still waiting to hear from the FSA. Final disposition is unknown. 

SOURCES

Klamath Project CCC period reports on file at Klamath Office, Bureau of Reclamation. 

Reclamation, “Period Report of Emergency Conservation Work Camps Under Bureau of Reclamation, 

Klamath Project, Sixth Enrollment Period,” 1936 (on file at the Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Basin 

Area Office). 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 47, 48, and 105, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Box 34, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-41: Klamath Project, view of camp, 1935 (Box 61, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-186

Camp BR-41: Klamath Project, 

sleeping quarters for enrollees 

at Clear Lake Spike Camp, May 

15, 1939 (Box 7, Accession 

No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-41: Klamath Project, weed eradication, burning water hemlock on 

“G” Canal, July 7, 1939 (Box 7, Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-187

Camp BR-41: Klamath 

Project, finished concrete 

turnout on F-1 Canal at 

station 95-00, 

December 21, 1939 

(Box 1, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-41: Klamath Project, “F” Canal near Olene, Oregon, fine grading for concrete lining, April 10, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-188

Camp BR-41: Klamath Project, 

“F” Canal near Olene, Oregon, 

building approach for bridge and 

riprapping around bridge 

abutment, April 11, 1940 (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-41: Klamath Project, 

placing of concrete water 

control structure on G-3 Lateral, 

January 31, 1941 (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-41: Klamath Project, 

finished concrete water control 

structure on D-15 Lateral, 

January 31, 1941 (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-189

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-42 Camp Name Ontario 

State Oregon County Malheur 

Location 3 or 4 miles north and west of Ontario 

Reclamation Project Owyhee Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 1935 Date Terminated May 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The Owyhee Project provides a full irrigation water supply to over 105,000 acres of land lying along 

the west side of the Snake River in eastern Oregon and southwestern Idaho. Approved for construction 

by President Coolidge on October 12, 1926, the project’s main features consist of Owyhee Dam, on the 

Owyhee River, and a series of canals, pipelines, tunnels, pumping plants, laterals, and drains. The first 

water from constructed works was delivered to the project lands in 1935, and the lateral system was 

extended to the last irrigation area in 1939. 

The Owyhee Project benefited from the efforts of two CCC camps: Camp Ontario, BR-42, at Ontario 

and Camp BR-43 at Nyassa. Construction of the two camps started in July and June, 1935, 

respectively. Both camps began operating in October 1935. CCC forces rehabilitated and enhanced 

operation of the project’s irrigation system by lining waterways; excavating earth and rock to facilitate 

the flow of water in canals and laterals; placing riprap at old structures and on canal banks that had 

eroded; building a large variety of water control structures such as weirs, drops, culverts, checks, and 

turnouts; constructing and maintaining operating roads; leveling spoil banks; cleaning drains; and 

building a new lateral system for delivery of water to the Slide Irrigation District. The latter activity 

took place in 1938 and 1939, and it entailed the construction of 93 structures and placement of over 

1 mile of linear feet of concrete pipe. 

Enrollees installed barbed wire and wooden post drift fences to keep cattle from damaging the newly 

constructed North Canal. They extended a project telephone line system and treated lands for the 

control of rodents and predatory animals. Beginning in 1937, the CCC began an extensive weed 

eradication program to rid canals, laterals, and drains of water hemlock, a highly poisonous plant. 

Enrollees cut the roots of the plants as far below the crown as possible, removed the plants and roots, 

and dried and burned the remains. 

Work items identified exclusively with Camp BR-42 cover a wide range of activities. In the spring of 

1937, enrollees helped rebuild the distribution system for the lowlands to the south of Dead Ox 

Pumping Plant. Prior to Government forces installing three siphons there, CCC crews excavated the 

trenches by hand with the assistance of a Government dragline. That fall, on the Mitchell Butte 

Division, enrollees laid four new concrete siphons on the North Canal Lateral in trenches excavated by 

the Government dragline. In the following years, enrollees assisted in the construction of the Morse 

Hollow ditchrider’s house; built a foundation for the Unity Dam caretaker’s house; completed the 

installation of a 60-inch-diameter, precast concrete pipe in the discharge line of the Ontario-Nyassa 

pumping plant, and rehabilitated the Payette-Oregon Slope irrigation system. In 1940, after a mudslide 

damaged the North Canal immediately above the approach tunnel to the Owyhee River siphon, 

enrollees replaced a damaged check and wasteway with the Kingman Check. The radial gates, hoists, 

and accessories from the ruined structure were incorporated into the new one. In cooperation with the 
A-190

Camp BR-42, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

county, enrollees planted experimental plots of strawberry clover, alfalfa, and other grasses. The men 

also planted shade trees and lawn at the camp area, in preparation for its use as a recreation site upon 

closure of the camp. 

From June 1937 through November 1938, Camp BR-42 sent a spike camp to Unity, Oregon, to assist 

in preconstruction activities associated with Unity Dam on the Burnt River Project. CCC forces 

working at the spike camp cleared about 400 acres of brush and willows from the reservoir site, built a 

rock masonry parapet and curb wall on the crest of Unity Dam, installed radial gate hoists, erected pipe 

railings, and placed heavy screens on the windows of the gatehouse. 

In the fiscal year 1939 report for Camp BR-42, the author noted, “All work is done to the highest 

standard so that when the enrollee leaves the CCC, he will be able to produce work in private life 

comparable to the best contract work” (Reclamation 1939). Camp BR-42 had a very well equipped 

mechanic school and provided excellent training in that field. 

The camp operated continuously until its closure on May 14, 1942. The last year the average number 

of enrollees dropped to 70. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-42 was constructed on public land. Camp buildings were almost all of the rigid type and 

were of wood frame. Primary buildings consisted of eight barracks (20 feet by 64 feet), a headquarters 

and recreation hall (20 feet by 127 feet), a mess hall and kitchen (20 feet by 120 feet, with a 35-foot 

T extension), an officers’ quarters (20 feet by 42 feet), a technical service quarters (20 feet by 56 feet), 

an infirmary (20 feet by 43 feet), a bath house and laundry (20 feet by 90 feet), two educational 

buildings (20 feet by 70 feet and 22 feet by 41 feet), one rigid garage (40 feet by 67 feet), two portable 

garages (24 feet by 60 feet), and a portable technical service office and storehouse (20 feet by 80 feet). 

In addition, a number of smaller, rigid-type buildings included a latrine, blacksmith shop, pump house, 

storehouse, two tool houses, root cellar, cooler house, barber shop, and bake shop. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On December 1, 1942, the CCC transferred ownership of the buildings at BR-42 to Reclamation. 

Sometime thereafter, the camp was used to house Japanese evacuees under the Farm Security 

Administration. This was the camp’s status as of March 29, 1944. Disposition thereafter is unknown. 

SOURCES

A.N. Ashline, “Water Hemlock Eradication on the Owyhee Project,” draft article, July 1939, Box 36, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

“CCC Constructs 18-mile Range Drift Fence, Owyhee Project,” The Reclamation Era 29 (May 1939), 

115. 
A-191

Camp BR-42, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, “Annual Narrative Report, Fiscal Year 1939, Owyhee Project, Camp BR-42,” 1939, 

Box 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Owyhee Project, 1935 through 1942, Boxes 127, 128, and 129, 

Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 47, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, CCC rabbit eradication drive, February 18, 

1936 (Reclamation History Program photo database). 
A-192

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, construction of new Kingman Check, 1940 

(Box 128, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-42: Owhyee Project, placing and finishing concrete on new 

Kingman Check, 1940 (Box 128, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-193

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, screeding concrete on slope at new Kingman 

Check, February 26, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, completed Kingman Check constructed by 

CCC, June 12, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-194

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, view of inlet transition, Owyhee 

River Siphon, showing damage caused by mudslide, January 16, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, 

enrollees building wooden 

transition and placing backfill at 

inlet of Owyhee River Siphon to 

repair damage, April 5, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-195

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, enrollees placing concrete pipe and 

tamping backfill, Ontario Nyassa Pumping Plant discharge pipe, February 8, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, enrollees building laterals with tractor and 

fresno scraper, April 14, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-196

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, crew laying pipe siphon in Mitchell Butte 

Division, May 15, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-42: Owyhee Project, equipment operated by CCC to obtain 

material for lateral fill (Box 128, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-197

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-43 Camp Name Nyassa 

State Oregon County Malheur 

Location 10 miles south and west of Nyassa, Oregon. T. 20 S., R. 46 E., sec. 20 

Reclamation Project Owyhee Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 19, 1935 Date Terminated June 30, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Two CCC camps existed on the Owyhee Project: Camp Nyassa, BR-43, located at the mouth of Cow 

Hollow on the Mitchell Butte section of the project, and Camp BR-42 at Ontario. Enrollees of 

Company No. 926 arrived at the dry and dusty site of recently completed Camp BR-43 on October 19, 

1935. The camp shut down on April 24, 1939, but reopened again on November 1, 1940. From then 

until the camp’s final closure on June 30, 1941, the camp was occupied by Company No. 551. 

Camp BR-43 forces completed a variety of improvements to enhance operation of the project’s 

irrigation system. The men graded and graveled operating roads, including those along the North and 

South Canals, and at Owyhee Dam; riprapped canal and lateral banks; constructed drains; excavated 

new laterals on the South Canal system; realigned and lined portions of the main canals, including the 

North Canal; and upgraded the Ontario-Nyassa Canal. Other work consisted of building two road 

bridges over forks of Cow Hollow, assisting in the construction of a ditchrider’s house at Cow Hollow, 

and building concrete water control structures. The latter included an 800-foot-long chute and at least 

10 drops. 

A major accomplishment of Camp BR-43 consisted of removing 25 miles of Government railroad 

tracks from Dunaway to Owyhee Dam, so that a new highway could be built in its place. Company 

No. 1271, a group of New Jersey boys, completed the difficult task. The size of the crew varied from 

40 to 50 enrollees, and they were supervised by a CCC general foreman, who was assisted by a junior 

foreman when available. The job involved considerable hazards. Enrollees loaded the individual rails, 

which were very heavy, into flat cars using an incline. Rollers were placed on the incline to help in 

loading. The boys completed all of the work by hand because no power equipment was available. 

Safety was a major concern, and no major accidents occurred. All metal salvaged from the railroad 

was advertised for sale and sold to the highest bidder. Ties were salvaged for use as cheap fuel and 

sold to new settlers on the project. 

Other work activities included eradicating noxious weeds, poisoning rodents, maintaining a vegetable 

garden, and landscaping the camp area for use as a park by local residents upon closure of the camp. 

As far as recreational opportunities, the enrollees could play various sports, participate in outings, and 

go swimming among other things. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-43 was constructed on public land. Camp buildings were almost all of the rigid type and 

were all wood frame. Primary buildings consisted of eight barracks (20 feet by 63 feet), a headquarters 

and recreation hall (20 feet by 126 feet), a mess hall and kitchen (20 feet by 133 feet, with a 35-foot 

T extension), an officers’ quarters (20 feet by 40 feet), a technical service quarters (20 feet by 70 feet), 
A-198

Camp BR-43, Camp Description (continued) 

an infirmary (20 feet by 42 feet), a bath house and laundry (20 feet by 33 feet), an educational building 

(20 feet by 60 feet), a laundry (20 feet by 42 feet), and a garage (40 feet by 88 feet). Smaller rigid 

buildings included a latrine, two oil houses, blacksmith shop, water tank house, tool house, pump 

house, cooler house, bake shop, garbage house, and root cellar. Portable buildings included two 

garages and a storehouse. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On December 1, 1942, the CCC transferred the buildings at Camp BR-43 to Reclamation. Sometime 

thereafter, the camp was used to house migratory laborers under the Farm Security Administration. 

Final disposition of the camp is unknown. 

SOURCES

A.N. Ashline, “CCC Enrollees Salvage Owyhee Railroad,” Reclamation Era 29 (June 1939), 141-142. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Owyhee Project, 1935 through 1942, Boxes 127, 128, and 129, 

Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 47, and 48, Entry 22, National Archives, 

Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-199

Camp BR-43: Owyhee Project, map showing location of Camp BR-43, The Reclamation 

Era, June 1939. 
A-200

Camp BR-43: 

Owhyee Project, 

view of siphon 

under construction 

by CCC on 

Ontario-Nyassa 

Irrigation District 

Canal, March 31, 

1941 (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-43: Owhyee Project, another view of CCC crew installing a concrete siphon 

in Ontario-Nyassa Irrigation District Canal, March 31, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-201

Camp BR-43: Owyhee Project, CCC enrollees working 

with project forces place a 1-inch layer of bentonite on 

compacted North Canal immediately above Snively Siphon, 

March 18, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-43: Owyhee Project, an 

11-inch gravel blanket is placed on 

the layer of bentonite, March 18, 

1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

A-203

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-44 Camp Name Stanfield 

State Oregon County Umatilla 

Location South side of Stanfield 

Reclamation Project Umatilla Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 22, 1935 Date Terminated June 3, 1938 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp BR-44 was the only CCC camp assigned to north central Oregon’s Umatilla Project. Authorized 

for construction on December 4, 1905, the project furnishes a full supply of irrigation water to over 

17,000 acres divided among three divisions: the East, West, and South. An additional 3,800 acres not 

included in an irrigation district receive either a full or supplemental water supply from McKay 

Reservoir, a feature of the South Division. 

Camp BR-44 was established in October 1935 on school grounds belonging to the Stanfield 

Independent School District on the south side of Stanfield. An old stone school building still stood at 

the site. On October 22, 1935, the first enrollees arrived at Camp BR-44 from Camp Horse Heaven, 

located in Coeur D’Alene National Forest. They were members of Company No. 569. 

The principal work accomplished by the young men at BR-44 consisted of rehabilitating features of the 

East Division, under the Hermiston Irrigation District, and the South Division, under the Stanfield and 

Westland Irrigation Districts. Tasks included clearing the Westland Canal and drain system of brush 

and debris, relocating the main canal in the Westland Irrigation District, reconstructing the main 

Stanfield Frederickson drain and the Stanfield Main Canal, relocating canals on the Hermiston 

Irrigation District, and constructing portions of the lateral system in the South Division. Other 

associated work included riprapping canals and laterals with brush along the slopes, repairing 

pipelines, building operating roads, replacing deteriorated water control structures, constructing small 

drains, and conducting rodent control. A considerable amount of work was done on the Feeder Canal 

to Cold Springs Reservoir. 

In nearly three years, the CCC enrollees could take credit for installing a total of 429 wood and 

concrete water control structures, constructing or reconstructing about 75 miles of operating roads, and 

treating about 15,000 acres for the control of rodents and predatory animals. 

A newsletter produced at the camp entitled “The Stanfield Echo” provides a glimpse into camp life 

with announcements about personnel changes, entertainment and recreation offerings, and reminders 

about proper behavior. An article in the October 1937 issue reports, “Camp Stanfield at the present 

time has a fine reputation. Disorderly conduct and drunkenness on the part of the enrollees is at an all 

time low and it is hoped that the good name of the camp will continue to grow.” The enrollees did 

indeed earn the respect of local citizens and were well-liked by them according to the camp’s final 

annual report. 

Work at Camp BR-44 ceased on June 3, 1938; the enrollees departed two days later. All equipment 

and supplies were shipped to the Deschutes Project by week’s end. 
A-204

Camp BR-44 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Buildings at Camp BR-44 were grouped around the old stone school building, which was used as the 

educational building. There were four enrollee barracks (136 feet by 21 feet), two army officers and 

foresters’ barracks (35 feet by 20 feet), a mess hall with a kitchen wing (155 feet by 20 feet), two 

wash/shower/latrine buildings (30 feet by 30 feet), an infirmary (40 feet by 40 feet), an administration 

building (35 feet by 21 feet), a recreation and library building (126 feet by 21 feet), and a garage 

(41 feet by 22 feet). In addition, facilities included several small storage and ancillary buildings such 

as a wood shed, heater house, oil house, blacksmith shop, and tool house. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Following closure of Camp BR-44, it was transferred in September 1938 to the Soil Conservation 

Service for use as a CCC camp. Disposition thereafter is unknown. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 35, 47, 48, and 49, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

“The Stanfield Echo,” October 1937, Box 35, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-205

Camp BR-44: Umatilla Project, camp plan, 1938 or 1939 (Box 11, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-206

Camp BR-44: Umatilla Project, enrollees of Camp BR-44 at assembly (Reclamation History 

Program photo database). 
A-207

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-45 Camp Name Vale 

State Oregon County Malheur 

Location 8 miles north of Vale on John Day highway 

Reclamation Project Vale Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 19, 1935 Date Terminated October 31, 1940 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Vale, BR-45, was established to undertake the last major construction necessary to finish the 

Vale Project, located along the Malheur River and Willow Creek in east-central Oregon, surrounding 

the town of Vale. Authorized by President Coolidge on October 21, 1926, the project currently 

furnishes irrigation water to 35,000 acres of land. Upon completion of the Agency Valley Dam in 

December 1935, Reclamation concluded project construction, except for the lateral system of the 

15,000-acre Willow Creek Unit. That task belonged to the enrollees of Camp BR-45. By the time they 

finished their work, the CCC men had built 65 miles of small irrigation ditches across sagebrush 

covered land and installed over 1,000 minor water control structures, mainly of concrete and steel. 

With the completion of the lateral system, water could flow to every farm tract on the project. 

The Army built the camp during the summer of 1935, and it began operations that fall on October 19. 

At the outset, enrollees were primarily occupied with excavating 144,240 cubic yards of earth and rock 

that had to be moved to form the laterals, placing 77,700 pounds of reinforcement steel, and pouring 

1,500 cubic yards of concrete to form the necessary turnouts, weirs, culverts, siphons, bridge 

abutments, etc. The work forces used a combination of tractors, fresno scrapers, trucks, cement 

mixers, wheelbarrows, and picks and shovels to accomplish the construction. 

First, a crew cleared the lateral rights-of-way of sagebrush and debris, which was piled and burned. 

Behind the clearing crew came the tractors, operated by enrollees, pulling scrapers or fresnoes. These 

machines scooped out the rough openings of the laterals and control structures. The excavations were 

then hand finished to the required depths and slopes by other enrollees using picks and shovels. Lastly, 

still other crews built the concrete and steel structures and wooden bridges. 

By November 1936, more than half of the work on the lateral system had been completed. At the time, 

a total of 140 CCC enrollees were assigned to the project. One hundred and twenty-seven of the boys 

came from Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The remaining 13 consisted of Local Experienced 

Men. The work was being performed under the general direction of C.C. Ketchum, CCC Regional 

Director and Vale Project superintendent. Camp Superintendent R.E. Hill, one general foreman, four 

junior foremen, one mechanic, and one blacksmith had immediate supervision of the enrollees. 

O.L. Kime, assistant engineer, was in charge of Reclamation’s engineering force for the work. 

Completion of the lateral system would take another 2 years. 

The CCC enrollees at Camp BR-45 were involved in other construction activities on the Vale Project 

before the camp closed at the end of October 1940. These included digging test pits in connection with 

investigations for the Bully Creek dam site, painting the Bully Creek siphon, constructing drains and 

drain structures, paving laterals with rock, building about 157 miles of operating roads, and clearing 
A-208

Camp BR-45, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

137 acres at the Agency Valley Reservoir. Throughout fiscal year 1939, a spike camp was maintained 

at Beulah, Oregon, for crews engaged in constructing a stone parapet wall on the upstream crest of 

Agency Valley Dam. Like so many other Reclamation CCC camps, enrollees at Camp BR-45 also 

spent considerable effort eradicating weeds and small mammals on project lands. Crews treated about 

2,300 acres of Government land for the control and eradication of noxious weeds and about 

94,000 acres for the control of rodents and other predatory animals. 

During their time off, enrollees participated in a variety of recreational activities. The camp offered 

sports, movies, and lectures, as well as educational courses to occupy the young men. Camp BR-45 

regularly ranked at or near the top in the Ninth Corps Area in regard to the number of study courses 

completed by its enrollees. In fact, although only about 1 percent of the total number of CCC enrollees 

in the Ninth Corps Area occupied Camp BR-45, between 1935 and 1936 it received approximately 

15 percent of all certificates issued to show that courses of study had been completed. Camp members 

also presented several vaudeville skits at the theater in Vale and radio programs in Nampa, Idaho. 

On November 1, 1940, the camp’s enrollees were transferred to Camp BR-43 on the Owyhee Project. 

A side camp was retained at Camp BR-45 until December 20, 1940. Beginning April 8, 1941, a 10- to 

20-man crew was dispatched daily from Camp BR-43 to help out on the Vale Project. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-45 was a year-round camp with frame buildings, which were almost all of the rigid versus 

portable type. The camp was constructed by the Army in the summer of 1935 on public lands. Rigid 

buildings included 8 barracks (20 feet by 64 feet), camp headquarters (20 feet by 125 feet), a kitchen 

and mess hall (20 feet by 160 feet), officers’ quarters (20 feet by 42 feet), technical services quarters 

(20 feet by 70 feet), infirmary (20 feet by 43 feet), bath house (20 feet by 75 feet), educational building 

(20 feet by 80 feet), a garage (46 feet by 63 feet), numerous shops, a latrine, and several smaller 

storage and ancillary buildings. Portable buildings consisted of one frame garage (20 feet by 60 feet). 

In the spring of 1938, Reclamation negotiated the transfer of a number of buildings from abandoned 

CCC camp SCS-3 in Beulah, Oregon. These buildings may have been used for the side camp 

established at Beulah in fiscal year 1939. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On November 19, 1942, the CCC director authorized the transfer of Camp BR-45 to the Bureau of 

Reclamation. It is not known whether Reclamation continued to use the buildings, or if it dismantled, 

moved, or sold them. 
A-209

Camp BR-45 (continued) 

SOURCES

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 13, 47, 48, and 49, Entry 22, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Henry Lumpee, “The Civilian Conservation Corps: Irrigator,” The Reclamation Era 26 

(November 1936), 268. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-45: Vale Project, view of camp, 1938 (Box 21, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-210

Camp BR-45: Vale Project, group of enrollees at Camp BR-45, June 1938 

(Reclamation History Program photo database). 

Camp BR-45: Vale Project, construction of concrete pipe inflow at Lateral 385, Willow 

Creek Unit, May 1937 (Reclamation History Program photo database). 
A-211

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-48 Camp Name Columbia 

State Washington County Lincoln 

Location Grand Coulee Dam 

Reclamation Project Columbia Basin Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established August 14, 1935 Date Terminated June 3, 1938 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

In association with construction of Grand Coulee Dam, the key feature of the vast Columbia Basin 

Project, Reclamation established a permanent community to provide living quarters, administrative 

offices, and other services for its employees. As work began in 1934 on the massive dam and 

powerplant, crews also started to transform a vacant tract of land on the Columbia River’s west bank 

into a planned Government town called “Coulee Dam.” By the beginning of 1936, Coulee Dam was 

well established; 145 buildings supplied the administration and housing requirements for 

Reclamation’s project personnel. Within a matter of 18 months, a full-fledged town had been built and 

occupied. Paved streets, concrete sidewalks, and attractively landscaped lawns and parks all 

contributed to a sense of permanence in the newly minted community. Many of these enhancements 

can be attributed to the enrollees of Camp BR-48, whose work program consisted of performing 

landscaping and other miscellaneous improvements in the vicinity of the town. 

Camp BR-48 was located on a low bench of land about one-half mile downstream from Coulee Dam 

and began operating on August 14, 1935. Members of Company No. 1221 first occupied the camp. In 

its first 8 months, the camp experienced a somewhat bumpy start due to turnover in Army personnel 

and enrollees. At the end of September, 65 urban enrollees from New York and New Jersey departed 

for Camp Dix, New Jersey, to be discharged due to homesickness. The situation stabilized with the 

arrival on January 13, 1936, of Company No. 1690 from Camp Hutchins in Wolf Lake, Illinois. Two 

months later, however, the camp had a mumps epidemic, causing all classes to be discontinued and 

work to be somewhat disrupted. As the sixth enrollment period drew to a close at the end of March 

1936, 91 enrollees opted to return home to seek jobs closer to their families. Despite all of these 

disruptions, at the end of the sixth enrollment period, the annual report concluded that, “The members 

now in the company are very good examples of American boys. They are husky chaps, excellent 

workers, and they take an interest in their jobs. Since the ground is thawed and the weather pleasant, 

their accomplishments are excellent, the results showing them superior to the regular labor” 

(Reclamation 1936). 

In October 1936, Company No. 4752 arrived at Coulee Dam to take the place of Company No. 1690, 

which departed for Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Company No. 4752 was described as “an old, experienced 

company, which has served several periods in different localities.” The enrollees were “seriousminded boys and young men who have lived for the most part on ranches in North Dakota. Their 

environment has developed a rugged sense of individual with a lot of common sense and essential 

honesty” (Reclamation 1937). 

The arrival of Company No. 4752 coincided with the appointment of F.A. Castle as acting 

superintendent of Camp BR-48 upon the resignation of Allen H. Cox. Castle, a landscape architect, 

had been hired by Reclamation in early 1935 to lend his expertise at Coulee Dam. A graduate of 

Massachusetts State College, he had been engaged in landscape and nursery work in Seattle for 

18 years. 
A-212

Camp BR-48, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

By the middle of January 1937, much had been accomplished by the members of Camp BR-48 in the 

way of landscaping, primarily around the town’s residences and Government buildings. CCC forces 

had planted 60 acres in accordance with the following specified procedures: after rough grading of the 

original ground surface, a 6- to 8-inch layer of clay was placed to prevent excessive drainage, on top of 

which a similar thickness of topsoil was used to obtain the desired finished grading. Final steps 

consisted of fertilizing, seeding, and sodding. The young men had also planted over 7,000 native trees 

and shrubs throughout the town. These consisted primarily of hawthorn, chokecherry, blackberry, 

sumac, dogwood, snowberry, mock orange, and ocean spray, all collected in the vicinity. 

Due to the steep topography around the Government community, CCC enrollees had also constructed 

more than 1-1/2 miles of native stone retaining walls to catch loose rocks and stabilize slopes. The 

attractive walls measured from 2 to 4 feet thick and varied in height from 2 to 10 feet. A number of the 

young men had become skilled stone masons during the endeavor. Other erosion control work 

consisted of placing riprap, building drainage ditches and check dams, and planting trees and shrubs 

above the riprap line along the west bank of the Columbia River. 

To provide the thousands of tourists visiting the dam site an opportunity to view construction progress, 

the enrollees developed large parking areas on the east and west sides of the Columbia River. Known 

as the West Side and East Side Vista Points, they provided good views of the dam. As a safety 

measure, and to ensure orderly parking, enrollees added guardrails. To supplement these main 

overlooks, work crews built trails to prominent projections on the bluffs above the river to provide 

other scenic views of the massive concrete dam and surrounding landscape. In developing trails to 

some of the vista points, enrollees constructed several small rock footbridges over streambeds and 

sunken areas. 

When CCC Director Robert Fechner visited Camp BR-48 on May 20, 1937, he appeared to be satisfied 

with the accomplishments of the local CCC organization. Camp morale was high, and good 

cooperation existed between the Army and Reclamation personnel. On June 12, 1937, the enrollees at 

Camp BR-48 left for a summer assignment on the Yakima Project at Camp BR-49. They returned to 

Camp BR-48 on October 16, 1937, and remained there until the camp closed permanently on June 3, 

1938. 

By late fall 1937, a decline in morale was noted at the camp. On November 22, only 42 enrollees 

reported for project duty, and 15 enrollees were dishonorably discharged for refusal to work. The 

insubordination stemmed from growing dissatisfaction with Commanding Officer Captain George H. 

Seitz. He was transferred to Camp Four Corners in Idaho, and Captain Henry C. Harper replaced him 

on November 26, 1937. After that, morale improved again. 

During the last year of the camp’s existence, mention is also made in camp reports of 10 Native 

American enrollees who went absent without leave. 

Despite the discontent at Camp BR-48 in 1937, the various companies stationed there accomplished a 

tremendous amount during the camp’s nearly 3-year existence. Enrollees planted over 15,000 trees, 

constructed over 3,000 linear feet of walks and 9 miles of roads, landscaped about 60 acres of grounds, 

and prepared 33,875 square yards of parking areas. They laid over 5,500 feet of pipeline, built 
A-213

Camp BR-48, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

4,700 linear feet of diversion ditches to prevent soil erosion, and placed over 2,000 square yards of 

rock riprap for bank protection. Work crews also cleared brush and other growth from some 240 acres 

of the reservoir area immediately above the dam. 

The development of a community recreation area comprised one of the major enhancements 

contributed by CCC forces. Facilities constructed included a swimming pool equipped with diving 

boards, bath house, and restrooms; a wading pool; two tennis courts; a softball field and handball 

court; and a picnic area. CCC forces completed the majority of the improvements, such as rough 

formwork, and the pouring and curing of concrete. Skilled labor performed the necessary plumbing 

and pipe fitting, and fence and chlorinator house construction. The installation of floodlights enabled 

park use to extend into the evening. In an August 9, 1938, memo to Reclamation’s Commissioner 

from the construction engineer at Coulee Dam, he praised the accomplishments of the CCC enrollees: 

“The unsightly undeveloped tract north of Fiddle Creek (in Government townsite of Coulee Dam) has 

been transformed into a beautifully landscaped up-to-date recreational area whose benefits to the 

Government employees will be reflected in better health and morale during the years of active 

construction, and afterwards during the period of operation and maintenance” (memo 1938). 

When the camp closed for good in early June 1938, the enrollees and personnel were transferred to 

Camp BR-58 at Sunnyside, Washington. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-48 was of the “standard portable type with the usual number of barracks and other structures 

included in this type of camp” (Williams 1938). No description of the buildings was found. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Prior to the termination of Camp BR-48, the Army expressed interest in obtaining the portable 

buildings for use in new CCC camp construction elsewhere. On May 3, 1938, the acting director of the 

CCC approved the transfer of buildings from Reclamation to the Army. Thereafter, the buildings were 

dismantled and moved. 

SOURCES

Emergency Conservation Work, Office of the Director, memorandum for the press, January 19, 1937, 

Box 40, Entry 21, National Archives, Denver. 

Memo from Acting Commissioner R. Williams to Robert Fechner, April 28, 1938, Box 11, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Memo from Construction Engineer, Reclamation, Coulee Dam, Washington, to Commissioner John 

Page, August 9, 1938, Box 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 
A-214

Camp BR-48, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Columbia Basin Project, 1937 and 1938, Boxes 35 and 36, 

Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 12, 47, 48, 49, and 91, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, “Narrative Report on ECW at End of Eighth Enrollment Period – March 31, 1937, Camp 

Columbia – BR-48,” Box 41, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, “Narrative Report on ECW at End of Sixth Enrollment Period – March 31, 1936, Camp 

Columbia – BR-48,” Box 41, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Records of the Supervising Engineer in Charge of Emergency Conservation Work, 

Boxes 40 and 41, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, The Bureau of Reclamation’s Architectural Legacy: 1902-1955, by Christine Pfaff, 

Denver, Colorado, October 2007. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, left to 

right: F.A. Benke, Regional Director, CCC; 

Robert Fechner, director, CCC; R.T. Sinex, 

assistant engineer, CCC; May 20, 1937 (Box 5, 

Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-215

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, enrollees constructing 

rockwork at foot of Douglas Avenue, 1937 (Box 133, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, rock work built by CCC 

enrollees in Douglas Park (formerly called Coulee Dam Park), 2009 

(photo by John Flowers, Bureau of Reclamation). 
A-216

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, rockwork and pergola built by 

CCC enrollees in Coulee Dam Park, 1937 (Box 133, Entry 10, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, rockwork and pergola built by 

CCC enrollees in Douglas Park (formerly called Coulee Dam Park), 2009 

(photo by John Flowers, Bureau of Reclamation). 
A-217

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, rustic footbridge built by CCC 

enrollees in Coulee Dam Park, 1937 (Box 133, Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, footbridge built by CCC enrollees in 

Douglas Park (formerly called Coulee Dam Park), 2009 (photo by John 

Flowers, Bureau of Reclamation). 
A-218

Camp BR-48: 

Columbia Basin 

Project, CCC forces 

working on tennis 

courts at Government 

camp, 1938 (Box 133, 

Entry 10, RG 115, 

National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, enrollees pouring concrete for 

tennis courts, May 1938 (Reclamation History Program photographic 

database). 
A-219

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, enrollees working on swimming pool 

in Government camp, February 1938 (Box 133, Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-48: Columbia Basin Project, Swimming Pool in Government 

Camp’s Recreational Area, 1938 (Box 133, Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

A-221

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-49 Camp Name Clear Creek 

State Washington County Yakima 

Location Clear Creek Dam, Rainier National Forest 

Reclamation Project Yakima Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established August 4, 1935 Date Terminated October 18, 1937 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Clear Creek, BR-49, operated for three summers on the Yakima Project near Reclamation’s 

Clear Creek Dam in the Rainier National Forest. Camp construction started on July 1, 1935, and on 

August 4, the camp’s first occupants, Company No. 297, arrived. They departed on October 31, 1935, 

and the camp was reoccupied from May 16 to October 19, 1936, by 143 enrollees from CCC Company 

No. 572. During its final season, Camp BR-49 was active from June 12 to October 18. Enrollees 

stationed there belonged to Company No. 4752 and had been transferred from Camp BR-48 at Grand 

Coulee Dam. 

Reclamation constructed Clear Creek Dam in 1914 on the north fork of the Tieton River. For years, a 

heavy stand of water-killed timber and debris had covered Clear Creek Reservoir, creating a menace to 

the regulating works and a serious fire hazard. The main work program of Camp BR-49 consisted of 

felling, bucking, piling, and burning the timber and debris in the 308-acre reservoir area. After felling, 

enrollees bucked the heavy timber into suitable lengths for creating piles. Tractors equipped with 

double drum hoists lifted the heavy pieces of timber into stacks, while enrollees piled smaller material 

by hand. During favorable weather, the piles were burned. Other work entailed razing old buildings at 

Clear Creek and Tieton Dams; remodeling the Government quarters and building a new warehouse at 

Tieton Dam; and relocating a power line, underpinning a portion of the spillway wall, and cleaning up 

the grounds, all at Tieton Dam. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-48 was of summer type construction that consisted of tent frames and buildings. The former 

included 28 pyramidal tent frames, 5 hospital tent frames, and 6 storage tent frames. Buildings 

consisted of a mess hall (20 feet by 112 feet, with wing) and kitchen (12 feet by 15 feet), two showers 

(7 feet by 8 feet), a wash room (20 feet by 42 feet), a laundry (10 feet by 19 feet), and a generator 

house (7 feet by 10 feet). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

Following abandonment of BR-49, Reclamation notified CCC Director Robert Fechner that the agency 

had no further use for the camp, and it recommended salvage of all buildings and fixtures for CCC use 

elsewhere. This action was approved by CCC Acting Director McEntee on June 1, 1938. Washington 

State College submitted a bid for the property, and on August 18, 1938, the Army recommended 

transferring it without cost to the college. Formal transfer of the property occurred in January 1939. 

The college held its first survey course at that location the following summer. 
A-222

Camp BR-49, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

The CCC buildings remained in place until the winter of 1948-49, when heavy snows caused the 

collapse of all of them except for a double-vaulted toilet on top of the hill behind the camp. A new 

camp was constructed by the college at the site in the summer of 1949. 

SOURCES

Civilian Conservation Corps, “A Report Covering the Activities of CCC Camps Assigned to 

Reclamation Projects in Fourteen Western States,” July 3, 1937, Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Yakima Project, 1936 and 1937, Box 616, Entry 10, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11 and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Richard Martinson, “Clear Lake Bridge: Determination of Eligibility-Property Description Form,” 

Portland, Oregon: U.S.D.A. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region, 1990. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-49: Yakima 

Project, from left to right: 

F.A. Castle, Camp BR-49 

superintendent; Paul Taylor, 

assistant engineer; 

J.S. Moore, Regional 

Director; A.R. Golze, 

supervising engineer, CCC; 

R.T. Sinex, assistant 

engineer, BR-49, August 26, 

1937 (Reclamation 

Columbia-Cascades Area 

Office, Washington). 
A-223

Camp BR-49: Yakima Project, CCC enrollees rebuilding mess hall and barracks at Government 

headquarters, Tieton Dam, September 21, 1937 (Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 

Washington). 

Camp BR-49: 

Yakima Project, 

mess hall/barracks 

and new warehouse 

under construction 

at Government 

headquarters, Tieton 

Dam, October 8, 

1937 (Reclamation 

Columbia-Cascades 

Area Office, 

Washington). 
A-224

Camp BR-49: Yakima Project, new storage warehouse under construction by CCC, 

October 8, 1937 (Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 

Camp BR-49: Yakima Project, CCC improving yard of reservoir superintendent’s 

residence, Tieton Dam, October 8, 1937 (Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area 

Office, Washington). 
A-225

Camp BR-49: Yakima Project, view of warehouse at Government headquarters, 

Tieton Dam, 2008 (photo by Kelsey Doncaster, Bureau of Reclamation). 

Camp BR-49: Yakima Project, 

doors from warehouse at 

Government headquarters, 

Tieton Dam, 2008 (photo by 

Kelsey Doncaster, Bureau of 

Reclamation). 

A-227

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-50 Camp Name Kachess 

State Washington County Kittitas 

Location Easton; lower end of Kachess Lake (T. 22 N., R. 13 E., sec. 32) 

Reclamation Project Yakima Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 31, 1935 Date Terminated October 27, 1940 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Kachess, BR-50, was established on the Yakima Project at the lower end of Kachess Reservoir, 

just above the “Narrows.” Due to heavy winter snows and severe weather, the CCC designated the 

camp for summer use only. Construction of the camp began on July 22, 1935, and CCC Company 

No. 1208 occupied it from July 31 to November when the camp shut down for the winter. 

CCC Company No. 1627 occupied the camp the next year from June 1, to October 12. The next use of 

the camp occurred between May 17, 1939, and November 6, 1939, by CCC Company No. 1297. The 

summer of 1940 appears to be the last period of occupancy. Enrollees from Camp BR-86 were 

transferred to the site and remained there until October 27, 1940. 

The primary work accomplished by enrollees consisted of piling and burning debris around Kachess 

Reservoir. Formed by Kachess Dam in 1912, the shoreline of Kachess Reservoir was obstructed by 

big piles of timbers not removed when the lake was filled. CCC forces initiated the job of removing 

the debris on August 2, 1935. During the first season, the enrollees cleared 40 acres and partially 

cleared another 70 acres. The following summer, work crews successfully cleared masses of debris 

and standing dead timber at the lower and upper ends of the lake, and otherwise finished cleanup of the 

shoreline. 

In 1936, Reclamation replaced the original spillway at Kachess Dam with an open spillway and 

spillway channel at the west end of the dam. A new radial spillway gate installed in 1937 raised the 

lake level about 2 feet higher. In the summer of 1939, CCC forces cleared the newly flooded area. 

The heavy manual labor and the steep, rocky shoreline, partly accessible only by boat, made the work 

extremely hazardous. Enrollees piled and burned the cleared logs, taking great care not to spark a 

forest fire. At the outset, the young men received extensive on-the-job and off-the-job training. They 

were taught firefighting and the handling of trucks, tractors and hoists. Instructors emphasized the 

proper use of axes, saws, sledges, wedges, peavies, and life preservers. Enrollees learned how to carry 

tools through the woods to prevent injury to themselves and others, how to handle saws, how to buck 

the logs in all positions, and how to properly fell trees without injury to themselves or others. 

The experience gained by the CCC enrollees at Kachess Reservoir was praised in a March 1940 draft 

article for Reclamation Era: “This work proved a wonderful benefit to the enrollees, most of whom 

came from the states of New York and New Jersey. . . Through regular hours of work, study, and 

recreation they found their physical, spiritual and moral nature stimulated, and their educational 

background improved.” 

Other CCC accomplishments included building a garage and clearing dead timber and debris from 

around the gatetender’s cottage. 
A-228

Camp BR-50 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-50 was constructed by the Army on public land. Camp buildings consisted of both the fixed 

and portable types. Fixed buildings consisted of a mess hall (20 feet by 100 feet) with kitchen wing 

(20 feet by 40 feet), washroom (20 feet by 40 feet), recreation building (20 feet by 40 feet), infirmary 

(18 feet by 30 feet), latrine (14 feet by 25 feet), garage (35 feet by 40 feet), root cellar (12 feet by 

15 feet), generator house (8 feet by 10 feet), and several sheds. Portable buildings consisted of 

34 pyramidal tents (15 feet by 15 feet), 2 storage tents, and 1 wall tent. In addition, the camp 

contained three portable buildings constructed by Reclamation using agency funds. They all had 

boxcar type roofs and were used for a blacksmith shop, a warehouse, and a technical service 

bunkhouse. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On May 29, 1941, the CCC authorized salvage of the buildings at the abandoned Camp BR-50 for 

CCC use by the Army elsewhere. The three portable buildings belonging to Reclamation were 

excluded from those salvaged. In July 1941, laborers moved them from the camp and stored them at 

Kachess Dam. 

SOURCES

Paul Taylor, “Clearing Kachess Reservoir Area with CCC Forces,” draft article for The Reclamation 

Era 30 (March 1940), 77-79, Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12 and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Yakima Project, Annual Project History, 1941, Box 618, Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-229

Camp BR-50: Map showing camp location, 1939 (Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-230

Camp BR-50: Yakima Project, camp entrance, mess hall to right, October 15, 1935 

(Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 

Camp BR-50: Yakima Project, lower end of camp, mess hall to right, October 15, 

1935 (Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 
A-231

Camp BR-50: Yakima 

Project, piling logs at 

Kachess Reservoir, date 

unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-50: Yakima Project, cutting and piling timber at Kachess Reservoir, date 

unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-233

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-51 Camp Name Riverton 

State Wyoming County Fremont 

Location Riverton 

Reclamation Project Riverton Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established September 1941 Date Terminated May 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Riverton, BR-51, the only camp assigned to the Riverton Project in central Wyoming, was 

established during the last year of the CCC’s existence. The camp began operating in early September 

1941, and it closed just a month before the CCC program was terminated at the end of June 1942. An 

average of about 50 CCC enrollees occupied the camp. 

The primary assignment of Camp BR-51 consisted of a soil erosion and silt retardation project along 

Five Mile Creek in the middle of the Riverton Project. The job site was located about 18 miles 

northeast of Riverton on Highway 20. Enrollees strengthened the creek bank by resloping it and then 

stabilizing it with stone riprap and old car bodies filled with rocks. Additionally, during the camp’s 

brief existence, CCC forces planted almost 72,000 trees along the creek, constructed operating roads, 

and seeded 10 acres. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/types of buildings)

The camp was located on property owned by the town of Riverton, which also contained the Fremont 

County fairgrounds. Buildings were of the portable type and had been moved from Camp BR-79 in 

Natrona County, Wyoming. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On November 30, 1942, the CCC authorized transfer of Camp BR-51 to the Civil Aeronautics 

Administration (CAA). By April 1943, the CAA had dismantled and shipped all but seven of the camp 

buildings, which Reclamation retained. The buildings included one oil house (10 feet by 26 feet), one 

bath house (20 feet by 60 feet), four garages (20 feet by 60 feet), and one blacksmith shop. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 47, 48, and 141, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

A-235

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-52 Camp Name Topaz Lake 

State Nevada County Douglas 

Location Northeast end of Topaz Lake, now adjacent to Douglas County picnic 

area 

Reclamation Project Walker River Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 1935 Date Terminated January 1, 1936 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Topaz Lake, BR-52, on the Walker River Project began operations in late July 1935. Enrollees 

stationed there belonged to Company No. 4237. The camp was of the summer type consisting of a 

combination of sleeping tents and frame communal buildings. In late November 1935, the enrollees 

moved to Camp BR-34. It is unclear how long Camp BR-52 existed but in the Civilian Conservation 

Corps in Nevada, Renee Kolvet indicates a closure date of January 1, 1936. A 1944 letter supports that 

time frame with the following: the camp was “evidently established in August 1935 and discontinued 

as a separate camp sometime prior to June 30, 1936” (Carmody 1944). After closure of Camp BR-52, 

the CCC operated a spike camp at Lake Topaz and Mason, Nevada, during the summers of 1936, 1937, 

and 1938 using men from Camp BR-34. 

The principal construction activity of Camp BR-52 consisted of building an 8,000-foot-long levee 

along the east bank of the intake canal at Topaz Lake Reservoir. The levee varied in height up to 

15 feet and added 20,000 acre-feet of water storage to the reservoir. The project also involved laying 

rock riprap on the lake side face of the levee and erecting a retaining wall in the outlet canal to prevent 

erosion. 

Other accomplishments of Camp BR-52 consisted of repairing, cleaning, and controlling canals in the 

Smith Valley; excavating drain ditches in Mason Valley and clearing them of growth; constructing 

23 miles of ditchriders’ operating roads; and installing 267 square yards of canal lining, 54 feet of 

pipeline, and 12 water control structures. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

This summer type camp was constructed on private land and consisted of a combination mess 

hall/kitchen/administration building, 1 bath house, 1 generator house, 3 latrines, 1 cooler house, 1 oil 

house, 25 tent frames, and 8 tent frame floors. Apparently, four other small buildings located at 

Camp BR-52 were moved to Mason, Nevada, when the spike camp was established there. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

In March 1938, Reclamation recommended to the CCC that approval be granted for the Army to 

salvage the buildings at BR-52 for use elsewhere. Acting CCC Director, J.J. McEntee, approved the 

transfer on May 3, 1938. 

Nothing remains today at the site of the camp. 
A-236

Camp BR-52 (continued) 

SOURCES

Information on current site condition provided by Renee Kolvet, Bureau of Reclamation, Boulder City, 

Nevada. 

Letter from D. C. Carmody to Commissioner, January 3, 1944, Box 47, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 26, and 47, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 11, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Renee Kolvet, The Civilian Conservation Corps in Nevada, From Boys to Men (Reno, Nevada: 

University of Nevada Press, 2006). 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-237

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-53 Camp Name Mitchell 

State Nebraska County Scotts Bluff 

Location 4 miles north of Mitchell 

Reclamation Project North Platte Army Corps Area 7 

Date Established June 1935 Date Terminated October 6, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Mitchell, BR-53, was one of six CCC camps that operated on the North Platte Project during the 

life of the CCC program (the others were Camps BR-1, BR-9, BR-10, BR-61, and BR-83). Camp BR-53 

was located at Mitchell, Nebraska, not far from Lake Minatare, the site of Camp BR-1. 

Camp BR-53 enrollees accomplished a variety of activities on the Interstate and Northport Divisions of 

the North Platte Project. Camp members completed extensive lining of canals and laterals with 

reinforced concrete, built concrete irrigation structures, riprapped canals and laterals, and constructed 

minor roads. Enrollees also built a number of culverts with concrete culvert pipe manufactured by the 

camp. In order to distribute water more efficiently to farms, work crews constructed straight laterals to 

replace meandering and contour laterals that crossed and recrossed farm-unit lines and prevented full 

utilization of the land. 

A major effort of Camps BR-53 and BR-1 involved tree plantings. Considerable damage by wind erosion 

had occurred in southwestern Nebraska during the early 1930s. Both camps established nurseries and 

undertook extensive tree planting. In the spring of 1935, about 75,000 trees were placed in the ground; in 

1936, about 130,000; and in 1937, about 133,000. This work continued until the camps closed in fiscal 

year 1942, by which time 932,420 trees and shrubs had been planted. Enrollees placed trees along the 

boundaries of farm units, irrigation canals, and roads to prevent soil erosion from wind and reduce topsoil 

loss, especially in sandy areas. Trees were also planted at Lake Minatare in the recreational area. 

Landowners receiving trees agreed to care for and water the trees after they were planted. 

Camp BR-53 enrollees also spent considerable time eradicating rodents and noxious weeds, as well as 

conducting experimental and demonstrational planting of drought and alkali-resistant forage crops. In the 

first few years, enrollees developed a 10-acre public picnic ground, the location of which is unknown. 

Normal capacity of the camp was 200 enrollees. 

 CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-53 was constructed on land belonging to the Bureau of Reclamation. Buildings were almost 

exclusively of the fixed type. The former consisted of the following: four barracks (20 feet by 130 feet), 

a combined kitchen and mess hall (25 feet by 40 feet and 20 feet by 110 feet), a hospital (20 feet by 

54 feet), a headquarters and supply building (20 feet by 70 feet), an officers’ quarters (20 feet by 40 feet), 

a foremens’ quarters (20 feet by 60 feet), a school building (20 feet by 75 feet), a recreational hall (20 feet 

by 80 feet), a garage (24 feet by 100 feet), a storage and laundry building (24 feet by 120 feet), a cement 

pipe plant (24 feet by 82 feet), plus a variety of smaller storage, shop, and ancillary buildings. The camp 

included one portable building, a barracks that measured 20 feet by 60 feet. 
A-238

Camp BR-53 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Upon closure of Camp BR-53 in October 1941, Reclamation obtained approval to retain the buildings in 

place. By March 1944, Reclamation had approved the disposal of the buildings, and by the end of May 

that year, they had been sold. 

SOURCES

Civilian Conservation Corps, “A Report Covering the Activities of CCC Camps Assigned to Reclamation 

Projects in Fourteen Western States,” Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, North Platte Project, 1938 through 1941, Boxes 402 and 403, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12 and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

The Reclamation Era 27 (January 1937), 20. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-53: North 

Platte Project, 

CCC enrollees finishing 

concrete lining of Seger 

Lateral, August 22, 1936 

(Box 11, Accession 

No. 8NS-115-95-112, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-239

Camp BR-53: North Platte 

Project, gravel screening plant 

in operation, May 1936 

(Box 122, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-53: North Platte 

Project, new water control 

structures, Lateral 22-A, 

May 1936. (Box 122, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-53: North Platte 

Project, Matheny Lateral, steel 

in place, ready for concrete, 

1937 (Box 122, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-240

Camp BR-53: North Platte Project, tree-planting on Arbor Day in collaboration with American 

Legion, 1937 (Box 122, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-53: North Platte Project, Pottdorf Bridge under construction, 

August 26, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-241

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-56 Camp Name Paul/Rupert 

State Idaho County Minidoka 

Location Southeast of Paul 

Reclamation Project Minidoka Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 1938 Date Terminated Mid-May 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

In April 1935, Idaho Senator D. Worth Clark announced that 27 new camps had been approved for 

Idaho, including two assigned to Reclamation’s Minidoka Project. Camp Minidoka, designated Camp

BR-27, was established in July 1935, but last minute budget reductions postponed work on the second 

camp to be located near the town of Paul. Three years later, the Paul camp, identified as Camp BR-56, 

opened in July; Company No. 4606 occupied the camp and James A. McGuire served as camp 

superintendent. 

The Minidoka County News printed “Another CCC Camp Welcome” editorial, which described the 

enthusiastic response among local citizens to the announcement of a second camp. This reaction 

contrasted to the suspicion aroused at the opening of Camp BR-27: “When the first CCC camp was 

established at Minidoka Dam there was a fear that the type of men brought to such a camp would have 

a more or less demoralizing effect on the community. With several years experience this bugaboo has 

faded.” (Minidoka County News 1938). 

Once in operation, Camp BR-56 continued the ongoing work initiated by Camp BR-27. Riprapping 

and other canal improvements proved to be the CCC’s main task on the Minidoka Project. Enrollees 

quarried and gathered rocks in the desert, hauled them to canals and laterals, and hand placed them on 

the banks to prevent leakages, washing, and erosion. Other canal betterments included lining them 

with clay and gravel, constructing service roads on the banks, excavating rock and earth from the main 

South Side Canal to increase its carrying capacity, and building minor structures on the main South 

Side Canal and Lateral 202. 

Camp BR-56 enrollees also continued the enhancements to Walcott Park, started by Camp BR-27. 

Initial work had been completed according to a plan by Dana Templin, who succeeded E.B. Darlington 

as Minidoka project manager in 1936. At the urging of the National Park Service (NPS), Reclamation 

eventually employed professional landscape architects to develop park plans. In November 1937, 

Reclamation Commissioner John Page wrote to Dana Templin to inform him that he had someone in 

mind for designing Walcott Park. The man Page employed was Richard Redell, a NPS landscape 

architect and city planner, who at the time was busy producing a plan for Guernsey State Park 

(Camps BR-9 and BR-10). 

Redell arrived at Camp BR-27 sometime in late January or early February 1938. After a few weeks 

onsite, he returned to Lake Guernsey, where he produced a preliminary design for Walcott Park dated 

February 21, 1938. In his plan, Redell proposed to expand the park by landscaping the peninsula to the 

east, as well as shore areas north and south of the peninsula. Although most of the new land would 

serve as picnic grounds, a small cove by the powerhouse transformer yard was to become a swimming 

area, with a beach, swimming float, and bath house. In the old park area, Redell planned to 
A-242

Camp BR-56, Camp History/Activities (continued)

consolidate the grounds by removing the last vestiges of the Minidoka Road and by converting the 

former garden and orchard, on the west edge of the park, into a picnic area. Although Redell’s plan 

served as the basis for Walcott Park’s eventual development, Redell did not supervise the work. 

In the fall of 1938, a new architect, Carl I. Shaw, arrived at Camp Minidoka. Shaw introduced several 

important changes to Redell’s master plan, notably additional parking and overlook areas on the new 

service road running north along the lakeshore and a stone entrance gate on the Acequia Road along 

the riverbank. Shaw also decided not to build several small fountains that Redell had proposed, and he 

abandoned plans for a bath house. Perhaps most strikingly, Shaw proposed an extensive filling 

program to create new, low-lying land along the lakeshore to serve as picnic grounds. Shaw also 

carried out an extensive tree-planting program with assistance from CCC enrollees, who by then 

included members of Camp BR-56. They established a nursery at the park to promote the growth of 

volunteer seedling trees collected from in and around the park. This project resulted in the planting of 

over 1,500 trees of various types and two experimental plots of strawberry clover. 

Improvements made by the two CCC camps assigned to the Minidoka Project transformed the 

appearance of Walcott Park. In addition to the items mentioned above, by June 1939 enrollees had 

planted 3 acres of grass; constructed stone walls and terrace riprap; built seven septic tanks, five 

fireplaces, six picnic tables, a tennis court, a swimming pool, and a boathouse; and installed a sewage 

system. Enhancements to the park completed by the CCC can still be seen today. 

In December 1939, S.R. Marean, the new Minidoka project manager, learned that CCC cutbacks might 

require closing one of the camps on the Minidoka Project. With that in mind, he limited the CCC work 

to a few minor projects in the park in 1940. These included construction of a lava rock latrine and 

completion of a new access road that crossed the North Side Canal over a wooden bridge built by the 

enrollees. The CCC also started work on a new irrigation system for the park. 

Another significant CCC endeavor was weed and pest eradication. Enrollees treated about 118 acres 

for weeds, mostly using chlorates supplied by benefitting agencies. CCC forces eliminated destructive 

pests including gophers, kangaroo rats, rabbits, squirrels, rock chucks, magpies, and coyotes on over 

200,000 acres of ground. 

Camps BR-27 and BR-56 also provided assistance to the Lake Walcott Wildlife Refuge. The 

U.S. Biological Survey (renamed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1940) had never had sufficient 

funding to actively manage the facility, and it was very poorly tended. In 1936, T.B. Murray, the 

agency’s regional agent stationed at Boise, suggested using CCC and Works Progress Administration 

labor to improve the refuge. Murray proposed using enrollee labor to fence parts of the refuge to 

reduce poaching and trespassing, and to plant trees, shrubs, and grasses for feed and cover areas. He 

also suggested building several small earthen dams on lake inlets to establish waterfowl feeding pools. 

Templin agreed to allot some of his CCC labor to the wildlife preserve work program, and enrollees set 

to work in September 1936. By the time they were done, the youth had expended 12,339 man-days 

there. Crews constructed four diversion dams, erected nearly 24 miles of fence to enclose the refuge, 

and built 67 miles of minor road to facilitate service. Enrollees also developed nesting grounds and 

planted feed and ground cover. Finally, the CCC nearly completed a stone equipment and storage 

building as part of a new headquarters complex at the refuge. 
A-243

Camp BR-56, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

When Camp BR-27 ceased operations in July 1941, Marean transferred architect Shaw to the Paul 

CCC camp (BR-56) to continue improvements at Walcott Park. Through the summer, Shaw 

supervised enrollees as they completed installation of the irrigation system at Walcott Park. In 

addition to laying concrete pipe made onsite, the enrollees constructed a stone-lined canal just above 

the main pump, probably to help regulate the flow of irrigation water. When the Paul camp closed in 

mid-May 1942 and members of Company No. 5489 departed, CCC improvements at Walcott Park 

came to an end. 

The normal capacity of the camp was 200 enrollees. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-56 was built on farm land belonging to Rudolph Zahalka and leased to the Army. (South 

Idaho Press 1971). Buildings were of the portable versus fixed type. They included four barracks, 

four garages, an education building, recreation hall, administrative building, officers’ quarters, 

technical quarters, infirmary, mess hall and kitchen, bake shop, bath house and laundry, latrine, 

warehouse, repair shop, blacksmith shop, oil house, pumphouse, and cooler. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Following the closure of Camp BR-56, the CCC temporarily leased the camp to the Farm Security 

Administration in the summer and fall of 1942 for use as a Farm Labor Camp housing JapaneseAmericans. On December 23, 1942, the CCC transferred Camp BR-56 to the Farm Security 

Administration, presumably for occupation by migratory farm workers. Reclamation was not informed 

in advance of the transfer and expressed interest in obtaining the property for use in operation and 

maintenance activities. As of March 1944, Reclamation had not gained ownership, but they had been 

notified that the Farm Security Administration planned to make arrangements to turn over the camp. 

Apparently, in 1948, the Minidoka Farm Labor Sponsoring Association took possession of the 

camp and used it to house farm laborers up until around 1970. Sometime thereafter, any remaining 

CCC buildings were demolished and the site was redeveloped. 

SOURCES

“Another CCC Camp Welcome,” Minidoka County News, May 19, 1938. 

Fraserdesign, “Walcott Park, Historic American Building Survey No. ID-103,” submitted to the Bureau 

of Reclamation, March 1998. 

James McGuire, “Main South Side Canal,” draft article, December 12, 1940, Box 36, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Notes provided by John Martinson, Bureau of Reclamation, Boise, Idaho. 

“Paul CCC Camp Will Soon Be A Memory,” South Idaho Press, July 20, 1971. 
A-244

Camp BR-56, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 47, 48, 112, 113 and 114, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 11, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009

Camp BR-56: Minidoka Project, 

view of camp, date unknown 

(courtesy of Idaho State Historical 

Society, MS 683, Box 5, Folder 43, 

Photo No. 5). 

Camp BR-56: Minidoka Project, 

CCC basketball team members, 

date unknown (courtesy of Idaho 

State Historical Society, MS 683, 

Box 5, Folder 20, Photo No. 44). 
A-245

Camp BR-56: Minidoka Project, canal repair project, date and location unknown (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-247

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-57 Camp Name Ballantine 

State Montana County Yellowstone 

Location Ballantine 

Reclamation Project Huntley Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established September 1935 Date Terminated August 18, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Ballatine, BR-57, was the only CCC camp assigned to the Huntley Project, located in southcentral Montana. Authorized on April 18, 1905, the Huntley Project diverts water from the 

Yellowstone River to irrigate about 30,000 acres of land on the south side of the river between Huntley 

and Pompeys Pillar, Montana. 

Established in September 1935, Camp BR-57 operated as a year-round camp with an average number 

of between 150 and 200 enrollees. The camp’s primary purpose consisted of making improvements to 

the Huntley Project, and one of the main accomplishments was the construction of Anita Dam to 

provide additional water storage. The young men engaged in this endeavor averaged around 18 years 

of age and had little or no experience in construction work. To their credit, they generally adapted 

themselves quite readily to the job. 

Enrollees began work on the earthen Anita Dam in June 1936, with the stripping of the foundation and 

excavation of the cutoff trench. Mechanized equipment assisted in the completion of these activities. 

In July 1936, crews began the placement of impervious materials in the cutoff trench. Tractors, 

scrapers, dump trucks, and a dragline were used to build and shape the embankment. Enrollees 

employed a sheepsfoot roller to compact the earthfill. A concrete spillway and outlet works were also 

part of the CCC project work. Throughout construction, officials from Reclamation’s Denver office 

regularly visited the dam site to inspect progress. Upon completion in 1937, Anita Dam measured 

42 feet high and 1,050 feet long; it impounded a reservoir with a capacity of 400 acre-feet. 

Other CCC improvements to the Huntley Project consisted of replacing old wooden irrigation control 

structures with new concrete ones; lining canals with bentonite or concrete; constructing an additional 

headgate for the Huntley Main Canal; clearing and cleaning canals, laterals, and drains to facilitate 

the flow of water; placing brush or rock riprap along canal banks to prevent erosion; 

constructing operating roads along the canal system; building earthen levees; laying new pipelines and 

repairing existing ones; and constructing or reconstructing canals, laterals, or drains. Additional 

accomplishments included the development of three community ice skating rinks, the demonstration of 

noxious weed control and eradication, and insect pest control. 

In June 1937, the camp enrollees were called out on emergency duty to help repair damage caused by 

serious flooding. On June 11, the area around Billings received over 1.5 inches of rain in less than an 

hour, and rain continued to fall throughout the night. Water swept through the main canal that served 

20,000 acres north and west of Billings, causing heavy damage not only to that feature, but also to 

property in the vicinity. A side camp was established at Billings, and men, tools, and equipment were 

assigned to the flood repairs. Camp BR-57 enrollees managed to repair the main canal enough to 

enable water to be delivered to the affected lands. 
A-248

Camp BR-57 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-57 was constructed on private land, and buildings were almost all of the rigid versus 

portable type. Altogether, there were 24 wood frame buildings. The rigid type consisted of four 

barracks (20 feet by 130 feet), a school building (20 feet by 60 feet), a combined mess hall and kitchen 

(20 feet by 100 feet and 25 feet by 50 feet), a recreation hall and office building (20 feet by 130 feet), 

an officers and technical services quarters (20 feet by 110 feet), an infirmary (20 feet by 40 feet), two 

garages, and numerous smaller storage and ancillary buildings. The only portable buildings were a 

blacksmith shop and maintenance shop. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On November 19, 1942, the CCC director authorized the transfer of abandoned Camp BR-57 to the 

Bureau of Reclamation. The Huntley Project Irrigation District had expressed an interest in purchasing 

the camp from Reclamation for use in the operation and maintenance of the project. Commissioner 

John Page approved of the sale on February 11, 1943, and planned to open negotiations with the 

irrigation district shortly thereafter. The outcome is unknown. 

SOURCES

Alfred Golze, “C.C.C. and Emergency Work,” The Reclamation Era 27 (August 1937), 188-190. 

“Civilian Conservation Corps Constructs the Anita Dam-Huntley Project,” The Reclamation Era 38 

(February 1938), 38-39. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 47, 101, and 102, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-249

Camp BR-57: Huntley Project, view of jetty under construction at River Project 

No. 12, March 26, 1936 (Box 75, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-57: Huntley Project, view of completed lower jetty at River Project No. 1, 

March 25, 1936 (Box 75, Entry 21, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-250

Camp BR-57: Huntley Project, Anita Dam, date unknown (Reclamation History Program photo 

database). 

Camp BR-57: Huntley Project, 

view of Highline Canal concrete 

lining project after sloping and 

placing of steel, April 12, 1938 

(Box 101, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

 
A-251

Camp BR-57: Huntley Project, preparing and placing grouting on Main Canal, April 12, 1938 (Box 101, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-253

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-58 Camp Name Sunnyside 

State Washington County Yakima 

Location Sunnyside 

Reclamation Project Yakima Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established June 3, 1938 Date Terminated May 15, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Sunnyside, BR-58, was one of six CCC camps allocated to the Yakima Project. The others were 

Camps BR-49, BR-50, BR-66, BR-67, and BR-86. Authorized for construction in February 1938, the 

year-round Camp BR-58 on the Sunnyside Division was occupied on June 3, 1938, when Company No. 

208 transferred there from Camp BR-48 at Coulee Dam. Enrollees at Camp BR-58 initially lived in 

tents until construction of barracks was completed. 

Reclamation identified three main projects for Camp BR-58 when the camp opened: maintenance of 

operating roads along canal banks, eradication of weeds along canal rights-of-way, and general 

rehabilitation and strengthening of canals and laterals. Within 4 months, crews were busily engaged in 

shoring up the Sunnyside Canal and building up banks on the Benton Extension below Prosser. On the 

Snipes Mountain Canal, enrollees replaced a large section of deteriorated concrete lining with similar 

material. Also the first year, CCC crews excavated for and installed 645 linear feet of 15-inch concrete 

pipe, collected 89 pounds of brome grass seed for seeding main canal banks, placed wire fencing around 

the intake to five siphons, improved operating roads, placed concrete lining and rock riprap, and 

eliminated noxious weeds along canals. 

During the 4 years it operated, Camp BR-58 completed an impressive array of accomplishments. In 

addition to the types of work already mentioned, a major job consisted of replacing deteriorating wood 

stave pipe. On the Mabton Siphon, crews replaced several thousand feet of untreated wood stave pipe 

with new creosoted wood stave pipe. The endeavor was accomplished by a crew of about 40 enrollees 

working at a time. The job was divided up into numerous tasks, which included form work, concrete 

placement, drilling, pile driving, and band renovation. Enrollees with no particular preference were 

assigned to dismantling the old pipe, excavating the trench, and handling materials. 

In June 1939, a crew of CCC enrollees began the task of replacing 1,298 linear feet of three deteriorated 

wood stave siphons in the Orchard Tracts District with one monolithic concrete pipe. Owing to the lack 

of experience on the part of the young men, the first concrete pour of 32 linear feet went slowly. With 

experience, however, the crew quickly became so efficient that five pours of 80 linear feet of pipe were 

made in 2 weeks. The job was finished in January 1940. 

Other similar efforts included the replacement of 48-inch, untreated wood stave pipe with 52-inch, 

monolithic reinforced concrete pipe on Benton Siphon No. 1, and the replacement of Prosser flume 

No. 1 with a 42-inch, monolithic reinforced concrete siphon. The list of major CCC achievements also 

encompassed the reconstruction of Snipes 9-mile chute; the construction of a 1,286 foot-long concrete 

bench flume on Lateral 59.31 and a reinforced concrete flume on Ryder Lateral; and the modification of 

Drop No. 13 on the Sunnyside Main Canal in accordance with drawings No. 33-D-2385 and 33-D-2386. 
A-254

Camp BR-58, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

Secondary tasks undertaken by Camp BR-58 enrollees consisted of assisting in fighting forest fires and 

repairing Bureau buildings, fences, and sewage systems. 

The various construction activities undertaken by Camp BR-58 enrollees gave them tremendous 

experience using a variety of equipment including power shovels, scrapers, road graders, tractors, 

bulldozers, air compressors, and trucks. The work accomplished by the camp was praised in an 

April 27, 1939, editorial in the Sunnyside Times: “We don’t know whether all CCC camps are like the 

one at Sunnyside but if they are it is easy to understand why the people of the United States have 

stamped their approval upon the CCC movement. One would not have supposed it possible to have so 

few cases of misbehavior in a group of 150 young men gathered together.” 

The camp was discontinued on May 15, 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Historic photographs of Camp BR-58 depict the initial tent camp occupied by Company No. 208 

beginning in June 1938, followed shortly thereafter by the erection of typical portable wood buildings. 

The completed camp was arranged around a center quadrangle with a flag in the middle. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Following closure, the camp was transferred to the Army on June 20, 1942. In a letter dated 

February 24, 1944, Yakima Project superintendent D.E. Ball informed Reclamation Commissioner 

Harry Bashore that all buildings at former Camp BR-58 had been dismantled and shipped to Alaska 

shortly after transfer of the camp to the Army. 

SOURCES

Alfred Mannick, “CCC Enrollees Reconstruct Portion of Mabton Siphon,” The Reclamation Era 29 

(July 1939) 181-182. 

Alfred Mannick, “CCC Reconstruction of Pipe Lines,” The Reclamation Era 31 (April 1941), 108-09. 

Editorial, Sunnyside Times, April 27, 1939, copy in Box 157, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project History, Yakima Project, 1940, Box 618, Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 48, 157, and 160, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

“Sunnyside Division, Yakima Project,” draft article, July 26, 1939, Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-255

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, view looking north of tent camp for Company 

No. 208, June 4, 1938 (Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, educational building nearing completion, June 30, 

1938 (Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 
A-256

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, view of camp (courtesy of Morris Kaplan). 

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, Company No. 208 lined up for mess, June 19, 1938 (Reclamation 

Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 
A-257

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, Army and Bureau personnel, Paul Turner, 

camp superintendent is at left in third row, May 11, 1939 (Reclamation 

Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, asphaltic concrete lining experimental 

project, Snipes Mountain Canal, mile 6.21, showing placing of 

material, November 13, 1939 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-258

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, asphalt mixing plant for experimental asphaltic 

concrete lining project, November 13, 1939 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, bending reinforcement steel for a 30-inch 

monolithic siphon at Mathieson Lateral 2.68, Grandview Orchards Tract 

(Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 
A-259

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, strengthening of Main Canal banks, loading 

dump trucks with power shovels, February 16, 1939 (Reclamation 

Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, 42-inch monolithic reinforced concrete siphon for replacement 

of Prosser Flume, transition and lining at outlet end, March 6, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-260

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, Benton 

Siphon No. 1, replacement of 48-inch 

wood stave pipe with 52-inch 

monolithic reinforced concrete pipe. 

View looking toward intake end, 

showing method of supporting wood 

stave pipe while excavation is in 

progress prior to lowering pipe for 

hookup with monolithic concrete 

section, March 6, 1941 (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-58: Yakima Project, Mabton Siphon replacement, 

placing bands on new 56-inch creosoted wood stave pipe. View 

looking upstream, March 6, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-261

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-59 Camp Name Mesa 

State Colorado County Mesa 

Location Just south of Palisade, along banks of Colorado River 

Reclamation Project Grand Valley Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established October 1935 Date Terminated May 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Mesa, BR-59, opened in October 1935, a few months after Camp BR-22, also assigned to the 

Grand Valley Project. The first occupants of Camp BR-59 consisted of a cadre from a U.S. Forest 

Service camp, F-16. By October 26, Mesa Camp reached its full capacity with the arrival of a 

company from the Fifth Corps Area, consisting of youths from Virginia and Kentucky. In January 

1936, Company No. 868 came in from Oklahoma to replace the resident company, which moved on to 

California. 

During the early days of the camp’s existence, enrollees focused on cleaning up the camp site and 

building walkways and roads through it. Thereafter, efforts turned to the primary task of rehabilitating 

the aging Grand Valley Project irrigation system. Obsolete wooden water control structures and a 

serious seepage problem in the canals required attention. Work crews replaced outdated control 

structures with concrete ones and placed concrete lining in the canals and laterals. 

The work program for Camps BR-59 and BR-22 was divided into three main divisions, based largely 

upon the project geography: the Canyon Division, the Orchard Mesa Division, and the Main CanalPalisade Division. Although enrollees from Camp BR-59 worked on all three divisions, they spent 

most of their time on the latter one, which extended from the Grand Valley Diversion Dam to the 

Grand Junction airport. 

The initial work on the Main Canal-Palisade Division of the project consisted of clearing the canal 

banks of willows, trees, and brush. In 1936, enrollees from Camp BR-59 also installed over 1,800 feet 

of reinforced concrete lining and, in some places, paving. Because the north bank of the Main Canal in 

the Palisades Division is practically perpendicular, concrete lining would not have been possible 

without the use of formwork. Instead, enrollees paved 3,100 linear feet of that bank with native 

sandstone grouted in place. 

In 1936, work on the Canyon Division focused on clearing canal banks and riprapping them with either 

brush or rock. The latter was installed where heavy flows of water caused cutting of the banks. 

Enrollees also enlarged and performed some renovation on the caretakers’ houses at the Grand Valley 

Diversion Dam and at the Colorado River Siphon. The 1936 Annual Project History, Grand Valley 

Project states that the work “brought these government properties to a much higher standard from the 

standpoint of looks and utility, and they are now commensurate with the value and dignity of the whole 

project.” 

On the Orchard Mesa Division, enrollees accomplished a lot of general “cleanup” work, mainly around 

the Grand Valley Power Plant and pumping station. They loaded and hauled away weeds, brush, 

rocks, and discarded junk, and improved the gravel road. They also lined over 3,000 linear feet of the 

Orchard Mesa Power Canal and 4,400 linear feet of the lower end of the Main Canal. 
A-262

Camp BR-59, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

During 1937, Camp BR-59 enrollees spent considerable time on the Orchard Mesa Division, where 

they placed approximately 3,500 linear feet of tile drain. They also rebuilt the ditchrider’s dwelling at 

Indian Waste and constructed four bridges on the Main Canal (Coal Creek, Indian Waste, Adobe 

Gulch, and Station No. 1270). All of this work offered valuable on-the-job opportunities for practical 

instruction in carpentry; in forming of piers, bents, caps and abutments; and in mixing concrete for 

these forms. A report on the camp’s ninth enrollment period activities stated that enrollee morale at the 

beginning of the period was fair, due to rumors that no reenrollments would be accepted. By the end 

of the period, the morale had climbed to “its usual high standard,” and the entire upper valley was “in 

favor of continuation of the camp indefinitely” (Chiesman 1937). Relations with the surrounding 

community were reported as favorable, and good cooperation existed among the CCC, Reclamation, 

the Army, and the Orchard Mesa Irrigation District. 

The 1938 Annual Project History for the Grand Valley Project boasted two noteworthy facts about 

Camp BR-59 that “are worthy of first place in the annual history of any CCC camp.” First, the camp 

operated for a year without any lost time in the field, and, second, without lost time accidents. 

Enrollees also maintained excellent health that year with the exception of needed dental work. Over 

the course of two visits, the Army dentist pulled 189 teeth and filled 231 cavities. In July 1938, the 

Oklahoma enrollees assigned to Camp BR-59 were divided equally among Reclamation Camps BR-22, 

BR-23, and BR-71, and a new group of 205 enrollees arrived at Camp BR-59 from Connecticut. Not 

only did it take a while for them to adjust to the climate and work assignments, there were also some 

troublemakers who caused problems for the Army and technical staff. By early 1939, most of the 

disruptive enrollees had left, and morale had much improved. 

During the life of both Grand Valley Project camps, enrollees did much to improve the irrigation 

system. The CCC constructed or rehabilitated a total of 2,271 water control structures and installed 

120,969 square yards of concrete lining. The latter work was considered especially important because 

it benefited peach orchards, a valuable crop in the Grand Valley. The eradication of noxious weeds 

and rodents was an ongoing and important activity at both camps. An additional accomplishment, 

specific to Camp BR-59 enrollees, consisted of constructing a well house and parapet wall at the Grand 

Valley Diversion Dam. 

As at other camps, the CCC offered Camp BR-59 enrollees educational and recreational programs 

considered to be important for improving morale and personal development. A camp softball team 

participated in a league composed of teams from various CCC camps and several teams from Grand 

Junction. The recreation hall provided comfortable reading chairs, good lighting, and indoor games for 

the “long winter evenings.” The camp boasted an orchestra and a newsletter, first published in July 

1936. A new educational building erected in May 1938 provided much needed space for classrooms. 

In March 1940, Reclamation contemplated the closure of Camp BR-59 due to cutbacks in the 

CCC budget. Various irrigation and drainage districts appealed to Reclamation Commissioner John 

Page to keep the camp open. It remained in operation; but in early summer, the enrollees transferred to 

Camp BR-81 on the Pine River Project for several months. In May 1941, personnel and enrollees from 

Camp BR-59 transferred to Camp BR-81 for a second time, and once again the camp’s future was 

uncertain due to curtailments in the CCC program. 
A-263

Camp BR-59, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

In a June 7, 1941, memorandum from Regional Director W.J. Chiesman to Commissioner John Page, 

he wrote: “It would be very serious to lose the services of Camp BR-59 as a great amount of very 

necessary work must yet be done to keep the project going as it should. If the future determines that 

the camp must go, of course, I will manage as best I can but if at all possible the camp should continue 

and it is so requested.” The appeal proved in vain; Camp BR-59 never reopened. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

A photograph of the camp shows rigid wooden barrack buildings sited along the banks of the Colorado 

River. In addition to six large barrack buildings, there were a number of smaller structures, including 

two that were added in 1937. These consisted of a small sheet iron building that served as an oil and 

grease house, and a building that was moved from the Reclamation yards at Grand Junction for use as a 

tool room/cement storehouse. In October 1937, the mess hall burned down and was reconstructed with 

a better building. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Following closure, Camp BR-59 was transferred first to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 

August 1942, and then to Reclamation. As of March 1944, the camp was being leased to the United 

Fruit Growers Association. The final disposition is unknown. 

SOURCES

Civilian Conservation Corps, Office of the Director, “A Report Covering the Activities of Civilian 

Conservation Corps Camps Assigned to Reclamation Projects in Fourteen Western States, August, 

1934-May 31, 1937,” Box 180, Entry 7, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

“History of Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado, Littleton District-Grand Junction District,” 

compiled by L. Gleyre and C. Alleger, Denver, Colorado, Press of the Western Newspaper Union, 

Summer 1936. 

Memorandum from W.J. Chiesman to Commissioner John Page on status of CCC program, Grand 

Valley Project, June 7, 1941, Box 99, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Grand Valley Project, 1936 through 1941, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, Box 320, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 48, 49, and 99, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

W.J. Chiesman, “Narrative Report on CCC Activities – CCC Camp BR-59, Grand Valley Project, 

Ninth Enrollment Period Ending September 30, 1937,” 1937, Box 49, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-264

Camp BR-59: Grand Valley Project, placing of concrete lining by CCC on Main 

Canal, Palisade Division, 1939 (Box 320, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-59: Grand Valley Project, section of Main Canal, Palisade Division, 

showing concrete lining, 1939 (Box 320, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-265

Camp BR-59: Grand 

Valley Project, cribbing 

below Grand Valley 

Diversion Dam prior to 

facing with concrete, 

July 1939 (Box 1, 

Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-266

Camp BR-59: Grand Valley Project, finished jetty At Grand Valley Diversion Dam 

following removal of forms, July 1939 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-59: Grand Valley Project, well house and parapet wall at Grand Valley 

Diversion Dam constructed by CCC, 1939 (Box 320, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-267

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-61 Camp Name Bayard 

State Nebraska County Morrill 

Location Bayard 

Reclamation Project North Platte Army Corps Area 7 

Date Established October 2, 1939 Date Terminated May 15, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Bayard, BR-61, was the last of six CCC camps established on the North Platte Project. The 

others were Camps BR-1, BR-9, BR-10, BR-53, and BR-83. On October 2, 1939, Company No. 4722 

left Valentine, Nebraska, for newly established Camp Bayard. The company had been in existence just 

over 4 years, having been organized June 1, 1935, at Camp BF-1, assigned to the U.S. Bureau of 

Biological Survey (now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) in Valentine. 

Accustomed to a large number of tractors and other equipment available for use on project work, the 

enrollees expressed disappointment upon first arriving at Camp Bayard, which had only old trucks and 

a minimal amount of equipment. In fact, the camp had no tractors, which meant most work in the field 

had to be done by hand. The initial letdown was overcome by the positive spirits of the enrollees and 

the more favorable location of Bayard. It did not take long for the young men to establish a good 

reputation in town. 

Like Camps BR-1 and BR-53, enrollees at Camp BR-61 worked on the Interstate and Northport 

Divisions of the North Platte Project. The young men riprapped canals, excavated ditches, lined 

laterals with concrete, planted trees, and eradicated rodents. Photographs show the young men 

constructing a new intake at Siphon No. 5 and making improvements to Lateral 77. 

The camp received high marks from Reclamation’s Administrative Inspector, Homer D. Graham. He 

praised the excellent morale, spirit of teamwork and cooperation, and labor performed by the enrollees. 

Camp Superintendent R.E. Chambers and his personnel displayed a real interest in their jobs. 

Mr. Graham also rated the educational program as very good. In fact, he described all phases of the 

camp program as being above the average. 

The camp closed on May 15, 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

In a few of the historic photographs taken at the camp, wooden barrack structures are visible in the 

background. The number and types of buildings are unknown. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

After Camp BR-61 closed, Reclamation was notified that the camp would be transferred to the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers effective June 1, 1942, and that they planned to remove the buildings 

for use at an ammunition storage plant in Sidney, Nebraska. It is unknown whether this occurred. 
A-268

Camp BR-61 (continued) 

SOURCES

“Pictorial Review, Civilian Conservation Corps, Nebraska-Kansas, Company 4722, BR-61, Bayard, 

Nebraska,” date unknown, brochure courtesy of Patty Alexander, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, North Platte Project, 1939 through 1942, Boxes 402 and 403, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Box 124, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-61: North Platte Project, a few camp staff, 1940 

(courtesy of Patty Alexander, Bureau of Reclamation). 
A-269

Camp BR-61: North Platte Project, scenes around camp, 1940 (courtesy of Patty Alexander, 

Bureau of Reclamation). 
A-270

Camp BR-61: North Platte Project, scenes around camp, 1940 (courtesy of Patty Alexander, 

Bureau of Reclamation). 
A-271

Camp BR-61: North Platte Project, truck servicing chart No. 1, October 15, 

1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-61: North Platte Project, view of grease rack with truck, 

October 15, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-272

Camp BR-61: North Platte Project, crew setting up to pour intake at Siphon 

No. 5, January 15, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-61: North Platte Project, crew pouring intake at Siphon No. 5, 

January 15, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-273

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-64 Camp Name Deer Creek 

State Utah County Wasatch 

Location Heber, west edge of town on main highway 

Reclamation Project Provo River Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established December 20, 1937 Date Terminated July 25, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Deer Creek, BR-64, was the first of two camps established on the Provo River Project. The other 

was Camp BR-91. Approved for construction by President Franklin Roosevelt on November 16, 1935, 

the Provo River Project provides a supplemental water supply for about 48,000 acres of highly 

developed farmlands in Utah, Salt Lake, and Wasatch Counties, and enhances municipal water supplies 

in area cities and towns. Key project features include Deer Creek Dam and Reservoir, tunnels and 

canals to transport water from the Weber and Duchesne Rivers into the reservoir, a 42-mile-long 

aqueduct from the reservoir to Salt Lake City, and numerous distribution canals. The first project water 

became available in 1941 upon the completion of Deer Creek Dam, thanks in no small measure to the 

contributions of the CCC. 

On October 11, 1937, an advance cadre of enrollees belonging to Company No. 4792 assigned to Camp

BR-12 left Huntsville, Utah, to help construct Camp BR-64. The entire company, which consisted of 

young men from Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and North Dakota, officially occupied unfinished Camp 

BR-64 on December 20, 1937, and began field work that same day. Both Provo River Project 

CCC camps contributed to the preliminary construction of Deer Creek Dam, located approximately 16 

miles northeast of Provo, Utah, on the Provo River. During the first year, Camp BR-64 enrollees made 

improvements to the Deer Creek area above its confluence with the Provo River for use as a 

Government camp site, and, eventually, as a public recreation area. This labor involved fencing, 

grading, transporting and assembling cabins, installing a sprinkler system, and landscaping. 

Between 1938 and 1941, CCC forces did a great deal to clear and prepare the reservoir site. They 

removed trees and brush, salvaged several buildings, and took down fences. The enrollees made 

hundreds of guardrail posts from poles of a dismantled telephone line that had crossed the reservoir area. 

The dam contractor installed the guardrails on a temporary road, which the CCC built around Round 

Pine Valley Creek for use during construction of Deer Creek Dam. At the upper end of the reservoir, 

the CCC raised the Midway-Charleston Highway by about 12 feet. Part of this effort involved 

dismantling and raising a bridge across the Provo River. Enrollees also relocated about 9 miles of 

Western Union Telegraph line, which ran through the reservoir area and assisted with the relocation of 

the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad tracks. Other associated work consisted of the construction of 

minor features such as culverts, cattle guards, and timber road crossings. 

Elsewhere, CCC crews helped build a Government camp near the west portal of the 6-mile-long 

Duchesne Tunnel to house workers on that project, performed preparatory work in connection with the 

enlargement of the Weber-Provo Diversion Canal, and labored on the Salt Lake Aqueduct. Enrollees 

constructed numerous minor structures in the development of the irrigation system, and, as on most 

Reclamation CCC camps, performed rodent control. 

CCC forces from Camp BR-64 also assisted on the Ogden River Project for several years. In 1938, 

enrollees helped prepare for constructing the concrete parapet wall at Pineview Dam, protected the 
A-274

Camp BR-64, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

Ogden Canyon Pipeline from falling rocks by building timber shelters, and completed some 

improvements to the Ogden-Brigham and South Ogden Highline Canals. In fiscal years 1941 and 1942, 

the CCC stationed some enrollees from Camp BR-64 at a stub camp in Willard, Utah, to help out on the 

Ogden River Project. The young men worked on the South Ogden Canal extension and wasteway; 

wasteway reservoirs 2, 4, 5, and 6 on the Ogden-Brigham Canal; equalizing reservoirs No. 25 and P; 

and the low-pressure section of the South Ogden distribution system (lateral pipelines). 

Company No. 4792 remained at Camp BR-64 until it closed on July 25, 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Buildings at Camp BR-64 were of the portable type and described as “more elaborate than the buildings 

constructed at the camps in the past.” (letter from E.O. Larson to Commissioner Page, October 1937) 

Even so, the camp did not include sufficient garage, warehouse, and shop space for Reclamation’s 

needs, and in March 1938, Acting Commissioner R.W. Williams requested permission from the CCC to 

utilize materials from abandoned Camp BR-5 to construct additional technical agency buildings. A 

detailed description of the buildings was not found. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

All buildings and operating accessories at Camp BR-64 were turned over to the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers on September 9, 1942, with the exception of a repair shop and garage constructed by 

Reclamation and one 20- by 20-foot portable storehouse originally constructed by the Army. The 

buildings turned over to the Army were to be moved immediately to the Salt Lake Army Airbase. 

SOURCES

Kenneth W. Baldridge, “Nine Years of Achievement: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Utah,” Ph.D., 

Brigham Young University, Utah, 1971. 

Letter from Regional Director E.O. Larson to Commissioner John Page, October 27, 1937, Box 134, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project History, Ogden River Project, 1938, Box 119, Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 47, and 133, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 2, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

W.F. Peterson, “CCC Activities on the Provo River Project,” draft article, August 7, 1939, Box 36, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-275

Camp BR-64: Provo River Project, upstream view of completed Venturi flume at 

station 0+30, Ogden-Brigham Canal, January 4, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-64: Provo River Project, CCC enrollees dismantling the former John L. 

Atwood House in the Deer Creek Reservoir area near Charleston, Utah, March 2, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-276

Camp BR-64: Provo 

River Project, 

Government camp 

buildings under 

construction near 

outlet portal–

Duchesne Tunnel, 

October 11, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-64: Provo River Project, removing concrete lining on Ogden-Brigham 

Canal realignment on Ogden River Project, November 15, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-277

Camp BR-64: Provo River Project, loading rock from waste pile into CCC dump trucks for 

riprap on Charleston-Midway Highway fill through Deer Creek Reservoir, March 26, 1941 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-64: Provo River Project, CCC forces placing riprap on CharlestonMidway Highway fill through upper end of Deer Creek Reservoir, March 26, 

1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-278

Camp BR-64: Provo River Project, concrete lining on equalizing reservoir No. 25 at the 

head of No. 25 Lateral System, South Ogden Distribution System on the Ogden River 

Project, June 26, 1941 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-279

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-66 Camp Name Cowiche 

State Washington County Yakima 

Location Tieton Division “Headquarters” Tract, Naches Heights 

Reclamation Project Yakima Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 22, 1938 Date Terminated May 20, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Cowiche, BR-66, was one of six CCC camps established on the Yakima Project. The others 

were Camps BR-49, BR-50, BR-58, BR-67, and BR-86. The CCC authorized Camp BR-66 in 

February 1938, and CCC Company No. 3278 from Fort Dix, New Jersey, occupied it on July 22, 1938. 

Eleven days earlier, a short article in the Yakima Daily Republic described preliminary work being 

conducted at the Tieton Division headquarters in preparation for the arrival of the enrollees. “Portable 

buildings transferred from the Ginkgo CCC camp are being set up on the south half of the Tieton 

headquarters 40-acre grounds. . . At present, one barracks structure has been erected and others are in 

process of assembly. A portable churn drill is at work on the ground driving a well for the camp water 

supply” (Yakima Daily Republic 1938). About 20 enrollees from Camp BR-58 at Sunnyside were 

employed in the advance construction. 

Enrollees at Camp BR-66 constructed new features and repaired existing ones on the Tieton Division, 

which consisted of 29,537 irrigable acres. A rather complicated gravity flow delivery system 

conducted water from the Tieton River to farmlands. Originally, the system included 16 metal flumes 

supported on wooden substructures that rested on concrete pedestals. By 1930, 10 of the flumes had 

been replaced and the rest were in poor condition. 

During the camp’s first year, enrollee accomplishments were numerous and varied. The young men 

replaced an old metal flume (No. 1) with a reinforced concrete bench flume and headweir structure; 

replaced another old metal flume (No. 5) with a monolithic reinforced concrete siphon 5 feet in 

diameter and 437 feet long; lined 600 linear feet of canal with concrete; and began work on a third 

reinforced concrete siphon. They also improved and rebuilt over 3 miles of canal operating roads, and 

cleared weeds and willows from the main lateral system. 

Similar types of project work continued through the camp’s existence. A major CCC achievement 

consisted of replacing a portion of the Tieton Main Canal where it crossed a ravine near Station 137 

with an elevated concrete flume. The original section of the concrete-lined canal sat on rockfill that 

had settled a maximum of 10 inches. CCC enrollees constructed a 120-foot-long, rectangular, 

reinforced concrete flume supported by reinforced concrete pedestals. Other substantial efforts 

included the excavation, backfill, and installation of 221 feet of 48-inch monolithic reinforced concrete 

siphon on Lateral “G” and construction of 878 linear feet of reinforced concrete bench flume on 

Lateral “C.” The youths also improved operating roads, installed reinforced concrete pipe and a short 

distance of 6-inch wood pipe, and resurfaced a portion of the interior of the Tieton Main Canal. 

The CCC closed the camp from July 1, 1941, to October 30, 1941 and then reopened it. Men of 

Company No. 6459 occupied the camp in its last season before it was permanently shut down on 

May 20, 1942. 
A-280

Camp BR-66 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Historic photographs of Camp BR-66 show typical CCC portable frame buildings including an 

education building, mess hall, and barracks. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On June 27, 1942, the buildings and equipment from Camp BR-66 were transferred to the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers in Portland, Oregon. No CCC buildings remain onsite. 

SOURCES

“Buildings are Being Set Up,” Yakima Daily Republic, July 11, 1938, Box 157, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 36, 48, and 157, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 13, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

 

Camp BR-66: Yakima 

Project, erection of 

portable camp buildings, 

showing educational 

building at left 

background, mess hall in 

center, two of the 

barracks at right, looking 

northeast, July 27, 1938 

(Reclamation ColumbiaCascades Area Office, 

Washington). 
A-281

Camp BR-66: Yakima 

Project, general view 

of south portion of 

camp, mess hall in 

central foreground, 

looking southeast, 

April 29, 1940 

(Reclamation 

Columbia-Cascades 

Area Office, 

Washington). 

Camp BR-66: Yakima Project, truck drivers who brought transferred trucks from Camp BR-36 to 

Camp BR-66. Mechanic W.R. Chapman and Junior Foreman R.J. Moore, who were in charge of convoy, 

are in center of back row, August 8, 1938 (Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 
A-282

Camp BR-66: Yakima Project, convoy of trucks transferred from Camp BR-36 on arrival at Camp BR-66, 

August 8, 1938 (Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington). 

Camp BR-66: Yakima 

Project, group of enrollees 

and guests at Camp 

BR-66 for Christmas 

Dinner. Lieut. Fred L. 

Houck, company 

commander, at extreme 

right in back; and 

F.A. Castle, Camp 

Superintendent, at extreme 

left, December 25, 1938 

(Reclamation ColumbiaCascades Area Office, 

Washington). 
A-283

Camp BR-66: Yakima Project, building rock riprap 

retaining wall for foot trail widening and improvement 

along Tieton Main Canal, September 7, 1939 

(Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 

Washington). 

Camp BR-66: Yakima Project, construction of 

48-inch monolithic reinforced concrete siphon at 

station 1216+12 on Lateral G, August 23, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-66: Yakima Project, reinforced concrete lining on Lateral “C” 

showing lower end of completed trapezoidal section and enrollees 

backfilling, March 15, 1940 (Reclamation Columbia-Cascades Area Office, 

Washington). 
A-284

Camp BR-66: Yakima Project, construction of 48-inch monolithic reinforced 

concrete siphon at station 1216+12 on Lateral “G”, looking upstream, showing 

enrollees bending hoops for siphon barrel reinforcement in foreground, 

September 6, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-66: Yakima Project, construction of 48-inch monolithic reinforced 

concrete siphon at station 1216+12 on Lateral “G”, looking upstream, enrollees 

placing forms and steel, September 6, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-285

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-67 Camp Name Bumping Lake 

State Washington County Yakima 

Location Bumping Lake 

Reclamation Project Yakima Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established August 4, 1941 Date Terminated October 30, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Bumping Lake, BR-67, was the last of six CCC camps to open on the extensive Yakima Project, 

and it existed for just a short time. The camp was located near Bumping Lake Dam, the first 

Reclamation storage dam constructed in the Yakima Basin as part of the Yakima Project. Begun in 

1909, the dam reached completion a year later, except for the reservoir clearing. This task continued 

over successive years, but the work still remained unfinished in the 1930s. Brush, downed timber, and 

debris covered much of the lakeshore, and dead standing timber in the reservoir posed a hazard to the 

spillway and outlet works. As early as December 1937, Paul Taylor, an assistant engineer for 

Reclamation, recommended a CCC camp at Bumping Lake to clear the reservoir area, grout the 

spillway, build a road and bridge over the outlet works to eliminate traffic across the crest of the dam, 

and possibly line the lake outlet conduit. 

Reclamation received permission for a CCC camp at Bumping Lake in 1941. On May 26 of that year, 

men began clearing a site for a camp consisting of tents and frame structures. On August 4, 1941, 

members of Company No. 6459 arrived to occupy the camp. A shortage of funds and enrollees 

seriously curtailed its completion, and when the camp closed a few months later on October 30, 1941, 

it still remained unfinished. During its occupancy, only a small force of less than 10 enrollees could 

devote time to project work. They piled and burned logs and debris congesting the reservoir area using 

both machines and hand methods. The CCC spent a total of 569 man-days clearing 9.5 acres of the 

reservoir area. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

The camp consisted of 34 pyramidal tents, 6 wall tents for officers, 3 educational storage tents, and 

1 dispensary storage tent. Structures and buildings included a combination mess hall/kitchen, technical 

service office, army office, maintenance shop, generator house, oil house, pump house, bath house, and 

latrine. A water tower with a 4,000-gallon wood water tank provided the camp’s water supply. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On September 24, 1942, the CCC instructed Reclamation to transfer all buildings, as well as operating 

accessories, to the Commandant of the 13th Naval District in Seattle, Washington. The Navy intended 

to dismantle and ship the buildings to Alaska. A Navy contractor removed them all except for the 

latrine, wash house, officers’ latrine, generator house, pump house, oil house, water tower, wood tank, 

and 10 pyramidal tent frames. The Navy decided it was not feasible to move the latter small buildings 

and structures because of their rigid or semirigid construction. In a letter dated February 5, 1943, 

Reclamation requested retention of the remaining buildings for use at a clearing camp at Bumping 

Lake. In 1946, a new garage and workshop building was constructed at Bumping Lake from materials 
A-286

Camp BR-67, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

salvaged from Camp BR-67. The following year, the CCC grounds were cleaned up; some of the 

structures were put to use for storage and warehouse space, and the remaining salvaged lumber was put 

aside elsewhere. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, Annual Project History, Yakima Project, 1942, Box 618, Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 48, and 160, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 13, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Yakima Project, Washington, Storage Division, inspection reports for Bumping Lake 

Dam, on file at the Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Yakima, Washington. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009

(Source: Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area Office, Washington) 
A-287

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-69 Camp Name Milk River 

State Montana County Phillips 

Location Outside Malta on Highway 2 at Trafton Park, south side of Milk River 

Reclamation Project Milk River Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 17, 1938 Date Terminated May 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Milk River, BR-69, followed Camp BR-32 as the second CCC camp assigned to the Milk River 

Project. Located on the outskirts of Malta on Highway 2, Camp BR-69 received its first enrollees on 

July 17, 1938. On that day, 195 enrollees belonging to Company No. 3697 arrived. Their assignment 

was to assist in rehabilitating the Malta Division of the Milk River Project irrigation system. Initially, 

however, the young men were kept busy constructing the camp, which was located at a town park. 

Enrollees graded the grounds, laid sewer and water lines, and erected buildings. Once the camp was 

established, crews enhanced the grounds by planting lawn, trees, and shrubs. 

In September 1938, enrollees began working in the field and made considerable progress before the 

onset of winter. Crews built two large concrete and steel checks on the Dodson South Canal, lined 

130 linear feet of canal with concrete at Rocky Point, built a 15-foot concrete weir at Bowdoin 

wasteway, constructed a combination turnout-bridge on the Dodson North Canal, sloped 2,500 linear 

feet of canal bank preparatory to placing rock riprap, and cleared brush from a canal right-of-way 

preparatory to the construction of a ditchrider’s roadway. The enrollees also conducted experiments on 

the eradication of Russian knapweed using various chemicals. 

Camp BR-69 enrollees worked through the winter of 1938-39, sloping 2,000 feet of riverbank, building 

two log and rock jetties in preparation for placing willow mat riprap as canal protection, and clearing 

3 acres of brush preparatory to excavating a canal change for the Milk River. 

In February 1939, a side camp was established at Fresno Dam, located 14 miles west of Havre on the 

Milk River. By then, the dam was nearing completion after 2 years of construction. Thirty-five 

enrollees cleared 135 acres of brush in the reservoir area by April 1. The side camp then relocated to 

Glasgow to work on improvements to the canal system. With the imminent threat of a grasshopper 

infestation in the spring of 1939, the Glasgow side camp’s attention was diverted almost exclusively to 

transporting, unloading, and distributing poison-bait material used to eradicate the insects. This work 

was completed by mid-July 1939. 

Flooding of the Milk River in March 1939 seriously interrupted work at the main camp. Five feet of 

water inundated the camp for 1 week, but fortunately, the floors of camp buildings suffered the only 

serious damage. The entire company at BR-69 moved into the City Hall auditorium for 10 days. An 

October 1939 article in The Reclamation Era exclaimed that the “true CCC spirit was remarkably 

displayed during the catastrophe, and there was no confusion or complaint, although it was necessary 

for enrollees to work almost continuously for two days” (The Reclamation Era 1939). In the aftermath 

of the flood, almost the entire camp was engaged in emergency repairs to the canal system on the Malta 

and Glasgow Divisions. 
A-288

Camp BR-69, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

In mid-October 1939, the resident Company No. 3697 was disbanded and replaced with Company 

No. 258, which had been located at Babb, another CCC camp on the Milk River Project, throughout 

the summer. The turnover of enrollees slowed down project construction activities until the new crew 

adjusted to the work assignments. The side camp at Glasgow continued to operate throughout the year, 

with an average force of 25 enrollees under the supervision of one general foreman. 

Principal achievements of Camp BR-69 during fiscal year 1940 consisted of: replacing timber 

structures on the canal and lateral systems with concrete structures; clearing and leveling canal, lateral, 

and drain banks prior to the construction of operating roadways; riprapping canals and lateral banks to 

control erosion; eradicating noxious weeds along canal rights-of-way; performing emergency work in 

repairing flood damage; and making major improvements to Dodson and Vandelia Dams. Special 

authority was granted for enrollees to operate a dragline to clean canals, laterals, and waste water 

ditches on the Glasgow Division. 

Enrollees accomplished a considerable amount of work dismantling buildings of the Fort Peck Dam 

Camp and moving them to the Glasgow side camp and the main camp at Malta for CCC use. The 

enrollees also developed a public recreational camp on the shore of Nelson Reservoir. Crews prepared 

about 10 acres of ground at the reservoir, and then planted and irrigated 6,000 young trees. In 

connection with this development, the CCC established a small nursery of about 10,000 seedlings on 

public land in the vicinity of Malta. These trees were later planted at Nelson Reservoir. 

During fiscal years 1941 and 1942, the CCC continued improvements to the irrigation system. The 

side camp at Glasgow remained in operation, and enrollees there installed concrete canal structures and 

placed rock riprap along canal banks. Work crews from the main camp continued with the 

development of recreational facilities at Nelson Reservoir, including the cultivation of trees. Enrollees 

also helped the State Game and Fish Department to develop a game farm near Fort Peck Dam by 

installing fencing and game shelters. 

The number of enrollees at Camp BR-69 averaged between 150 and 200. The last occupants of the 

camp belonged to Company No. 1369, and they moved to camps in Montana and Idaho when 

Camp BR-69 closed on May 16, 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

Buildings at Camp BR-69 were of the rigid type. An August 1938 site plan of the camp drawn by 

CCC enrollees shows four barracks, a mess hall/kitchen, technical services headquarters, officers 

quarters, foremens’ quarters, one large and one smaller warehouse, three garages, an infirmary, a 

canteen, an educational building, several bath houses, a latrine, and several shops. On May 19, 1942, 

just several days after the camp closed, three former CCC enrollees attempted to steal gasoline from 

trucks in the garages, and, in the process, accidentally started a fire. The blaze destroyed the main 

garage and caused about $20,000 worth of damage. The youths were charged with first degree 

burglary. 
A-289

Camp BR-69 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS 

On November 2, 1942, abandoned Camp BR-69 was transferred to the Army. The next month, the 

War Department notified the CCC that they had no need for the camp. Reclamation expressed an 

interest to the CCC in maintaining the property for use in operation and maintenance activities, but by 

1944, the camp was no longer listed among those still remaining on Reclamation projects. 

The following year, the site of BR-69 took on a new use as a Prisoner of War camp. In April 1945, the 

Army granted approval for the camp, and arrangements were made with the Utah-Idaho Sugar 

Company to put the prisoners to work in the sugar beet industry. Before that could happen, however, 

the site had to be prepared for the new occupants. The Utah-Sugar Company purchased 36 

CCC granaries and had them moved to the site for reuse as barracks. It appears that none of the 

CCC buildings formerly on the property still existed. A Reclamation building on the site was 

converted into a mess hall and Army officers’ quarters. New guard towers and wire barricading 

secured the property. 

On June 4, 1945, 250 prisoners arrived in Malta. They consisted of Czechs and Austrians who were 

drafted into the German army when their countries were invaded. Forty enlisted men accompanied the 

prisoners and served as guards. The prisoners were immediately put to work thinning and hoeing 

beets. Later that summer, they harvested a good share of the 3,000 acres of beets in the Malta area. 

They also worked on ranches and performed jobs such as haying, threshing, and fencing. Many of the 

prisoners expressed an interest in settling in Montana if ever possible. Following completion of 

harvesting operations in early November 1945, the prisoners were moved to Papago Park, Arizona. 

Apparently, the following summer, the Prisoner of War camp was active again. According to an article 

in the July 11, 1946, Phillips County News, 250 German prisoners who had been stationed at Malta 

during the beet thinning operations had just departed on their journey home after years of war and 

imprisonment. 

Today, one barracks building, presumably a converted granary, still stands at Trafton Park and is used 

by the Boy Scouts. 

SOURCES

Articles from the Phillips County News, no author, dated May 21, 1942 (“CCC Camp Disbanded for 

Duration”), February 2, 1945 (“War Prisoner Camp Likely for Malta”), March 15, 1945 (“Orders 

Placed for 400 Men for Beets”), April 26, 1945 (War Prisoner Camp Site is Approved”), June 7, 1945 

(“250 Prisoners Arrive in Malta”), November 1, 1945 (“P.O.Ws. Leave Malta Camp Next Week”), and 

July 11, 1946 (“Prisoners of War Leave Malta for Home”). 

“Barracks City News,” CCC newsletter of Camp BR-69, anniversary edition, 1939, Malta, Montana, 

Box 1, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 
A-290

Camp BR-69, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 48, 110, and 111, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

William Maxey, “CCC Activities on the Milk River Project,” The Reclamation Era 29 (October 1939), 

257-59. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-291 Camp BR-69: Milk River Project, plan of camp, August 1938 (Box 111, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-292

Camp BR-69: Milk River Project, camp at maximum flood stage, March 1939 

(Box 226, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-69: Milk River Project, no caption or date (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-293

Camp BR-69: Milk River Project, concrete lining at Rocky Point looking 

downstream, December 6, 1939 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-69: Milk River Project, flume on Dodson North Lateral 104 after 

construction of headwalls, December 14, 1939 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

A-295

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-72 Camp Name Powell 

State Wyoming County Park 

Location Powell 

Reclamation Project Shoshone Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established July 9, 1938 Date Terminated June 20, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Powell, BR-72, was the second of three CCC camps established on the Shoshone Project (the 

other two were Camps BR-7 and BR-87). Although Camp BR-72 enrollees worked primarily on the 

Garland and Willwood Divisions, the young men had completed improvements to all four project 

divisions by the time the camp closed. 

In the months leading up to the establishment of Camp BR-72, several articles appeared in the Powell 

Tribune discussing the impending arrival of the enrollees. Writers for the newspaper refuted local 

criticism that the boys would introduce an undesirable social element in the community and take work 

away from the locally unemployed. The initial occupants of the camp, all from Massachusetts and 

members of Company No. 2132, arrived on July 9, 1938. They would remain until the end of 

November 1940, when members of Company No. 4821 took their place. 

During the first year, work focused on rehabilitating canals and canal structures on the Garland and 

Willwood Divisions. Activities on the Garland Division consisted of raising and widening canal 

banks, constructing concrete weirs on laterals off of the Frannie Canal, and eradicating noxious weeds 

on canal banks and public lands. On the Willwood Division, work crews from Camps BR-72 and BR-7

replaced wooden lateral features with concrete ones, constructed operating roads, lined Lateral W-113 

with concrete, and riprapped badly eroded sections of the Willwood Canal. Camp BR-72 enrollees 

also assisted in the construction of Camp BR-87. 

In 1939, Camp BR-72 enrollees performed tasks similar to the previous year on both the Willwood and 

Garland Divisions. Weed control received a great deal of attention. A demonstration project 

consisting of a strawberry clover plot near Powell proved to be of significant interest to local farmers 

and seed companies. Enrollees harvested and bagged seed pods in anticipation of distributing them 

after threshing season to interested growers in the area. Elsewhere, on about 80 acres of canal right-ofway, crews eradicated perennial weeds by clean cutting their roots. Half of the work was done by hand 

spading, the other half by machine. Enrollees also burned water hemlock on 30 miles of canals and 

laterals on the Garland Division. 

A major accomplishment of Camp BR-72 consisted of reconstructing the Alkali Creek Inclined Drop 

near the upper end of the Garland Canal on the Garland Division. This canal furnishes irrigation water 

to both the Garland and Frannie Divisions of the Shoshone Project. Built around 1916, the 2,005-footlong, reinforced concrete drop structure, also referred to as a chute, had deteriorated badly. Rather than 

completely replace the chute, Reclamation decided to use it as a base upon which to build a new 

reinforced concrete structure of the same type. The job involved placing a new 6-inch concrete lining 
A-296

Camp BR-72, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

inside of the old lining. The CCC provided the concrete aggregate, labor, supervision, engineering, 

equipment, and transportation of men and materials. The irrigation districts furnished cement, 

reinforcing steel, lumber, tile, and incidental materials. 

Severe winters in Wyoming made the protection of concrete work a serious problem, especially on a 

structure of this size. To shield concrete from snow and cold temperatures during placement and 

curing, enrollees built a movable frame building that was 102 feet long and 28 feet wide. The structure 

was assembled in sections at the CCC camp and hauled to the worksite. Coal stoves built in the 

CCC repair shop provided adequate heating, and a power line constructed from a nearby transmission 

line to the worksite furnished electricity for lights and fans. A second building, the same dimensions 

as the first, but of a light wood frame covered with canvas, was later attached to the first to allow more 

concrete to be placed at once. The CCC began work on the Alkali Creek Inclined Drop in November 

1939 and completed it in May 1940. 

Projects undertaken by Camp BR-72 enrollees on the Willwood Division in 1940 included bank 

protection on the Whistle Creek channel above the Whistle Creek siphon, replacement of a number of 

worn-out wooden water control structures with concrete ones on various laterals, and placement of 

riprap at badly eroded sections of the Willwood Canal. 

Camp BR-72 also produced concrete aggregate for use by all three Shoshone Project CCC camps at a 

small gravel crushing and sand washing plant near Powell. The material was of good quality and 

manufactured at a great savings to the camps. 

Upon closure of Camps BR-7 and BR-87 in 1941, enrollees from Camp BR-72 performed work on the 

Frannie and Heart Mountain Divisions, as well as continued projects on the Willwood and Garland 

Divisions. On the latter division, crews constructed reinforced concrete drops, turnouts, checks, and 

measuring devices to replace worn-out timber and concrete ones on various laterals; expended 

considerable effort in an aggressive weed eradication program; and improved the first 3 miles of 

operating road on the Frannie Canal. 

The largest job carried out by Camp BR-72 in its last 2 years consisted of reconstructing a portion of 

the Willwood Canal on the Willwood Division. The work involved construction of a 620-foot-long, 

reinforced concrete drop. On the Heart Mountain Division, enrollees graded and graveled operating 

roads, and mined and processed bentonite for use in lining the Heart Mountain Canal after 

Camp BR-87 closed. On the Frannie Division, enrollees built concrete lateral structures. 

Camp BR-72, still occupied by Company No. 4821, closed on June 20, 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

A photograph of Camp BR-72 depicts typical CCC wood frame buildings sited next to railroad tracks. 
A-297

Camp BR-72 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

After Camp BR-72 closed, custody of the property was turned over to the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers. Buildings were initially used to house and feed some of the workers engaged in 

construction of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center. Upon completion of the relocation center, the 

CCC officially approved the transfer of Camp BR-72 to the War Relocation Authority. This occurred 

on November 24, 1942. Thereafter, Heart Mountain Relocation Center evacuees began to dismantle 

the camp buildings and haul them to the relocation center for reuse there. 

SOURCES

R.C. Kay, “CCC Reconstructs Alkali Creek Inclined Drop,” The Reclamation Era 31 (January 1941), 

11-12. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Shoshone Project, 1938-1943, Boxes 168 and 169, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, CCC Publicity – Clippings (including Powell Tribune clippings), Box 145, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 47, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 13, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-72: Shoshone 

Project, view of camp, October 

7, 1938 (courtesy of Shoshone 

Irrigation District). 
A-298

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, new glass enclosed bulletin board at the 

camp, May 28, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, members of Company No. 4821 on parade at 

Powell, Wyoming, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver).
A-299

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, Willwood Canal showing condition of eroded 

banks, September 23, 1938 (courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation District). 

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, same section of Willwood Canal after being 

sloped and riprapped by CCC, January 14, 1939 (courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation 

District). 
A-300

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, speeder shovel loading CCC trucks, April 22, 

1938 (courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation District). 

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, enrollees placing dry rock paving, date unknown 

(courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation District). 
A-301

Camp BR-72: 

Shoshone Project, 

completed dry rock 

paving, date unknown 

(courtesy of Shoshone 

Irrigation District). 

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, CCC crushing plant and sand washer, date 

unknown (courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation District). 
A-302

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, 

enrollees mixing, placing, and 

finishing concrete in the upper 

transition of Alkali Creek Chute, 

April 23, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, 

enrollees finishing concrete in Alkali Creek 

Chute, 1940 (courtesy of Shoshone 

Irrigation District). 

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, 

completed Alkali Creek Chute 

looking downstream and showing 

county road bridge, date unknown 

(Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-303

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, looking upstream into completed Willwood 

Canal Chute, date unknown (courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation District). 

Camp BR-72: Shoshone Project, fuel and service truck with compartments, 

May 1, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-305

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-73 Camp Name Meridian (Kuna) 

State Idaho County Ada 

Location 14 miles south and west of Boise, Hubbard Reservoir 

Reclamation Project Boise Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 1, 1937 Date Terminated August 15, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The CCC assigned four camps to the Boise Project, including Camp Meridian, BR-73; the other three 

were Camps BR-24, BR-25, and BR-26. After 4 months under construction, Camp BR-73 was occupied 

on October 1, 1937, with the closing of Camp BR-26 and the transfer of its enrollees to the new camp. 

The relocated enrollees, members of Company No. 4785, also lived in relocated buildings; CCC forces 

moved structures from closed Camp BR-25 to Camp BR-73. 

During the camp’s first year, CCC enrollees leveled and graded operating roads on the New York Canal 

and constructed a new road at the foot of the New York Canal bank; placed concrete lining in the New 

York Canal; performed canal maintenance and riprapping; built a spillway bridge at the diversion dam; 

and established a camp nursery where locust and maple trees were grown and distributed to ranchers and 

others. Enrollees also improved the appearance of the campsite by planting trees, shrubs, and lawn areas. 

The camp received a glowing report in April 1938 from Reclamation’s CCC Administrative Inspector 

Homer Graham. He praised the cleanliness of the shop buildings and storehouses, the well-organized 

record-keeping, and the hard working and energetic Camp Superintendent, Ralph Sullivan. 

The fiscal year 1939 annual report on the camp’s activities presented a changed situation due to the 

arrival of Company No. 3279 on July 22, 1938. The young men from New York, New Jersey, and 

Delaware presented a challenge. Few had former CCC experience, and they lacked discipline, showed 

no respect to staff, and resisted going to work. The commanding officer did little to coordinate with 

Reclamation’s technical staff to improve matters. A change in camp commanders to Lieutenant 

Frank D. Smuin turned the situation around. By December 1938, the morale had improved greatly, and 

in June 1939, Homer Graham reported that the general morale was “exceptionally good.” The Army 

commander, Reclamation superintendent, and educational advisor worked together as a united team, and 

the enrollees’ attitude showed marked improvement. 

The young men continued to work hard to transform the dry and barren tract of land occupied by the 

camp into “an emerald green gem, lined with lava rock and dotted with locust trees” (“Memories of 

Company 3279, CCC Camp Meridian BR-73”). Enrollees also maintained a camp garden that thrived 

under their care and produced numerous types of vegetables. A camp “memories” album, dated 1940, 

stated, “Turnips grow so fast that in three weeks time from planting they are delighting the palates of the 

two hundred Eastern boys, men who are doing such a wonderful job of reclaiming the land of this desert. 

The boys are proud of cabbage that tips the scales at ten, twelve, or fifteen pounds per head.” In 1939, 

enrollees harvested almost 14 tons of cabbages and 5 tons of carrots that were stored in a root cellar for 

winter and spring use. Hogs and chickens raised at the camp also provided nourishing food. Mr. Graham 

attributed the good spirits and health of the enrollees in no small part to the garden. 

Over the next few years, work accomplishments included: lining waterways with concrete, relocating 

and reconstructing telephone lines, installing water control structures on the Mason Creek Canal, 

assisting the Boise Exchange Club to create a public picnic ground at Arrowrock Dam, constructing 
A-306

Camp BR-73, History/Activities (continued) 

cattle guards, building operating roads on the Rawson Canal and Mora Canal, developing 24 miles of footpaths at 

the foot of the New York Canal, riprapping canal banks, and performing weed eradication and animal control. 

Enrollees had an opportunity to improve their education through a variety of classes taught in the 

education building. It housed a large reading room, 300-book library, typing room, two classrooms, and 

a well-equipped woodworking shop. Classes included such varied offerings as reading and writing, 

spelling, math, social ethics, journalism, typing, photography, first aid, diesel engines, aeronautics, and 

woodworking. Classes were conducted regularly on a planned schedule, in the morning during the 

summer months and in the evening during the winter. Enrollees could also take correspondence courses 

offered by the Idaho Correspondence Division of the Works Progress Administration. 

The camp was closed on August 15, 1941. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

In a 1940 camp “memories” album, the location was described as follows: “BR-73 is located on . . . a 

desert plot, a barren tract, almost destitute of vegetation and moisture. With the esprit de corps that the 

CCC is known for, this barren ground was turned into an emerald green gem, lined with lava rock and 

dotted with locust trees which have grown as much as four feet this year.” 

Camp photographs taken in the summer of 1940 show rigid type wood barrack buildings arranged in a 

U-shape around a lawn area, with locust trees planted around the edges. Interior photographs show the 

dorms, kitchen, reading room, auto mechanic shop, infirmary, recreation hall, and supply rooms. 

Land for the camp was rented by the Boise Project Board of Control. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

The buildings and equipment at Camp BR-73 were transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on 

October 12, 1942. Final disposition of the camp is unknown. 

SOURCES 

Civilian Conservation Corps, Educational Department, “Memories of Company 3279, CCC Camp 

Meridian BR-73,” Summer 1940, Box 84, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 48, and 85, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 14, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-307

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, 

view of camp, summer 1940 

(Box 84, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, view of camp, summer 1940 (Box 84, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, 

office of Frank D. Smuin, 

company commander, summer 

1940 (Box 84, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-308

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, Reclamation office, summer 1940 (Box 84, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, company bakery, 

Raymond Bennett and Joseph Caballero, summer 

1940 (Box 84, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, food storeroom, 

summer 1940 (Box 84, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-309

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, John Kowalski, 

first aid attendant, in the infirmary, summer 1940 

(Box 84, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, reading room, educational building, 

summer 1940 (Box 84, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, 

recreation hall, summer 1940 

(Box 84, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-310

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, cattle guard being installed by CCC forces on 

Boise Project, 1939 (Box 39, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, truck signaling 

device perfected at Camp BR-73, 1939 (Box 39, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-311

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, enrollees riprapping slopes of Mora Canal, February 21, 

1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, picnic grounds at Arrowrock Dam being improved by 

CCC enrollees, 1939 (Box 39, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-312

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, plant for manufacturing concrete pipe 

operated by CCC, March 13, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-73: Boise Project, enrollees replacing old Ten Mile Flume with new 

concrete pipe siphon, March 13, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-313

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

 

Camp Number BR-74 Camp Name Yuma 

State Arizona County Yuma 

Location Off of U.S. Highway 80, T. 9 S., R. 23 W., sec. 10 

Reclamation Project Yuma Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established November 1937 Date Terminated June 30, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Yuma, BR-74, followed Camp BR-13 as the second of two CCC camps established on the Yuma 

Project. Camp BR-74 was first occupied from November 1937 to June 1938 by Company No. 847. 

Because of the intense summer heat, the CCC vacated the Yuma camps during the summer months for 

the first few years. Starting in fiscal year 1939, at least one of the two camps operated year-round. 

Camp BR-13 remained open throughout the year starting in 1939 and continuing through 1941. 

Camp BR-74 operated continuously from October 15, 1939, through June 30, 1941, when it closed for 

good. During that time, Company No. 3832 occupied the camp. 

The Yuma Project CCC enrollees from both camps contributed greatly to improving and upgrading the 

distribution system. Work crews mainly replaced worn-out old wood structures with concrete ones, 

but also added some new features at various locations. During the 1937 season, the CCC replaced 

73 wooden turnouts, 22 combination structures, 11 checks, 4 lateral turnouts, and 2 concrete pipe 

culverts. Among features completed in 1939 were a new check and wasteway on the West Canal at the 

21-mile point in the Valley Division. Enrollees also added two new checks that year in the East Main 

Canal for better water elevation regulation. During the 1940 season, the CCC replaced 252 wooden 

structures with reinforced concrete structures. The CCC structures can be identified by the “CCC” 

mark stamped in the concrete. By the time the camps closed, 855 water control structures had been 

constructed. 

Another major CCC work component consisted of lining canals and laterals with concrete. During 

preparation, pouring, and curing of in-place concrete lining, affected sections of canals and laterals had 

to be shut down. Since the Yuma climate permitted agricultural activity year round, these closures 

interfered with the need for continual water delivery. Any interruption of service to conduct 

maintenance activities created hardships for farmers. Consequently, enrollees installed lining in 

relatively short sections. This led Reclamation to explore more efficient ways to conduct canal repairs, 

notably the use of precast concrete slab linings. 

Reclamation constructed a precast concrete slab plant at the Reclamation headquarters in Yuma. Each 

4- by 6-foot slab weighed approximately 600 pounds. The canal being repaired was shut down only 

for laying the floor, which was done with poured-in-place concrete. Once the floor was laid, the canal 

could be used to irrigate fields during hours that crews weren’t installing slabs. This method 

considerably reduced the amount of time that a canal segment was out of service. The CCC conducted 

most of the canal lining between 1940 and 1942. 

Due to the heavy amounts of silt carried by irrigation water diverted from the Colorado River, huge 

piles of material removed from canals and laterals had been accumulating over a period of years. 
A-314

Camp BR-74, Camp History/Activities (continued)

CCC enrollees leveled considerable reaches of these unsightly embankments by using tractors 

equipped with bulldozer blades or pulling road graders. 

Another CCC effort involved eradicating weeds and gophers. In one year alone (1939), 21,965 

gophers were trapped on, or adjacent to, project canals and lateral right-of-ways. During the operation 

of the Yuma CCC camps, enrollees treated 21,532 acres for the control of rodents and other predatory 

animals. The CCC also eradicated weeds on 3,222 acres of Government right-of-way and treated 

3,552 acres for insect pest control. 

Additional work activities included landscaping, constructing at least 140 miles of telephone lines, 

improving operating roads along canals, and placing pipelines. In 1939, enrollees assisted in 

constructing a four-room house and garage on the Reclamation grounds in Yuma. After an earthquake 

shook the area in 1940, CCC enrollees helped repair damages. In 1941, crews spent time clearing 

brush and trees from the apron of Laguna Dam. Work was slow and difficult because of water 

constantly flowing over portions of the cleared area. 

Camp BR-74 was a 200-man camp. It closed for good at the end of June 1941, at which time half of 

the enrollees returned home, while the remainder transferred to Camp BR-13. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Buildings were of rigid frame construction and consisted of five barracks (two measuring 20 feet by 

136 feet and three measuring 20 feet by 106 feet), officers’ quarters (20 feet by 80 feet), a mess hall 

and kitchen (20 feet by 120 feet with a 40-foot by 56-foot wing), a headquarters building (20 feet by 

72 feet), an infirmary (20 feet by 32 feet), a technical services quarters (20 feet by 98 feet), a recreation 

hall (20 feet by 100 feet), a reading room (20 feet by 100 feet), a bath house (20 feet by 40 feet), a 

latrine (20 feet by 24 feet), a garage (30 feet by 40 feet), a repair shop (20 feet by 100 feet), and 

various smaller service/storage buildings. The only portable type building identified was a supply 

building (20 feet by 80 feet). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Camp BR-74 was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on August 11, 1942, to be used by 

the Air Force. Thereafter, four of the barracks at the south end of the camp were dismantled by the 

Army to provide plane clearance for a landing strip. In March 1944, the camp was still in use by the 

Army. Disposition thereafter is unknown. 
A-315

Camp BR-74 (continued) 

SOURCES

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 47, 48, and 163, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Historic Yuma Project, by Christine Pfaff, Rolla Queen, and David Clark, 

Denver, Colorado, 1992. 

Reclamation, Monthly Work Progress Reports, Box 14, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-316

 

Camp BR-74: Yuma Project, site plan of camp, revised June 13, 1941 (Box 163, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver).
A-317

Camp BR-74: Yuma 

Project, picnic, 

Gadsden Park, 

enrollees having a 

wheelbarrow race, 

September 4, 1939 

(Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

 

Camp BR-74: Yuma Project, picnic, Gadsden Park, picnic attendees getting in line to eat, September 4, 

1939 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-318

Camp BR-74: Yuma Project, check in Central Canal and Turnout to Cavanah Lateral, 

December 12, 1939 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR 74: Yuma Project, check in E. Main Canal at 16th Street, January 25, 1940 (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-319

Camp BR-74: Yuma Project, headquarters complex, concrete paved parkway, March 15, 1940 

(Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-74: Yuma Project, rock riprap placed by enrollees below Daniels 

Check in W. Main Canal, April 5, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

A-321

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

 

Camp Number BR-75, BR-76, and 

BR-77 

Camp Name Wickiup 

State Oregon County Deschutes 

Location Near La Pine, In Wickiup Reservoir Site 

Reclamation Project Deschutes Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established BR-75: Temporary 

camp, July 18, 1938 

BR-76: April 19, 1939 

BR-77: April 25, 1939 

Date Terminated BR-75: Temporary camp, 

October 15, 1938 

BR-76: August 25, 1941 

BR-77: July 15, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The CCC assigned six companies to the Deschutes Project, and they were split into two large camps: 

Camp Wickiup (BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77) and Camp Redmond (BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90). The 

Deschutes Project camps represented the largest unit of the entire CCC in the West, and the combined 

efforts of the two large camps comprised the most extensive single construction program accomplished 

by the CCC on any Reclamation project. The two 3-company camps were unique from other multiple 

camp setups in that they functioned under one camp commander, in direct charge of the camps’ 

administrative operations. 

Located in central Oregon, the Deschutes Project was authorized in the fall of 1937 to provide irrigation 

water for 50,000 acres of dry but fertile lands near Madras, on the east side of the Deschutes River. As 

originally conceived, the project included two major features: Wickiup Dam, on the Upper Deschutes 

River about 40 miles southwest of Bend, and the North Unit Main Canal, with a heading in the 

Deschutes River near Bend. The canal would extend 65 miles to deliver water to irrigable lands in the 

vicinity of Madras. The project’s authorization stipulated that out of a budget of $8 million, the 

equivalent of at least $2 million of contracted labor was to be supplied by the CCC under Reclamation’s 

supervision. In 1938, another component was added to the Deschutes Project—the reconstruction of 

unsafe Crane Prairie Dam. The CCC provided no assistance on this endeavor; it was completed under 

contract. 

Enrollees from Camp Wickiup were primarily engaged in the construction of Wickiup Dam and 

Reservoir. The rolled earthfill dam has a crest length of about 2.7 miles and forms a reservoir with a 

capacity of 200,000 acre-feet. At the outset, the 11,000 acre area was covered with a thick forest of 

ponderosa and lodgepole pine. After a local lumber company removed the commercial timber, the 

young men from Camp Wickiup had the daunting job of clearing, piling, and burning the remaining 

trees in the large reservoir expanse. 

On July 18, 1938, a temporary tent camp occupied by Company No. 596 was set up in the reservoir 

basin to begin the clearing. That fall, construction of the main camp started. The CCC director had 

authorized Camp Wickiup on the condition that it be built with Reclamation funds, and the camp, 

accordingly, was constructed by Reclamation forces. The plans of the buildings and the layout of the 

camp had to meet with Army approval. In order to expedite completion of the camp, Reclamation 

received permission to erect fixed buildings rather than the newer portable ones, which were in general 
A-322

Camps BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77, Camp History/Activities (continued)

use by then. Reclamation had to substantially modify outdated standard plans supplied by the Army for 

fixed type buildings in order to meet the needs of a three-company camp. A local contractor hauled the 

construction materials from Bend to the campsite, a distance of about 40 miles. In April 1939, the camp 

was finally ready for occupancy. Company No. 596, which had spent the winter months on canal 

construction near Camp Redmond, moved into permanent housing on a high promontory overlooking 

the Deschutes River. They were soon joined by other enrollees. Large enough to house three 

CCC companies, the camp’s normal capacity was 450 enrollees. 

The first season, CCC enrollees used only handtools in the physically demanding and slow-going work 

of clearing the Wickiup Reservoir site. At the end of 1938, the area of cut and piled lumber, including 

the permanent campsite, consisted of 70 acres. In the spring of 1939, the progress made by enrollees 

hastened with the addition of tractors, dump trucks, and bulldozers used during the winter months at 

Camp Redmond. The camp enrollees also benefited from the assistance of manpower from Camp 

Redmond. In April 1939, two of the three CCC companies assigned to Camp Redmond during the 

winter months were transferred to Camp Wickiup to help with the reservoir clearing. In May 1939, an 

additional 50 enrollees from the third Redmond company joined the Wickiup camp. 

The enrollees operated in two 8-hour shifts, 5 days a week. The first shift worked from 4 a.m. to noon, 

and the second from 12:30 to 8:30 p.m. Although original plans established a 3-year schedule to 

complete the work, it took only a short time to realize that the CCC forces, with the equipment on hand, 

couldn’t possibly move approximately 2-3/4 million yards of materials required for the construction of 

the dam and clear 11,000 acres of heavy timber within that time frame. Two years were added to the 

schedule. 

Reclamation planned for the dam to be built almost entirely with CCC labor; only the outlet works were 

to be completed under contract. In the spring of 1939, enrollees started by clearing the dam site, 

followed by stripping the foundation mainly of lightweight pumice, tree roots, and stumps. Other work 

on the dam initiated that year included stripping the borrow pit area, excavating the cutoff trench, and 

placing gravel excavated from the cutoff trench in the outer semi-pervious section of the dam. In 

September 1939, enrollees began placing impervious materials in the cutoff trench. All of this work 

was accomplished using tractor-drawn carryalls, bulldozers, draglines, dumpster trucks, and sheepsfoot 

rollers. Enrollees gained valuable training and experience in operating heavy construction equipment. 

In 1940, crews continued making headway on the tasks begun the previous year. By the summer of 

1941, the dam was about 20 percent complete. On August 25, 1941, Company No. 596, which had been 

occupying BR-76, left the project for a U.S. Forest Service camp. The entry of the United States into 

World War II brought more cutbacks and considerable delays. By the end of June 1942, only Company 

No. 3530 at Camp BR-77 remained on the project, and on July 15, the camp shut down. 

Although building Wickiup Dam was the main focus of Camp Wickiup, the CCC forces stationed there 

also provided firefighting assistance and undertook some of the work on the North Unit Main Canal. 
A-323

Camps BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Because of permission given by the Army to use fixed type rather than portable buildings at Camp 

Wickiup, Reclamation constructed a higher quality camp than at other locations. For the main 

buildings, Reclamation incorporated shingle roofs, fir flooring, wallboard insulation, and plywood 

interior finishing. 

The camp was described as a “village” complete with 34 buildings The large complex of buildings 

included six double unit barracks (136 feet by 20 feet) with wing connections for latrine and 

washrooms, three mess halls (126 feet by 20 feet) with kitchens, one Army supply room (20 feet by 

120 feet), one infirmary (20 feet by 80 feet), one gymnasium (58 feet by 100 feet), one school (230 feet 

by 20 feet), one technical services quarters building (20 feet by 160 feet), one Army office (20 feet by 

70 feet), one Army quarters (20 feet by 100 feet), one Reclamation office (20 feet by 30 feet), one 

woodworking shop (20 feet by 50 feet), one canteen and barber shop building (20 feet by 100 feet), one 

tool room (20 feet by 60 feet), one blacksmith shop (20 feet by 30 feet), one repair shop (36 feet by 

60 feet), two heating plants (10 feet by 12 feet), and 8 storage garages (24 feet by 60 feet). In addition 

to the usual array of facilities, the camp included a large auditorium with a seating capacity of 

approximately 500 people with room for a basketball court. All of these buildings were of frame 

construction with shingle roofs and pattern No. 106 siding. Several smaller frame buildings were 

covered with corrugated metal sheeting . 

With its beautiful setting above the Deschutes River, high-quality construction, complete range of 

facilities, and large capacity, the camp was described by Army officials in the May 1939 The 

Reclamation Era as “the one outstanding CCC camp of the West, if not of the entire Nation.” 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

In December 1942, a new workforce composed of Mennonite conscientious objectors arrived at Camp 

Wickiup to continue the work started by the CCC. Although opposed to the war, the conscientious 

objectors were willing to work on the dam, and productivity during 1943, both in building the 

embankment and in clearing the reservoir site, equaled or exceeded that of the CCC in earlier years. At 

the end of the year, however, the Mennonites were moved to other camps and replaced at Wickiup by a 

more general population of conscientious objectors who objected to construction work as well. Progress 

at Wickiup was generally limited to clearing the reservoir site from the beginning of 1944 until the war 

ended. The conscientious objectors’ camp closed in July 1946. From that point onward, Reclamation 

forces worked on the dam and completed the project in 1949. 

Disposition of the camp buildings following closure of the conscientious objectors’ camp is unknown. 
A-324

Camps BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77 (continued) 

SOURCES

C.C. Fisher, “CCC Aids in Construction of Deschutes Project,” The Reclamation Era 29 (May 1939), 

101-103, draft of article located at Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

C.C. Fisher, “Wickiup Reservoir, Plan and Conditions of Dam Foundation, Work Accomplished for 

Season of 1939 by CCC and Bureau Force Account,” draft article for The Reclamation Era, 

December 18, 1939, Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Portions of the narrative were excerpted from a report prepared for Reclamation entitled 

“Determinations of Eligibility for Seven Bureau of Reclamation Dams in the Pacific Northwest,” by 

Renewable Technologies, Inc., September 1989. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Deschutes Project, 1938-1943, Boxes 151 and 152, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 47, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 14, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

“Redmond-Wickiup CCC Units Plan Open House,” Bend Bulletin, March 26, 1941. 

Robert Autobee, “The Deschutes Project,” 1996, see Bureau of Reclamation Projects and Facilities 

Web site: http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Deschutes%20Project&pageType= 

ProjectHistoryPage. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-75, BR-76, and 

BR-77: Deschutes Project, 

temporary CCC tent camp 

at Wickiup Reservoir site, 

October 7, 1938 (Box 151, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-325

Camp BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77: Deschutes Project, view of camp office building, center, 

Technical Service Quarters, right, and educational building, left, December 9, 1938 (Box 151, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77: Deschutes Project, camp shops and storage garage, 1939 

(Box 151, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-326

Camp BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77: Deschutes Project, camp kitchen, 1939 (Box 151, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

 

Camp BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77: Deschutes Project, view of clearing in Wickiup Reservoir, looking 

downstream on Deschutes River from Camp Wickiup, February 29, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-327

Camp BR-75, 76, and 77: Deschutes Project, enrollees piling logs for burning in Wickiup Reservoir 

clearing, October 22, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-329

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-78 Camp Name Orland 

State California County Glenn 

Location 1⁄2 mile west of the town of Orland 

Reclamation Project Orland Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established June 30, 1938 Date Terminated November 30, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

On February 28, 1938, the CCC approved establishment of Camp Orland, BR-78, to help revitalize 

aging features of the Orland Project. One of the earliest Reclamation projects constructed in California, 

the Orland Project irrigates about 20,000 acres of land in the vicinity of Orland. The project comprises 

two main dams to store water, East Park and Stony Gorge; two diversion dams; almost 17 miles of 

canals; and 139 miles of laterals. 

The Army began construction of year-round Camp BR-78 on May 14, 1938, and by the end of June, it 

was nearly complete. CCC Company No. 1578, totaling about 200 men, occupied the camp after being 

transferred from Camp BR-20 (Tule Lake) at the end of June 1938. A large number of the camp’s 

original enrollees came from the mountains of Kentucky. According to an article in The Orland Unit, 

many of them had parents in prison as a result of violence in the “Bloody Harlan County” feuds (The 

Orland Unit, September 1938). Two years later, in June, Company No. 1578 was disbanded and 

replaced on July 10, 1940, by Company No. 5495. 

The CCC work program of Camp BR-78 had five major elements, all aimed at improving the 

distribution system of the Orland Project: repairing and enlarging earth laterals to carry more water, 

placing concrete lining on rebuilt laterals, constructing operating roads along canals and laterals, 

working on miscellaneous small water control structures, and eradicating weeds on 

Government property along canal and lateral banks. Repairing the laterals consisted mainly of restoring 

them to their original shape and raising the banks to a higher level to increase carrying capacity. In 

most cases, this involved hauling in an immense amount of gravel and silt from creek bottom lands to 

accomplish the desired results. Shortly after the camp opened, a gravel plant was established on Stony 

Creek, so that screened material could be stored above the high-water mark for winter use. The small 

structure work involved constructing 63 reinforced concrete water control structures on improved 

laterals and 1,261 linear feet of concrete pipe culverts. Other significant accomplishments of Camp 

BR-78 enrollees included increasing the height of a section of the South Diversion Dam by 12 inches 

and reconstructing 1.5 miles of the canal serving the north side of the project. 

When Stony Creek burst its banks on February 27, 1940, and the worst flood in 60 years threatened the 

town of Orland, “valiant work by Camp Orland boys saved the business section of Orland from damage 

which would have run into hundreds of thousands” (The Orland Register 1940). CCC crews filled sand 

bags and built a barrier to divert the high waters. The citizens of Orland honored the efforts of the CCC 

at a party held March 13, 1940, at the local Grange Hall. 

As at other camps, on-the-job and off-the-job training for enrollees received a great deal of attention. 

The variety of machine work and hand labor involved in the canal improvements provided the enrollees 
A-330

Camp BR-78, Camp History/Activities (continued)

with diversified practical training. Both field and classroom instruction were given in a variety of 

subjects including master mechanics, truck driving, and surveying. 

Since most of the original enrollees could neither read nor write, an ungraded school was established at 

the camp, where everything from first grade through eighth grade subject matter was taught. Orland 

High School offered both cultural and vocational adult education programs for more advanced students. 

Interestingly, the best attended classes were the cultural ones. 

As the technical service agency responsible for Camp BR-78, Reclamation maintained a force there 

consisting of a camp superintendent, four junior foremen, one subforeman, a mechanic, a blacksmith, 

and a junior clerk. The foremen each supervised a crew of enrollees. Assisting the foremen were 

enrollees designated as leaders and assistant leaders. 

The camp officially closed on November 30, 1941. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-78 was constructed on a 10-acre parcel owned by the water users who leased it to the Army. 

Upon completion at the end of June 1938, the camp contained “four large barracks buildings, an 

administrative building, barracks for the camp officers, one for the camp foreman and assistants, a mess 

hall and kitchen, dispensary, recreational building, educational building, sanitary building containing 

wash rooms and showers, and possibly one or two other structures. The buildings are all constructed on 

the panel plan, coming in sections and erected on the grounds in remarkably short time” (The Orland 

Unit, June 1938). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On October 26, 1942, Camp BR-78 was transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Salt Lake 

City, Utah. 

SOURCES

“150 Recruits Will Arrive Thursday at CCC Camp,” The Orland Unit, June 27, 1938, Box 128, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

D.L. Carmody, “CCC Accomplishments on the Orland Project,” draft article, June 9, 1939, Box 36, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

“Orland Sets New Pattern in Education at CCC Camp,” The Orland Unit, September 1, 1938, Box 128, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 
A-331

Camp BR-78, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 48, 128, and 129, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

“Worst Flood in Sixty Years Threatens Entire Town,” The Orland Register, February 29, 1940, 

Box 128, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, camp area after ground leveling, date 

unknown (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, surveying class, date unknown (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-332

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, Mr. Earl 

Asdell, Reclamation general foreman, 

instructing surveying class, date 

unknown (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, 

driving courtesy class. 

Demonstrating proper right-ofway, November 1940 (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, method of tying down tarps 

used as covers on stake trucks, date unknown (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-333

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, CCC booth, September 18, 1940 (Box 35, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, completed check and section of completed canal on 

Lateral 100, date unknown (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

 
A-334

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, concrete lining operations 

on Lateral 232, date unknown (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, concrete lining operations 

on Lateral 232, date unknown (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-335

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, 

enrollees constructing concrete 

form work, date unknown (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, 

concrete lining operations on 

Lateral 50, date unknown 

(Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 
A-336

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, camp “stamp” on section of 

completed canal, date unknown (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-78: Orland Project, enrollees constructing concrete form work, date unknown 

(Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-337

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-79 Camp Name Alcova 

State Wyoming County Natrona 

Location 1⁄2 mile southeast of Alcova Dam 

T. 30 N., R. 82 W., sec. 19, SW1/4NE1/4SW1/4 

Reclamation Project Kendrick Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established October 22, 1938 Date Terminated September 4, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Alcova, BR-79, was the only CCC camp established on the Kendrick Project, an irrigation and 

electric power generation project authorized in 1935. Major features of the project are Seminoe Dam and 

Powerplant, Alcova Dam and Powerplant, the Casper Canal and laterals, and drainage and power 

distribution systems. 

The camp was officially occupied on October 22, 1938, by 200 New England enrollees belonging to 

Company No. 2136, who arrived from previous quarters in Walden, Colorado. Their first task was to 

finish clearing about ten percent of the reservoir site at the nearly completed Alcova Dam. Constructed by 

Reclamation between 1935 and 1938, the dam is located on the North Platte River and diverts water into 

the Casper Canal for irrigation of lands in the Kendrick Project. 

Camp BR-79 crews constructed about 7.5 miles of roads in the vicinity of Alcova Dam. This included a 

dam service road and a 4.5-mile-long shoreline drive paralleling Alcova Reservoir. The new scenic drive 

provided access to cabin and dock sites on the north shore of the reservoir. As a result of this work 

activity, enrollees became skilled in operating tractors, trucks, drills, jackhammers, portable compressors, 

scrapers, and other construction equipment. Enrollees also built stone walls, cleared a large area in 

preparation for future recreational development, and assisted in forest fire suppression. 

In camp, the young men learned how to cook, serve food, wash dishes, administer first aid, and conduct 

housekeeping. Some enrollees received training in office work, while others learned practical mechanics 

in the machine shop. In the evenings, CCC enrollees participated in various educational classes. 

Photography, mining, welding, and leadership training were particularly popular. Four civilian 

supervisors, a superintendent, and three junior foremen provided all on-the-job instruction and related 

classes taught in the evening. A mechanic and powderman were employed as facilitating personnel. 

During off-work hours, enrollees participated in various recreational activities. At camp, the youths could 

relax in the recreation hall or reading room. Outings offered opportunities to venture further afield. 

Reclamation’s fiscal year 1940 CCC report praised the good morale of the company: “the enrollees seem 

happy and contented in serving their camp and perform their duties without complaint.” No doubt, this 

could partially be attributed to the fact that the Army provided enrollees with plenty of nourishing food 

and ample clothing. Each young man received six pairs of socks, two sets of underwear, one overseas 

cap, one olive windbreaker, one overcoat, two pairs of shoes, one raincoat, one sleeveless “jerk-on 

jacket,” one pair of mittens, one pair of gloves, three olive shirts, a complete set of toilet articles, ties, and 

handkerchiefs. 
A-338

Camp BR-79, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

By the beginning of July 1941, work activities of Camp BR-79 were winding down. The final group of 

enrollees, members of Company No. 4810, ceased fieldwork on September 4, and that same day the camp 

closed. Personnel, equipment, and some of the camp buildings were transferred that year to Camp BR-51

on the Riverton Project. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-79 was constructed on private land leased by Reclamation. The camp buildings were standard 

in number and size for a 200-man camp and were of the portable type. Building parts weighing 882,332 

pounds were shipped to the site. Five carloads arrived from Anniston, Alabama, and 19 carloads from 

Viva, Texas. After arrival of the materials, the Army cleared and leveled the site and otherwise completed 

the camp in 30 days. The Army dug a well near the river to supply a reliable source of drinking water and 

eventually added a number of buildings to the site. These included several buildings moved in from CCC 

Camp SP-7-W in Casper and a new five-stall garage and maintenance shop, all added in fiscal year 1940. 

At the time of its closure, the camp included four large barracks (20 feet by 120 feet), one smaller barrack 

(20 feet by 60 feet), one small mess hall (20 feet by 50 feet), a large mess hall with extension (20 feet by 

120 feet), a recreation hall (20 feet by 100 feet), headquarters building (20 feet by 90 feet), infirmary 

(20 feet by 30 feet), officers’ quarters (20 feet by 40 feet), tool house (20 feet by 30 feet), blacksmith shop 

(20 feet by 30 feet), maintenance shop (30 feet by 31 feet), education building (20 feet by 130 feet), bath 

and latrine (20 feet by 40 feet and 10 feet by 25 feet), technical quarters (20 feet by 80 feet), four garages 

(24 feet by 60 feet), a pump house, an oil house, and a steel water tower. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Upon closure of the camp, numerous buildings were moved for reuse at Camp BR-51 in Fremont County, 

Wyoming. Reclamation received buildings not worth salvaging for parts. By August 1944, only a few 

buildings, all in poor condition, remained at the camp. At that time, the War Department requested the 

release of three of the buildings. Final disposition of the remaining ones is unknown. 

A powder magazine still standing near Alcova Reservoir in T. 30 N., R. 83 W., S 27 (SW1/4 NW1/4 

NW1/4 NE1/4) appears to have been constructed by the CCC. 

SOURCES

“Civilian Conservation Corps at Alcova Reservoir, Kendrick Project-Wyoming” The Reclamation Era 29 

(May 1939), 100-101, draft of article dated March 14, 1939, at Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, “Fiscal Year 1940 Annual Report, BR-79,” Box 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 11, 12, 13, 47, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 
A-339

Camp BR-79, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, Monthly Work Progress Reports, Box 14, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, 

CCC camp, February 1939 

(Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, exhibit in Casper store window prepared for CCC 

Appreciation Week, May 10, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-340

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, exhibit in Casper store window prepared for 

CCC Appreciation Week, May 10, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, interior of infirmary, January 29, 1940 (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-341

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, kitchen of Company No. 2136, January 29, 1940 

(Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, mess hall set for evening meal, Company No. 2136, 

January 29, 1940. (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-342

Camp BR-79: 

Kendrick Project, 

reading room of 

Company 2136, 

January 29, 1940 

(Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, headquarters of Company No. 2136, January 29, 

1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-343

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, placing 60-inch precast concrete pipe, February 

1939 (Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, skidding 60-inch precast concrete pipe into place, 

Alcova Reservoir scenic drive, February 1939 (Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-344

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, Alcova Reservoir Shoreline Drive, blast 

at station 83, December 15, 1939 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, Alcova Reservoir Shoreline Drive, view from 

station 146 to 153, December 15, 1939 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-345

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, enrollees drilling for blasting at station 78, 

February 28, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-79: Kendrick Project, Alcova Reservoir Shoreline Drive, stations 142 to 139, 

March 30, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-347

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-80 Camp Name Augusta 

State Montana County Lewis and Clark 

Location Sun River, circa 5 miles northeast of Augusta on State Highway No. 33 

Reclamation Project Sun River Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established September 1938 Date Terminated November 30, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The CCC established two CCC camps on the Sun River Project: Camp Augusta, BR-80, and its 

predecessor, Camp BR-33. Construction of Camp BR-80 began in July 1938, with the arrival of 

truckloads of materials and 50 men. By the end of September, with the year-round camp nearly 

completed, CCC enrollees vacated Camp BR-33 to occupy the new camp. The CCC also transferred 

two buildings from Camp BR-33 to Camp BR-80, where they were used as a storehouse and repair 

shop. 

The young men of BR-80 continued rehabilitation of the Sun River Project, initiated by men from 

Camp BR-33. By the end of 1940, enrollees had almost finished the 7.5-mile-long Willow Creek 

Feeder Canal, except for some odds and ends. Enrollees had also installed a concrete and steel 

headgate at the head of the Willow Creek Feeder Canal and two timber bridges with concrete piers on 

the same canal. On the Fort Shaw Canal, work crews riprapped the banks and built a new stretch of 

operating road. On the Elbow Coulee Wasteway, enrollees completed the last of the heavy rock 

masonry water control structures started by Camp BR-33. CCC men also relocated a 20-foot by 

80-foot frame building and a 16-foot by 32-foot building from Camp BR-33 for use as a repair shop 

and storehouse at BR-80. Other CCC activities included riprapping below structures on the Pishkun, 

Sun River Slope, and Spring Valley Canals; leveling spoil banks on Greenfields Main, Flowerree 

Feeder, and Mill Coulee Canals; and building operating roads. 

In the camp’s final year of operation, a decrease in the number of enrollees meant less work could be 

done, although accomplishments were still impressive. The remaining young men improved the 

Willow Creek Feeder Canal with the installation of a large weir, three gauging station slabs, and three 

silting flumes to facilitate the determination and elimination of excessive seepage loss. Enrollees also 

performed considerable work on the Fort Shaw Division. The latter improvements included the 

replacement of a metal flume at the Lateral C crossing of Adobe Creek, riprapping canal banks, 

eradicating weeds, lining the main canal with gravel, and building about 6 miles of a roadway for use 

by ditchriders. Lastly, enrollees constructed concrete and timber cattle guards on the Sun River Slope 

Canal ditchriders’ road. 

The camp was discontinued on November 30, 1941. 
A-348

Camp BR-80 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings) 

The Teton Land Company owned the property occupied by Camp BR-80. The following partial list of 

the camp’s buildings is included in the November 29, 1941, lease agreement with the U.S. Forest 

Service: two barracks (130 feet by 20 feet), washroom and latrine (40 feet by 20 feet), mess hall “A” 

(120 feet by 20 feet), mess hall “B” (40 feet by 20 feet), water tower, cement shed (20 feet by 20 feet), 

army garage (60 feet by 24 feet), pump house (11 feet by 11 feet), and Army gas house (12 feet by 

10 feet). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On November 29, 1941, Reclamation issued the U.S. Forest Service a temporary license to occupy 

BR-80 until June 30, 1942. The buildings of CCC Camp BR-80 were turned over to the Army on 

September 22, 1942, for “immediate urgent military use by the Ninth Service Command.” The 1943 

Annual project history for the Sun River Project noted that three rigidly constructed buildings 

remained at the camp, and efforts were being made to move them elsewhere on the project for use as 

community buildings. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories and Operation and Maintenance Reports, Sun River Project, 

1938 through 1941, 1943, Box 190, RG 115, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, National Archives, 

Denver. 

Reclamation, Historic Cultural Resources of the Sun River Project, by Rolla Queen, 1990. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 47, 48, and 150, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-349

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-81 Camp Name Vallecito 

State Colorado County La Plata 

Location Near Vallecito Dam 

Reclamation Project Pine River Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established August 12, 1939 Date Terminated November 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Vallecito, BR-81, was established on the Pine River Project, in southwest Colorado, to assist in 

the construction of the project’s only features, Vallecito Dam and Reservoir. Reclamation built the 

earthfill dam on the Pine River to provide supplemental water to about 64,000 acres of project lands 

and Southern Ute lands. President Roosevelt authorized the Pine River Project on June 17, 1937, and 

the dam was constructed under contract between May 1938 and late 1941. 

Because Camp BR-81 was located in an isolated valley at an elevation of 7500 feet and subject to 

severe winter weather conditions, the CCC occupied the camp only during summer and fall months 

(August 12, 1939, to October 15, 1939; July 1, 1940, to October 31, 1940; and May 17, 1941, to 

October 29, 1941). On May 15, 1939, an advance group of 65 enrollees from Camp BR-8 at Elephant 

Butte Reservoir in New Mexico arrived at the site to begin construction of the camp. In August, the 

rest of Company No. 3832 from Camp BR-8 occupied the camp and started project work. The 

enrollees transferred south in October 1939 to occupy Camp BR-74 in Yuma, Arizona. In the summer 

of 1940, members of Company No. 3893 from Camp BR-59 in Grand Junction occupied Camp BR-81. 

The same company returned in the final summer of the camp’s operation. 

Accomplishments of Camp BR-81 consisted of clearing the 647-acre Vallecito Reservoir site, 

constructing 1.1 miles of operating roads, and landscaping the Government camp. The CCC work 

program was under the direct supervision of C.A. Burns, construction engineer, with the Bureau of 

Reclamation. Morale at the camp remained good throughout its existence. 

The camp was vacated early in November 1941, and the enrollees transferred to Camp BR-94 in 

Mancos, Colorado. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-81 was apparently constructed on land belonging to Peter Scott of Bayfield, Colorado, and 

leased to the Army. Camp buildings included a mess hall and kitchen (20 feet by 160 feet), 2 

headquarters buildings (20 feet by 70 feet and 20 feet by 50 feet), a recreation hall (20 feet by 

100 feet), infirmary (20 feet by 80 feet), bath house (20 feet by 80 feet), latrine (10 feet by 25 feet), 

pump house (10 feet by 10 feet), oil house (10 feet by 25 feet), and 37 pyramid tents, 5 wall tents, and 

3 hospital tents. The camp accommodated 200 men. 
A-350

Camp BR-81 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On August 20, 1942, the camp buildings and equipment were transferred to the War Department 

(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri). In February or March 1943, the U.S. Army 

Air Force at Pueblo, Colorado, dismantled all of the CCC buildings and shipped them to an unknown 

destination. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, Annual Project History, Yuma Project, 1939, Box 364, Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 34, 47, 48, 99, and 132, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-81: Pine River Project, car damaged in accident at Camp BR-81 with tents in 

background, May 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-351

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-83 Camp Name Veteran 

State Wyoming County Goshen 

Location Veteran, T. 23 N., R. 63 W., sec. 13, Lot 50 (SW1/4 NW1/4) 

Reclamation Project North Platte Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established August 8, 1938 Date Terminated November 1, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Veteran, BR-83, was one of six camps established on the North Platte Project (Camps BR-1, 

BR-9, BR-10, BR-53, and BR-61 comprised the others). Company No. 844, which occupied BR-83, 

transferred from Camp BR-9, at Lake Guernsey, when that camp closed on August 7, 1938. The 

normal capacity of Camp BR-83 was 200 men. 

The primary task assigned to the enrollees consisted of placing rock riprap on eroded sections of the 

Fort Laramie Canal. Upon arrival at the camp, the young men were unable to start this work right 

away due to water in the canal and incomplete construction of the camp. On October 1, 1938, the 

enrollees finally embarked on the project work assigned to them. During the life of the camp, crews 

undertook a variety of other tasks. They lined canals with concrete, installed auto gates and placed and 

graded gravel on operating roads, and planted trees. In fiscal year 1940, 136 man-days were spent by 

Camp BR-83 on emergency work, which involved the search for two drowned men, one in the Fort 

Laramie Canal, the other at Lake Guernsey. Enrollees also tried to locate the missing city marshall at 

Guernsey. At camp, enrollees maintained a 2-acre garden plot as an “on-the-job” training project and 

provided vegetables for the camp mess. 

A side camp of Camp BR-83 operated at Lake Guernsey for several months during fiscal years 1939 

and 1940. The crew continued work started by Camp BR-9, which consisted of construction of park 

roads, a group picnic shelter, a combination fireplace and stove, and other recreational facilities. The 

enrollees also cut down dead and insect infested trees around the lake. 

In the summer of 1941, rumors circulating about the possible closure of Camp BR-83 prompted the 

Goshen Irrigation District to urge Commissioner Page to support continuation of the camp. By then, 

the work of the CCC had been of great benefit to both the Goshen Irrigation District and the GeringFort Laramie Irrigation District. Camp BR-83 had riprapped 23.8 miles of canal, graveled 12 miles of 

operating road on the Fort Laramie Canal, built 25 miles of operating road for ditchrider use on lateral 

banks, paved 13,550 feet of small laterals, and installed 70 auto gates on operating roads to replace 

wire gates that had to be opened and closed daily by the ditchriders. In his July 11, 1941, letter to 

Commissioner Page, Goshen Irrigation District President D.J. Courtney wrote, “Camp BR-83 at 

Veteran has been a very efficient camp for the past three years and has done a large amount of 

good permanent work for the district. . . It is our hope that we may have the services of Camp BR-83 

for years to come” (Courtney 1941). 

Despite pleas to maintain Camp BR-83, it was among the four CCC camps (and only remaining ones) 

allocated to the North Platte Project that closed in fiscal year 1942. The reduction in the number of 

camps resulted from the drastic curtailment in the number of new enrollees as young men found jobs in 
A-352

Camp BR-83, Camp History/Activities (continued)

the defense industry. In a letter to Wyoming Senator Harry Schwartz, Acting Commissioner 

H.W. Bashore expressed his hopes of reopening the camps: “All of the camps on reclamation projects 

being closed in Wyoming are being held in place with the expectation that when the present emergency 

has passed and the CCC again expands, we may be able to return to the old locations and resume the 

work programs now being so abruptly terminated” (Bashore 1941). 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

A list of building types and uses has not been found for this camp. Photographs show typical 

CCC wooden, rectangular-plan, barrack type buildings arranged around a center lawn. The Army 

salvaged two buildings from Camp BR-9 use at Camp BR-83. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

In August 1942, the director of the CCC approved immediate release of Camp BR-83 to the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, Missouri River Division, in Omaha, Nebraska. In September 1942, the camp was 

transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Peck. The camp remained intact and was put 

to use as a prisoner of war facility. German and Italian prisoners incarcerated at the camp assisted 

local farmers in harvesting crops. Due to the shortage of available local labor, the work performed by 

the prisoners helped out a great deal. By early November 1943, records showed that they had 

harvested 180,000 bushels of potatoes and had picked beans and baled hay. The prisoners also topped 

500 tons of sugar beets daily in preparation for processing. Rumors that the Army planned to 

dismantle the camp raised concern among members of the Goshen Irrigation District. In a letter dated 

November 18, 1943, Reclamation Commissioner H.W. Bashore reassured the district that the Army 

had no plans at the time to shut down the camp (Bashore 1943). The date of closure is unknown. 

In 1989, the site was evaluated as ineligible to the National Register of Historic Places, and 

subsequently transferred out of Federal ownership. 

SOURCES

Letter from Acting Commissioner H.W. Bashore to Senator Harry Schwartz, October 22, 1941, 

Box 148, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Letter from Commissioner H.W. Bashore to Floyd M. Roush, superintendent of the Goshen Irrigation 

District, November 18, 1943, Box 124, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Letter from D.J. Courtney to Commissioner John Page, July 11, 1941, Box 125, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Letter from John Lawson, Reclamation Area Manager, Wyoming Area Office, Mills, Wyoming, 

December 10, 1999, on file at Denver office, Bureau of Reclamation. 
A-353

Camp BR-83, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, North Platte Project, 1938 through 1941, Boxes 402 and 403, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 48, 124, and 125, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-83: North Platte Project, 

flood irrigating camp area for lawn, 

May 31, 1939 (Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-83: North Platte Project, part of camp area, May 31, 1939 (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-354

Camp BR-83: North Platte 

Project, Army office showing 

trees and shrubs, May 31, 

1939 (Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-83: North Platte Project, irrigation lateral and green 

ash trees at camp (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-83: North Platte 

Project, Float Entered in Labor 

Day Parade, September 4, 

1939. (Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-355

Camp BR-83: North Platte Project, cattle guard nearing completion, 

September 4, 1939 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-83: North Platte 

Project, concrete lining 

project. Semi-completed 

section of Bloedorn Lateral, 

off East Springer Lateral, 

October 8, 1940 (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-83: North Platte 

Project, concrete lining: 

backfilling and placing 

forms on section of Gantz 

Lateral, off Springer Main 

Lateral, September 24, 

1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-356

 

Camp BR-83: North 

Platte Project, concrete 

lining: completed section 

of Gantz Lateral, off 

Springer Main Lateral, 

November 4, 1940 

(Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-83: North Platte Project, “experimental plots”—part of pumpkin crop being stored in root 

cellar, October 8, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-357

Camp BR-83: North Platte Project, “experimental plots”—harvesting carrots, October 17, 

1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-83: North Platte Project, experimental plot vegetables stored in root cellar, 

October 30, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, File 1, Photo No. 159). 

A-359

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-84 and BR-85 Camp Name Redding 

State California County Shasta 

Location 1⁄2 mile north of Baird, vicinity of Shasta Reservoir 

Reclamation 

Project 

Central Valley Army Corps 

Area 

9 

Date Established BR-84: October 15, 1938 

BR-85: November 1938 

Date Terminated June 30, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Redding, BR-84 and BR-85, was located on the McCloud River, about 1⁄2 mile north of Baird 

and 17 miles north of Redding, at the site of an abandoned U.S. fish hatchery. The two adjacent camps 

occupied a bench at elevation 840 on the right bank of the river. Tall pines and large oak trees 

provided an abundance of shade and protection from sun and wind. 

The Army began camp construction on August 16, 1938, with the assembly of portable buildings that 

had been transferred from other CCC camps. On October 15, 1938, Company No. 1229 arrived to 

occupy an unfinished Camp BR-84. The camp was completed on November 10, just a few days before 

Company No. 1295 inhabited Camp BR-85. 

Both camps were assigned to the Kennett Division of the Central Valley Project. Their primary 

mission consisted of clearing the site of the large reservoir to be created behind Shasta Dam and 

landscaping the Reclamation camp known as Toyon, located 2-1/4 miles southeast of the dam site. On 

November 21, 1938, the first crew of CCC enrollees started the arduous job of clearing the reservoir 

area, made more difficult by the remote and rugged terrain. As new enrollees arrived, they joined the 

clearing operations. Normally, 10 crews, ranging in size from 20 to 25 enrollees, each under the 

supervision of a foreman, were engaged in the job. The principal vegetation to be removed consisted 

of pine and oak trees and manzanita brush. Until June 1939, enrollees performed the work entirely by 

hand. They felled timber and brush, trimmed the timber of its limbs, and cut the timber into lengths 

short and light enough to be carried by a crew of four to six men. The logs were placed in piles in 

preparation for burning. In June 1939, CCC men began using tractors with dozer blades, and progress 

greatly improved. During the camps’ existence, enrollees cleared 2,597 acres in the reservoir site and 

placed 800 square yards of rock riprap to stabilize the riverbanks. 

The Government camp at Toyon occupied about 45 acres and contained 100 homes, along with various 

other buildings. A 2.5-acre parcel was set aside for a park and recreation center. Work accomplished 

by the CCC included grading, constructing sidewalks, seeding lawns, planting trees and shrubs, 

developing the park area, and erecting fences. Enrollees planted a total of 2,710 trees and constructed 

14,543 linear feet of walks. The improvements greatly enhanced the quickly erected Reclamation 

community. The camps’ fiscal year 1939 annual report praised the work of the enrollees: “At the 

Bureau camp, under the direction of chief landscape gardener, an outstanding piece of work has been 

accomplished in the construction of walks and driveways, and in landscaping at office, dormitories and 

residences” (Reclamation 1939). 

Another very time-consuming endeavor undertaken by a detail of 25 enrollees consisted of cutting, 

hauling, and delivering firewood for use at both camps. Ninety-nine wood-burning stoves heated the 
A-360

Camps BR-84 and BR-85, Camp History/Activities (continued)

 

camps’ buildings and kitchen ranges. Since the latter were designed for coal, the wood had to be split 

into kindling-size pieces, requiring even more work. Other miscellaneous CCC activities included 

laying pipeline and constructing or maintaining about 60 miles of access roads used to reach various 

parts of the reservoir site. 

The camps were under the administration of Captain Thomas D.L. Cronan of the U.S. Army, and 

Ralph Lowry, Reclamation engineer, supervised the CCC work. Both camps closed on June 30, 1941. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camps BR-84 and BR-85 were constructed on Reclamation land and included a combination of 

portable and fixed type buildings. The combined number of portable buildings included 8 barracks 

(130 feet by 20 feet), 2 mess halls (120 feet by 20 feet with 50-foot by 20-foot wings), 2 army offices 

(30 feet by 20 feet and 40 feet by 20 feet), a technical services office (20 feet by 20 feet), various 

technical services living quarters, 2 wash houses/latrines (40 feet by 20 feet with 25-foot by 10-foot 

wings), a garage (180 feet by 24 feet), a garage/repair shop (145 feet by 24 feet), 2 oil houses (25 feet 

by 10 feet and 20 feet by 10 feet), a tool house (45 feet by 20 feet), a blacksmith shop (25 feet by 

20 feet), 2 school rooms (120 feet by 20 feet), 2 supply rooms (55 feet by 22 feet), 2 welfare buildings 

(100 feet by 20 feet), an infirmary (60 feet by 20 feet), and a bake shop (30 feet by 10 feet). A number 

of smaller fixed buildings included a laundry, two pump houses, a cable shop, a saw room, and two 

coolers. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On August 5, 1941, the CCC granted clearance to salvage the fixed structures and dismantle the 

portable buildings for CCC use elsewhere. 

SOURCES

“CCC Activities on the Kennett Division, Central Valley Project,” The Reclamation Era 29 

(April 1939), 85-86. 

Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy, 2009, http://www.ccclegacy.org, accessed January 2009. 

Melvin Martin, “CCC Clearing Operations in Shasta Reservoir,” The Reclamation Era 31 (May 1941), 

144-146. 
A-361

Camps BR-84 and BR-85, Sources (continued) 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 35, 47, 48, and 85, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, “Annual Narrative Report, Fiscal Year 1939, CCC Camps BR-84 and BR-85,” 1939, 

Box 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camps BR-84 and BR-85: Central Valley Project, Kennett Division, clearing trees at Shasta Dam site. 

Logs and brush piled for burning, February 1939 (Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-362

Camps BR-84 and BR-85: Central Valley 

Project, Kennett Division, Tree Removal at 

Shasta Dam Site, February 1939 (Box 36, 

Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camps BR-84 and BR-85: CCC landscaping at Toyon Government Camp, 

1939 (Reclamation, Northern California Area Office). 
A-363

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-86 Camp Name Zillah 

State Washington County Yakima 

Location Zillah 

Reclamation Project Yakima Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established November 9, 1939 Date Terminated June 24, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Zillah, BR-86, was the last of six CCC camps established on Reclamation’s Yakima Project 

(Camps BR-49, BR-50, BR-58, BR-66, and BR-67 comprised the others). The Army began 

construction of the camp in September 1939, and 200 enrollees and officers arrived on November 9. 

That same day an editorial in the Zillah Mirror welcomed the young men. “We know that people of 

Zillah will do all in their power to make the boys feel at home and among friends. . .We expect the 

same sort of personal behavior from the enrollees that has characterized their camps elsewhere — 

good, clean, wholesome youngsters. To them we extend a hearty welcome; may their stay here be a 

pleasant remembrance in after years. . .” (The Zillah Mirror 1939). 

The proposed work plan divided activities between improvements to the Roza Division and the 

Sunnyside Division, where members of Camp BR-58 were already stationed. Among the first tasks 

undertaken by Camp BR-86 enrollees were the replacement of a 46-inch wood stave discharge pipe on 

the Outlook Irrigation District and the modification of Drop No. 4 on the Sunnyside Main Canal. In 

1940, the camp continued with improvements to irrigation structures; late that year, work crews began 

the modification of Drop No. 6 on the Sunnyside Main Canal. On May 3, 1940, a stone gateway to the 

camp, built by the enrollees, was dedicated in memory of Robert Fechner, the deceased former director 

of the CCC. 

Company No. 1297, stationed at Camp BR-86, left the camp for the summer of 1940 to occupy Camp 

BR-50. The enrollees returned on October 27, 1940, and remained at Camp BR-86 until it closed on 

June 24, 1941. During the last year of the camp’s existence, enrollees completed the modification of 

Drop No. 6 on the Sunnyside Main Canal, applied gravel riprap on the main canal banks, and improved 

8.5 miles of operating roads. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-86 was constructed on land belonging to the Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District, and 

included a combination of portable and fixed type buildings. Portable buildings included an 

administration building (20 feet by 60 feet); five barracks (20 feet by 120 feet); mess hall with attached 

kitchen (20 feet by 110 feet with 20-foot by 50-foot addition); dispensary (20 feet by 40 feet); officers 

quarters (20 feet by 40 feet); technical service quarters (20 feet by 80 feet); washroom/shower (20 feet 

by 40 feet); latrine (10 feet by 25 feet); recreational building (20 feet by 100 feet); educational building 

(20 feet by 130 feet); refrigerator (10 feet by 10 feet); oil house (10 feet by 25 feet); pump house 

(10 feet by 10 feet); blacksmith shop (20 feet by 20 feet); technical service headquarters (20 feet by 

80 feet); four garages (24 feet by 60 feet); and a maintenance shop (30 feet by 30 feet). Fixed 

structures included a heater house (8 feet by 8 feet), a 50-foot-high tank tower, a root cellar (7 feet by 

12 feet), and a laundry (20 feet, 5 inches by 40 feet, 5 inches). 
A-364

Camp BR-86 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On June 5, 1942, custody of camp buildings and accessories at vacated Camp BR-86 was turned over 

to the District Quartermaster of the Vancouver Barracks in Vancouver, Washington; thereafter, the 

Public Roads Administration acquired the property for dismantling and reuse on the Alaska Highway. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 48, 157, and 160, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

“Welcome to C.C.C.,” The Zillah Mirror, November 9, 1939. 

“Yakima Will Get Third CCC Camp,” Yakima Daily Republic, August 11, 1939. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-86: Yakima Project, entrance to camp. Just inside is the monument dedicated on May 3, 

1940, to the memory of Robert Fechner, deceased CCC director, May 9, 1940 (Reclamation, 

Columbia-Cascades Area Office). 
A-365

Camp BR-86: Yakima Project, 

replacement of 46-inch wood 

stave discharge pipe - Outlook 

Irrigation District. Shaping trench 

preparatory to laying new pipe, 

showing original pedestals on 

which new line will be erected, 

November 1939 (Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, File 1, Photo No. 5). 

Camp BR-86: Yakima Project, 

replacement of 46-inch wood 

stave discharge pipe - Outlook 

Irrigation District. Dismantling 

preparatory to reconstruction, 

November 1939 (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 
A-366

Camp BR-86: Yakima Project, Snipes 

Mountain Canal lining, placing 

concrete at about station 165+00, 

looking northwest from East Canal 

bank, March 22, 1940 (Box 21, 

8NS-115-95-112, RG115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-86: Yakima Project, modification of Drop 6, Sunnyside Main Canal, mile 10.16, 

date unknown (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-367

Camp BR-86: Yakima Project, modification of Drop 6, Sunnyside Main Canal, 

mile 10.16. Downstream view of completed structure, March 5, 1941 (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-86: Yakima Project, current view of Drop 6, Sunnyside Main Canal, 

2009 (photo by Kelsey Doncaster, Bureau of Reclamation).
A-368

Camp BR-86: Yakima 

Project, CCC inscription 

in west abutment, 

Drop 6, Sunnyside Main 

Canal, 2009 (photo by 

Kelsey Doncaster, 

Bureau of Reclamation). 

Camp BR-86: Yakima Project, concrete lining at Main Lateral, 

Granger Irrigation District, March 26, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-369

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-87 Camp Name Cody 

State Wyoming County Park 

Location Corbett 

Reclamation Project Shoshone Army Corps Area 8 

Date Established April 12, 1939 Date Terminated November 1, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Cody, BR-87, was the last of three CCC camps established on the Shoshone Project; the others 

included Camps BR-7 and BR-72. Construction of Camp BR-87 began in the summer of 1938, with 

the assistance of enrollees from Camps BR-7 and BR-72; however, the camp was not occupied until 

April 12, 1939. Enrollees scheduled to arrive in 1938 were retained in the East to help repair damages 

in the aftermath of a severe storm. 

Camp BR-87 enrollees worked on the Heart Mountain Division. Among the items they accomplished 

were installation of riprap above and below siphons and drain inlets on the Heart Mountain Canal; 

construction of operating roads, bridges, culverts, weirs, and turnouts; and installation of fencing along 

the east boundary of Shoshone Reservoir. 

Camp BR-87 remained open until November 1, 1941. Its termination was part of the national 

reduction in the CCC program as the national defense program accelerated. Although Reclamation’s 

Acting Commissioner H.W. Bashore expressed hope that the camp would reopen and CCC project 

work would continue once “the present emergency has passed,” his wish was not realized 

(Bashore 1941). 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-87 was located on Federal property. With the exception of a rigid type service garage 

(26 feet by 32 feet) built by the Reclamation, all of the camp buildings were portable. They included 

four barracks (20 feet by 130 feet), three garages (24 feet by 60 feet), officers’ quarters (20 feet by 

40 feet), technical quarters (20 feet by 80 feet), mess hall with attached kitchen (20 feet by 120 feet, 

with 20-foot by 40-foot kitchen), administrative headquarters (20 feet by 90 feet), recreation hall 

(20 feet by 100 feet), infirmary (20 feet by 30 feet), bath house with attached latrine (20 feet by 36 feet, 

with 10-foot by 25-foot latrine), educational building (20 feet by 130 feet), oil house (10 feet by 

25 feet), pump house (10 feet by 10 feet), generator house (10 feet by 10 feet), and a blacksmith shop 

(20 feet by 20 feet). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

After Camp BR-87 closed, the Army turned the buildings over to Reclamation for its use. The Army 

reassumed custody of the camp property on May 22, 1942, because the War Department expressed a 

need for it. On November 19, 1942, CCC Director McEntee approved the transfer of Camp BR-87 to 

the War Relocation Authority. By March 1944, that agency had removed all buildings from the site. 
A-370

Camp BR-87 (continued) 

SOURCES

Letter from Acting Commissioner H.W. Bashore to Senator Harry H. Schwartz, October 22, 1941, 

Box 148, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Annual Project History, Shoshone Project, Volume 41, 1938, Box 168, Accession 

No. 8NN-115-90-011, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, and 48, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, Heart Mountain Division, log and masonry bridge over 

Dry Creek, on the operating road for the Heart Mountain Canal, December 13, 1939 

(Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-371

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, Heart Mountain Division, completed dry rock paving 

in the Heart Mountain Canal at the outlet of the North Cottonwood Creek Siphon. 

Also shows log guardrail constructed by CCC enrollees, June 18, 1940 (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, Heart Mountain Division, completed dry rock paving 

and log guardrail at the inlet of the North Cottonwood Siphon - Heart Mountain Canal, 

June 18, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-372

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, Heart Mountain Division, guardrails to 

Cottonwood Creek Siphon, June 2, 1941 (courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation 

District). 

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, enrollees constructing a drain inlet into Heart Mountain 

Canal. The portion of the structure on the slope will be cement grouted, September 11, 

1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-373

Camp BR-87: 

Shoshone Project, a 

completed drainage 

inlet on Heart 

Mountain Canal, 

June 5, 1939 (courtesy 

of Shoshone Irrigation 

District). 

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, dry rock paving, Trail Creek, June 5, 1939 

(courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation District). 
A-374

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, dry rock paving at Lateral 67, Heart Mountain Canal, 

showing type of work done on curves in this canal by enrollees, December 2, 1940 

(Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, completed dam for fish rearing, April 22, 1940 

(courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation District). 
A-375

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, repairing crevice on Heart Mountain Canal 

below Rattlesnake Tunnel Portal, September 26, 1941 (courtesy of Shoshone 

Irrigation District). 

Camp BR-87: Shoshone Project, grouting and paving check in Heart Mountain Canal, 

October 9, 1941 (courtesy of Shoshone Irrigation District). 

A-377

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90 Camp Name Redmond 

State Oregon County Deschutes 

Location 16 miles north of Bend 

Reclamation Project Deschutes Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established July 18, 1938 Date Terminated May 15, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Two large CCC camps, each comprised of three 200-man camps, were assigned to help construct the 

8 million dollar Deschutes Project. Camp Wickiup consisted of Camps BR-75, BR-76, and BR-77, and 

Camp Redmond consisted of Camps BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90. Together, Camp Redmond and Camp 

Wickiup formed the largest unit of the entire CCC west of the Mississippi. Their combined efforts 

produced the largest single construction program accomplished by the CCC on any Reclamation 

project. The two camps were unique from other multiple camp setups in that they functioned under 

one head, the camp commander, in direct charge of the camps’ administrative operations. 

The first CCC company (No. 569) to arrive at Camp Redmond transferred from Camp Stanfield 

(Camp BR-44) on the Umatilla Project. An advance cadre of enrollees reached the site on May 25, 

1938, and the main body of the company joined them on June 5. Two more CCC companies, No. 596 

and No. 2530, were later assigned to the project. They arrived July 18, 1938, from Indiana and 

Kentucky, and were comprised mainly of new recruits with little, if any, construction experience. 

The Army began constructing the three-company camp a few days after the arrival of Company 

No. 569 in early June. The arid camp site consisted of 40 acres of lava-rock and volcanic ash studded 

with dwarf Juniper trees and sagebrush. Initially, temporary quarters had to be rented in Redmond 

while the Army rushed to complete the camp. It was ready for its first occupants with the arrival of 

Companies No. 596 and 2530 on July 18, 1938. Two of the companies occupied Camp Redmond for 

the balance of the summer season, while Company No. 596 left immediately for a temporary tent camp 

at Wickiup Reservoir. The company remained there until October when it moved to lower elevation 

Camp Redmond for the winter. The camp celebrated its official opening on October 21, 1938 with an 

enormous barbecue attended by 3500 people, tours of the camp, and speeches by various notables. 

The principal achievement of the Redmond companies was the difficult construction of a majority of 

the 35-feet-wide and 35-feet-deep North Unit Main Canal. The heading for this canal was built in the 

Deschutes River near Bend, and the canal extends through rugged country about 65 miles to the 

irrigable lands of the Jefferson Water Conservancy District around Madras, Oregon. The CCC men 

constructed high-pressure siphons across the Crooked River Gorge and Willow Creek, and about 

1.5 miles of tunnel along the length of the canal. 

The Camp Redmond enrollees worked on the North Unit Main Canal during the winter months when 

the deep snows in the mountains made it impossible to work on the Wickiup Reservoir site. In the late 

fall and winter of 1938-39, the three companies tackled the job of clearing the canal right-of-way of 

juniper trees and sagebrush; excavating earth to bedrock; and drilling, blasting, and removing rock to 

be used as riprap along the banks of the North Unit Main Canal near Redmond. Initially, the work 
A-378

Camps BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90, Camp History/Activities (continued)

proceeded quite slowly because of insufficient equipment. With the arrival of new equipment that first 

winter, however, progress quickened. 

By the end of March 1941, enrollees had completed 90 percent of the North Unit Main Canal between 

Bend and Crooked River and had begun to work north of the Crooked River Gorge. The project 

entailed a massive amount of physically demanding labor. Enrollees had cleared twenty-six miles of 

right-of-way of trees and brush, and excavated over 1 million cubic yards of earth from the canal 

section and from borrow pits along the canal to form the banks. The construction project involved 

drilling, blasting, and excavating over 200,000 cubic yards of rock, and placing 8,000 cubic yards of 

rock riprap for bank protection. In addition, enrollees had completed two minor structures, and nine 

others, such as farm bridges, farm flumes, and culverts, were under construction. A road had been 

built in the Smith rock formation north of Crooked River over the mountain through which Tunnel 

No. 1 was bored. Directors of the local North Unit Irrigation District praised the impressive 

accomplishments of the young men and expressed “amazement at the results of the work” (Bend 

Bulletin 1941). 

During the summers, two of the Camp Redmond companies transferred to the Wickiup site to conduct 

reservoir clearing there, while the third continued work on the North Unit Main Canal. 

Life at the large camp mirrored that at other CCC installations, although, because of its size, enrollees 

had access to more extensive educational and recreational facilities. From Monday through Friday of 

each week, Reclamation staff supervised the CCC youths during the 8-hour work shift. If adverse 

weather conditions shut down field work, enrollees made up the lost time on Saturday of the same 

week. When not engaged in Reclamation project work, the boys were under the supervision of the 

Army officers who had responsibility for feeding and clothing the enrollees and providing medical care 

and recreation. 

The three companies vacated Camp Redmond on May 15, 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

The 40-acre camp site belonged to the city of Redmond and was leased for free for use as a CCC camp. 

The three-company camp capable of housing 600 enrollees was described as “a complete village within 

itself.” There were three sets of barracks and mess halls, each with a capacity for 200 men. The 

number of buildings totaled over 50 and they enclosed more than 100,000 square feet of floor space. 

Almost all buildings were of the portable type, and constructed with CCC funds. Reclamation paid for 

two of the buildings. There were 12 barracks (20 feet by 130 feet), 9 garages (all but one were 24 feet 

by 60 feet), 3 maintenance shops (30 feet by 30 feet), a technical service office (20 feet by 30 feet), a 

technical service quarters (20 feet by 150 feet), at least one mess hall with attached kitchen (20 feet by 

120 feet), Army offices and quarters, an educational building (20 feet by 250 feet), educational shop 

(20 feet by 60 feet), recreation hall (20 feet by 140 feet), infirmary (20 feet by 80 feet), fire house 

(10 feet by 10 feet), laundry-barber shop (20 feet by 60 feet), machine shop (34 feet by 60 feet), 

blacksmith shop (20 feet by 85 feet), repair shop (24 feet by 70 feet), and paint shop 
A-379

Camps BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90, Camp Description (continued) 

 (20 feet by 30 feet), as well as a number of smaller buildings (2 tool rooms, 2 oil houses, 2 storage 

buildings, a lumber shed, a supply house, and a water heater). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Following the closure of Camp BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90, the buildings were split into two groups: 

those that remained in the custody of Reclamation and those that were transferred to the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, and, in turn, to the 2nd Air Force. This transfer occurred on July 11, 1942. 

Buildings retained in place by Reclamation included three maintenance shops (30 feet by 30 feet), two 

garages (24 feet by 60 feet), a tool room (20 feet by 80 feet), a repair shop (24 feet by 70 feet), a 

storage building (22 feet by 24 feet), and the technical services office (20 feet by 30 feet). All were 

portable, except for the storage building and repair shop. 

SOURCES

“CCC Aids in Construction of Deschutes Project,” The Reclamation Era 29 (May 1939), 101-103. 

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Deschutes Project, 1938 through 1943, Boxes 151 and 152, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 48, 92, and 93, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

“Redmond-Wickiup CCC Units Plan Open House” Bend Bulletin, March 26, 1941, Box 1, Entry 22, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90: 

Deschutes Project, opening 

ceremonies of Camp Redmond and of 

Oregon Irrigation Congress, 

October 21, 1938 (Box 151, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-380

Camp BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90: Deschutes Project, enrollee laundry crew, August 16, 

1939 (Box 5, Accession No. 8NS-115-95-112, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90: Deschutes Project, enrollees working on construction 

of North Unit Main Canal. Looking north from station 587, 11 miles north of Bend, 

February 15, 1940 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-381

Camp BR-88, BR-89, and 

BR-90: Deschutes Project, 

enrollee drilling crew working 

on North Unit Main Canal, 

station 1001, March 27, 1940 

(Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90: Deschutes Project, enrollees pouring concrete walls and 

top slab in culvert at station 1407 and 55 on North Unit Main Canal, February 4, 1941 (Box 2, 

Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-382

Camp BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90: Deschutes Project, 

enrollees drilling large rocks near station 1489, “Smith 

Rock” section of North Unit Main Canal, February 4, 

1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 

Camp BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90: Deschutes Project, enrollees excavating 

construction road near Tunnel No. 1 “Smith Rock” Section, North Unit Main 

Canal, February 7, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-383

Camp BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90: Deschutes Project, view taken from operating road 

looking southwest towards Smith Rock. Crooked River Canyon and North Unit Main 

Canal shown in foreground, March 9, 1941 (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-88, BR-89, and BR-90: Deschutes Project, bridge over canal, location 

unknown, date unknown (Box 2, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-385

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-91 Camp Name Pleasant Grove 

State Utah County Utah 

Location Pleasant Grove, 285 West 1100 North Street 

Reclamation 

Project 

Provo River Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 1939 Date Terminated August 20, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Pleasant Grove, BR-91, became the second of two CCC camps assigned to the Provo River 

Project; the other was Camp BR-64. The CCC established Camp BR-91 in October 1939 with the 

transfer of all personnel from Camp BR-11 on the Moon Lake Project. 

Both Provo River Project camps contributed significantly to the realization of Deer Creek Dam and 

Reservoir by clearing and preparing the reservoir site. By the end of 1939, just a few months after 

Camp BR-91 enrollees arrived, this work was about 60 percent complete. Crews removed trees and 

brush, salvaged several buildings, and tore down fences and helped install new ones around the Deer 

Creek Reservoir right-of-way. At the upper end of the reservoir, the CCC raised the MidwayCharleston Highway by about 12 feet. Part of this effort involved dismantling and raising a bridge 

across the Provo River. Enrollees also relocated about 9 miles of Western Union Telegraph line, 

which ran through the reservoir area, and assisted with the relocation of the Denver and Rio Grande 

Railroad tracks. Other associated work consisted of the construction of minor features such as 

culverts, cattle guards, and timber road crossings. 

Elsewhere, CCC crews helped build a Government camp near the west portal of the 

6-mile-long Duchesne Tunnel to house workers on that project, performed preparatory work in 

connection with the enlargement of the Weber-Provo diversion canal, and labored on the Salt River 

Aqueduct. Enrollees constructed numerous minor structures in the development of the irrigation 

system, and, as on most Reclamation CCC camps, performed rodent control. 

With the closure of Camp BR-11 on the Moon Lake Project at the end of September 1939, spike 

camps from Camp BR-91 were established at Altonah and Moon Lake to continue work on that 

project. The enrollees constructed the 1,200-foot-long Moon Lake Dam parapet wall, worked on the 

Yellowstone Feeder Canal, and installed measuring devices along the irrigation system. 

By the summer of 1941, the number of enrollees (Company No. 5715) occupying the main camp had 

dwindled so much that only a small cadre could be spared for the spike camp at Moon Lake. On 

August 9, 1941, they were called back to Camp BR-91. On August 20, Company No. 5715 vacated 

the camp, and the few remaining enrollees were transferred to Camp BR-64 in Heber City, Utah. 

Normal capacity of Camp BR-91 was 225 enrollees. 
A-386

Camp BR-91 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

A camp plan shows the main buildings facing a lawn-covered quadrant with a flag pole at the center. 

Buildings include 4 barracks in a row, a combined mess hall and kitchen, combined lavatory and 

bathhouse, wash house, several garages, warehouse, dispensary, welfare buildings, two educational 

buildings, officers and technical service quarters, and various small storage and miscellaneous 

buildings. At the west perimeter of the camp, space was set aside for a camp garden (educational 

project), basketball court, and baseball field. Except for the recreation building, two small garages, 

and, possibly, one other building, the camp was of the rigid type and “not worth salvaging for removal 

to other locations.” (RG 115, Entry 22, Box 12). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

The CCC built Camp BR-91 on Reclamation land. After the camp closed, the CCC transferred use of 

the vacated buildings to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Salt Lake City, on August 19, 1942. The 

camp was then placed under the control of the Salt Lake Army Air Base and became a military 

training facility. In March 29, 1944, Reclamation asked permission of the War Department for use of 

the camp in connection with the enlargement of Provo Reservoir Canal when the Army no longer 

needed the camp. After the war, Reclamation eventually transferred use of the property to the Provo 

River Water Users Association as a maintenance and storage facility in 1956. Two abandoned 

CCC buildings still remain onsite: the mess hall and what appears to be the bathhouse. Both have 

been partially rehabilitated. 

SOURCES

Information on remaining CCC buildings obtained from Reclamation’s Provo Area Office, Provo, 

Utah. 

Kenneth Baldridge, “Nine Years of Achievement: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Utah,” Ph.D. 

dissertation, Brigham Young University, May 1971. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 48, and 134, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-387

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, camp plan, July 1941 (Box 134, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-388

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, view of 

camp, June 8, 1940 (Reclamation History 

Program photo database). 

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, upstream 

view from station 877+00, Yellowstone Feeder 

Canal, showing the extremely rocky material 

encountered for the last 3,000 feet, April 24, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, section of partially 

completed fence constructed by CCC enrollees 

around Deer Creek Reservoir area, March 7, 1940 

(Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-389

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, enrollees excavating for diversion works of 

Cottonwood Wash, Yellowstone Feeder Canal, April 24, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, Section of Yellowstone Feeder Canal with diversion 

works at station 599 in background, cleanup work in progress on diversion works, July 17, 

1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-390

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, 

reinforcement steel and lower portion 

of forms in place for Moon Lake 

parapet wall, May 1940 (Box 97, 

Accession No. 8NN-115-90-011, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, 

parapet wall at Moon Lake Dam 

under construction by CCC forces, 

July 17, 1940 (Box 1, Entry 31, 

RG 115, National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-391

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, view of nearly completed parapet wall and curb 

from left abutment of Moon Lake Dam, date unknown (Box 1, Entry 31, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-91: Provo 

River Project, 

stabilized bathhouse, 

officers’ quarters, and 

mess hall/kitchen, 

2007 (Reclamation 

Provo Area Office). 
A-392

Camp BR-91: Provo 

River Project, stabilized 

bathhouse, 2008 

(courtesy of Soil 

Water Air Protection 

Enterprise, Santa 

Monica, California). 

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, interior of mess hall/kitchen, 2008 (courtesy 

of Soil Water Air Protection Enterprise, Santa Monica, California). 
A-393

Camp BR-91: Provo River Project, wood burning stove in mess 

hall/kitchen, 2008 (courtesy of Soil Water Air Protection Enterprise, Santa 

Monica, California). 

A-395

BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-92 Camp Name Boca 

State California County Nevada 

Location Adjacent to Boca Dam and Reservoir 

Reclamation Project Truckee Storage Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established May 1939 Date Terminated October 30, 1941 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Located adjacent to the site of Boca Dam and Reservoir, Camp Boca, BR-92, was initially occupied in 

early May 1939 with enrollees transferred from Camp BR-35 at Fallon. The spot had been used as a side 

camp by a detachment from Camp BR-34, Fallon, for one season in the summer of 1938; however, due to 

the extensive amount of work to be accomplished there, the CCC authorized a new camp to be stationed 

there. 

Camp BR-92 existed as a summer tent camp occupied only during months when the weather allowed for 

reasonable living and working conditions. The first enrollees came from Company No. 1225, and they 

remained at the camp until October 1, 1939. On June 1, 1940, Company No. 3206 arrived at Camp 

BR-92 and stayed until October 12, 1940. The same company returned on May 1, 1941, and occupied 

the camp until it closed on October 30, 1941. Both Companies No. 1225 and 3206 were transferred from 

the Newlands Project (Camps BR-34 and BR-35), returning there at the end of the summer periods. 

Camp BR-92 was established for the purpose of completing improvements incidental to the construction 

of Boca Dam and Reservoir that were not included in the construction contract. CCC enrollees relocated 

public roads and service roads near the dam, which included excavating, grading, surfacing, and installing 

drainage ditches, culverts, and miscellaneous structures; constructed drainage shafts, pipes, and rockfilled trenches at the toe of the dam; placed riprap to protect slopes of outlet channels and roadway 

embankments; constructed a stone parapet wall at the crest of the dam; razed useless and unsightly 

structures, removing debris, and general cleanup; and landscaped in the vicinity of the dam and 

gatetender’s residence. The camp also offered assistance to the U.S. Forest Service in fighting local fires 

because it was in a key location to respond quickly. All enrollees received training in fire suppression by 

U.S. Forest Service officials. 

Due to the cooler summer temperatures and surrounding mountain scenery at Camp BR-92, enrollees 

welcomed the pleasant working conditions there after the heat and monotony of the main camp at Fallon. 

Frequent outings to Reno and Truckee, and the recreational facilities available at the camp also helped to 

maintain a high level of morale among the enrollees. 

The camp’s work activities were under the supervision of Reclamation Regional Director D.L. Carmody 

and W.D. Funk, chief clerk, of Orland, California, assisted by Thomas Williamson, assistant engineer, 

Fallon, Nevada. 
A-396

Camp BR-92 (continued) 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Reclamation acquired the land occupied by Camp BR-92 for project use associated with Boca Dam and 

Reservoir. The camp consisted of a combination of tents and portable and rigid type structures that were 

salvaged from Camp BR-21 at Lake Tahoe. Rigid buildings included a kitchen (40 feet by 50 feet), mess 

hall (22 feet by 140 feet), two latrines (10 feet by 25 feet and 12 feet by 22 feet), ice house (16 feet by 

12 feet), wash room (12 feet by 12 feet), oil house (11 feet by 24 feet), repair shop (18 feet by 24 feet), 

tool house (25 feet by 18 feet), mechanic house (16 feet by 24 feet), bath house (20 feet by 40 feet), 

Army office (14 feet by 24 feet), and technical agency office (20 feet by 16 feet). Two garages, each 

24 feet by 60 feet, were of portable construction. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

The CCC turned over the abandoned camp to the Army on November 3, 1942. The camp was in poor 

condition, and, apparently, the Army did not have use for the tents. In April 1943, Reclamation granted 

use of the land to the Forest Service for a fire suppression crew camp. At the time, the camp buildings 

remained in place. Disposition thereafter is unknown. 

SOURCES

“Establishment of CCC Camp at Boca Dam,” draft article for The Reclamation Era, author unknown, 

Box 36, Entry 22, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 48, 151, and 152, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-397

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-93 and BR-94 Camp Name Mancos 

State Colorado County Montezuma 

Location Both camps were located in T. 36 N., R. 13 W., sec. 10, NE1/4 NE1/4 

Reclamation Project Mancos Army Corps 

Area 

8 

Date Established BR-93: October 24, 1941 

BR-94: November 1, 1941 

Date 

Terminated 

BR-93: July 20, 1942 

BR-94: March 25, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

In the fall of 1941, two short-lived CCC camps, Camp Mancos BR-93 and BR-94, were established in 

the southwest corner of Colorado on the Mancos Project to assist in its construction. The project was 

designed to provide supplemental irrigation water to an established agricultural area of about 

13,700 acres and a domestic water supply to the town of Mancos, the Mancos Rural Water Company, 

and Mesa Verde National Park. Project features include Jackson Gulch Dam and Reservoir, the Inlet 

Canal, and the Outlet Canal. 

The Water Conservation and Utilization Projects Act of August 11, 1939, as amended on October 14, 

1940, approved the Mancos Project provided that labor would be furnished by Federal relief work 

agencies. President Roosevelt authorized construction on October 21, 1940. Both the CCC and Works 

Progress Administration (WPA) played a role in the project’s realization. 

In July 1941, the Army began construction of Camps BR-93 and BR-94 near the site of Jackson Gulch 

Reservoir, but considerable work remained to be done when the enrollees arrived that fall. Camp 

BR-93 was the first of the two camps to be occupied; on October 24, 1941, Company No. 3843 

transferred there from Camp BR-71 in Montrose. On November 1, 1941, enrollees of Company 

No. 3893 arrived at partially completed Camp BR-94 from the summer camp, BR-81, at Vallecito. 

Initially, most enrollees were put to work assisting in camp construction. WPA forces also helped out; 

they constructed the water system. Rains, snow, and mud impeded progress, and it was not operational 

until early December. The first bathhouse was completed on December 12, and electricity finally 

became available in February 1942. The recreation hall for Camp BR-93 was placed in use sometime 

in January but was not completed until March. Several of the buildings at Camp BR-94 had not even 

been finished or occupied when that camp disbanded in March 1942. 

CCC enrollees began actual project work on January 5 under the direct supervision of the camps’ 

superintendent. Due to the short duration of the two camps, much of the work scheduled remained 

incomplete. Accomplishments did include clearing 69 acres of land at Jackson Gulch Dam and 

Reservoir site; building 0.7 miles of an access road to the reservoir; completing 5.5 miles of power 

lines from Mancos to the Reclamation shop area and pumping plant on the Mancos River; 

installing100 rods of fencing; and landscaping 1 acre of the camp. Equipment and tools used for work 

activities came from the Department of the Interior’s Grazing Service office at Grand Junction and 

from Reclamation CCC camps at Montrose, Colorado, Orland, California, Yuma, Arizona, and 

El Paso, Texas. 
A-398

Camps BR-93 and BR-94, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

Another factor that affected project-related achievements was the lack of full camp occupancy. 

Company strength at the camps fluctuated greatly during their brief lifespan. Most of the time, there 

were less than 100 enrollees at each camp, and even fewer were available for project work, owing to 

camp construction and the need for watchmen at abandoned CCC camps in the area. 

Continued rumors of impending closures and unusually bad weather from the outset created low 

morale among the enrollees. A considerable amount of illness during the winter season made matters 

worse. Ailments consisted chiefly of colds, flu, and the mumps. With the warmth of spring and 

encouraging talks by camp personnel at the biweekly camp safety meetings, morale improved. 

Recreational activities available to the enrollees included movies, roller skating, and dancing during 

the winter months, and sight-seeing trips, baseball, and picnics during the warmer 

weather. The young men could also participate in various off-the-job training classes, such as 

blueprint reading, carpentry, auto mechanics, truck driving, and tractor operation. Classes were well 

attended and proved useful. 

At the closure of Camp BR-94 on March 25, 1942, the camp’s enrollees were transferred to 

Camp BR-93, which closed on July 20, 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

The Army built Camps BR-93 and BR-94 on land leased from Frank and Myrtle Fowzer. Camp 

buildings were of new material, pre-fabricated, and of the portable type. Each of the camps consisted 

of five barracks (20 feet by 120 feet), one mess hall and kitchen (20 feet by 160 feet), a technical 

services quarters (20 feet by 80 feet), an officers’ quarters (20 feet by 40 feet), an army headquarters 

(20 feet by 70 feet), a recreation hall (20 feet by 110 feet), a bathhouse (20 feet by 40 feet), one latrine 

(10 feet by 30 feet) and two latrines (5 feet by ten feet), an infirmary (20 feet by 80 feet), four garages 

(24 feet by 60 feet), an educational building (20 feet by 100 feet), and an educational shop (30 feet by 

30 feet). 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

With the imposed reduction of the CCC program in 1942, due to World War II, Reclamation chose to 

close Camp BR-94 on the basis that the National Park Service was continuing its camp in the Mancos 

area and would provide assistance to Reclamation on the Mancos Project. In August 1942, the 

buildings at Camp BR-94 were transferred to the War Department. 

In October 1942, the Selective Service System took over Camp BR-93 and redesignated it as Civilian 

Public Service Camp No. 111. The camp housed conscientious objectors during World War II and 

provided a new pool of workers to continue construction of Jackson Gulch Dam. Shortly after the 

conscientious objectors were released on February 20, 1946, the camp was converted into Government 

housing. 
A-399

Camps BR-93 and BR-94, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

Some of the buildings were moved in 1953 to form what later became Lake Mancos Ranch. Another 

portion of the camp became the headquarters for the Mancos Water Conservancy, the organization that 

took over operation of Jackson Gulch Dam from Reclamation in 1958. Surviving camp features as of 

1997 included several concrete foundations, a garage that has been converted into a stable, a shop 

building, and an office/tool room that has been significantly altered and is now used as an 

office/residence. 

The remains of the camp were recorded by SWCA consultants and assigned Colorado site number 

5MT16748 by the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office. 

SOURCES

William Grimm, “Recordation of Jackson Gulch Dam and Construction Camp at Mancos State Park, 

Montezuma County, Colorado,” prepared for the Bureau of Reclamation by SWCA Inc., 

Environmental Consultants, Durango, Colorado, November 14, 1997. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 47, 48, and 115, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Project History No. 1, Mancos Project-Colorado, 1941-1942, Box 256, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-400

Camp BR-93: Mancos Project, plan of camp developed from 1943 Reclamation base map (“Recordation of Jackson Gulch Dam and Construction 

Camp at Mancos State Park,” 1997). 
A-401

Camp BR-93: Mancos Project, 

view of part of camp, June 5, 

1942 (Box 256, Entry 10, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-94: Mancos Project, 

part of camp showing technical 

service garage area in 

background, June 5, 1942 

(Box 256, Entry 10, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-93 and BR-94: 

Mancos Project, garage area for 

both camps, July 1, 1942 

(Box 256, Entry 10, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver). 

A-403

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-95 Camp Name Terry 

State Montana County Prairie 

Location Terry 

Reclamation Project Buffalo Rapids Army Corps Area 9 

Date Established October 24, 1941 Date Terminated July 20, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The CCC established Camp Terry, BR-95, in the fall of 1941 on the Buffalo Rapids Project located in 

southeastern Montana. Authorized under the Water Conservation and Utilization Program, the project is 

divided into two divisions. President Roosevelt granted initial approval for the First Division in 

September 1937 and initial approval for the Second Division followed in October 1939. Principal 

structures include five pumping plants that pump water directly from the Yellowstone River and one relift 

pumping plant that provides irrigation water for 22,719 acres of land in the vicinity of Glendive, Fallon, 

and Terry, Montana. 

Built by the Army with CCC funds, Camp BR-95 operated for just a short time from October 24, 1941, 

through July 20, 1942. Company No. 2761 occupied the camp the entire time. Practically all of the 

enrollees spent the first few months assisting with camp construction. With that nearing completion, the 

young men finally began project work. They focused solely on the Second Division, which extends 

along the southerly bank of the Yellowstone River from 18 miles downstream of Miles City to 2 miles 

east of Fallon. Despite the limited duration of the camp, CCC forces managed to build 11 bridges and 16 

water control structures such as weirs, drops, and checks; manufacture 2,475 linear feet of precast 

concrete pipe from 18 inches to 36 inches in diameter; and man the concrete manufacturing plant. More 

work had been planned for the camp, but it was curtailed by the termination of the CCC program in 

June 1942. Among the recreational offerings, enrollees could opt for weekly outings to either Glendive 

or Miles City, Montana. The horseshoe pits at the camp also proved popular. 

Some time around July 1941, the CCC approved a second CCC camp, BR-112, for the Buffalo Rapids 

Project contingent on construction with Reclamation funds. Upon reconsidering the need for another 

camp in the summer of 1941, Reclamation concluded there was insufficient justification due to the 

anticipated $30,000 construction cost and the availability of Works Progress Administration labor to 

assist in project work. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-95 was located on land belonging to the Northern Pacific Railway Company and leased to the 

Bureau of Reclamation. No description or photographs of the buildings have been located. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

Following abandonment, Camp BR-95 was transferred to the Selective Service System on September 30, 

1942, and used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a conscientious objector camp. Disposition 

thereafter is unknown. 
A-404

Camp BR-95 (continued) 

SOURCES

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 47, and 86, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 16, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-405

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-96 Camp Name Hay Springs 

State Nebraska County Sheridan 

Location Near Hemingford at the Niobrara River, T. 29 N., R. 46 W., sec. 4 

Reclamation Project Mirage Flats Army Corps Area 7 

Date Established October 6, 1941 Date Terminated March 25, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The CCC assigned Camp Hay Springs, BR-96, to the Mirage Flats Project, located in northwestern 

Nebraska. Authorized by President Roosevelt on April 26, 1940, under the terms of the Water 

Conservation and Utilization Program, the project diverts water from the Niobrara River to irrigate 

about 11,670 acres of fertile land along its north bank, about 12 miles south of Hay Springs. Project 

features include Box Butte Dam and Reservoir, Dunlap Diversion Dam, Mirage Flats Canal, and 

distribution and drainage systems. 

In March 1941, Reclamation received approval for Camp BR-96, beginning in fiscal year 1942. The 

CCC approved two other camps, BR-114 and BR-115, for the Mirage Flats Project, but they were never 

built. The Army started camp construction in June 1941, with the assistance of a contingent of 30 

enrollees from Camp BR-1. Buildings were not scheduled to arrive at the site until the end of August, 

and camp construction had not progressed very far when Company No. 759 arrived on October 6, 

1941, under the command of Lieutenant Joseph Mulligan. 

The work plan developed for Camp BR-96 enrollees consisted of aiding in the construction of Mirage 

Flats Canal and the distribution system. The latter included canal and lateral excavation and 

constructing appurtenant structures. Because the camp never reached maximum capacity, and the 

enrollees spent a lot of time completing camp construction, CCC project accomplishments, although 

useful, were limited. Enrollees excavated 760 cubic yards of canal, completed some preparatory work 

on the Pepper Creek siphon, and conducted Farm Security Administration land surveys. The camp 

anticipated the arrival of additional enrollees in early March 1942, but instead the CCC abruptly 

terminated the camp on March 25, 1942. Only 44 enrollees occupied the camp at that time. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Camp BR-96 was constructed on part of a property purchased in early 1941 by the Farm Security 

Administration for agricultural purposes. The camp consisted of portable buildings, but no description 

or photographs have been located. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

With the imposed reduction of the CCC program in 1942, the CCC terminated Camp BR-96 in March 

1942. Reclamation hoped to maintain the camp as housing for Work Projects Administration workers, 

a large part of the project labor force as required under the Water Conservation and Utilization 
A-406

Camp BR-96, Disposition/Current Status (continued) 

Program. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers thwarted Reclamation’s plans, however, when it 

requested use of the camp buildings in June 1942. They were subsequently dismantled and relocated 

to the Air Base at Alliance, Nebraska. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, Annual Project History, Mirage Flats Project, 1940 through 1942, Box 313, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 47, 48, and 115, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 16, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-407

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-97 Camp Name Lake Trenton 

State North Dakota County Williams 

Location Trenton, at Lake Trenton 

Reclamation Project Buford-Trenton Army Corps Area 

Date Established November 1, 1941 Date Terminated July 21, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Lake Trenton, BR-97, the only Reclamation CCC camp to operate in North Dakota, was 

assigned to the Buford-Trenton Project. Approved for construction on September 23, 1939, under the 

terms of the Water Conservation and Utilization Program, the project pumps water directly from the 

Missouri River into a main canal and laterals. Water is supplied to about 10,670 acres of irrigable land 

along the north bank of the Missouri River adjoining the towns of Buford and Trenton, North Dakota. 

Works Progress Administration (WPA) crews began construction of the Buford-Trenton Project in 

May 1940. By early 1941, the project began to suffer a labor shortage as the number of WPA workers 

dwindled. Some departed to go back into farming; others left the area to join the armed forces or to 

secure employment in the defense industry. The CCC agreed to fill the need for project labor by 

establishing Camp BR-97, but completion of the camp progressed very slowly. On June 8, 1941, a 

cadre of about 25 CCC enrollees from Camp BR-30, Sidney, Montana, started on the camp’s water and 

sewer systems. In September, an additional 40 enrollees were made available to help finish the camp. 

Not until September 17, 1941, did the buildings arrive at the site ready for assembly. 

On November 1, Company No. 2772 from camp NP-1, Medora, North Dakota, moved to BR-97, and a 

few days later, enrollees from a CCC camp at Medicine Lake, Montana, joined them on the project. 

Even then, Camp BR-97 was hardly ready for occupancy. Over half of the buildings had not been 

started or only had the floors in place. Most of the newly arrived enrollees initially worked on 

completing the camp’s construction and getting it ready for winter. In fact, the short-lived camp was 

never finished. Concrete sidewalks never replaced the preliminary gravel ones, and the buildings’ 

inside walls remained unlined. 

By the time a small group of enrollees began project work on November 17, construction on the 

Buford-Trenton Project was about 75 percent complete. Because of the decision in June 1942 to 

terminate the CCC program, the work accomplishments of Camp BR-97 enrollees were limited. The 

youth and inexperience of the enrollees, the disorganization of the camp, and winter weather conditions 

all contributed to the relatively low level of performance. Nevertheless, enrollees were able to clear 

12 acres of reservoir site; line 5,158 square yards of waterways; excavate 24,000 cubic yards of canal; 

place 1,370 square yards of rock riprap in a wasteway; and construct 202 water control structures. In 

addition, 328 acres of land were cleared and leveled under the Farm Security Administration for 

conversion into farm units. The assigned labor available to the project was divided between 

Reclamation and the Farm Security Administration in proportion to the nonreimbursable funds allotted 

to each agency. 
A-408

Camp BR-97, Camp History/Activities (continued) 

As at other camps, a training program existed at Camp BR-97. This included repeated safety 

instruction, which paid off because only a few very minor accidents occurred. 

Activity at the camp ceased on July 10, 1942, and on July 21, Company No. 2772 departed. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

No description or photographs of the buildings have been found. 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

After being abandoned, Camp BR-97 was transferred to the Selective Service System for use by the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture to house conscientious objectors during World War II. They provided 

labor for land leveling activities of the Farm Security Administration on the Buford-Trenton Project. 

Disposition thereafter is unknown. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Buford-Trenton Project, 1941 and 1942, Box 75, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 13, 47, 48, and 87, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 16, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-409

Camp BR-97: Buford-Trenton Project, map showing camp location, 1941 (Box 75, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-410

Camp BR-97: Buford-Trenton Project, CCC drainage crossing and drop, 1942 (Box 75, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-97: Buford-Trenton 

Project, prefabrication of forms by 

CCC, 1942 (Box 75, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-411

Camp BR-97: Buford-Trenton Project, land leveling by CCC enrollees, 1942 (Box 75, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-413

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-99 Camp Name Deerfield 

State South Dakota County Pennington 

Location Deerfield, near Hill City 

Reclamation Project Rapid Valley Army Corps Area 7 

Date Established November 30, 1941 Date Terminated July 30, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

Camp Deerfield, BR-99, was the only camp assigned to the Rapid Valley Project located near Rapid 

City at the eastern edge of the Black Hills in southwestern South Dakota. The project consists of 

Deerfield Dam and Reservoir, located on Castle Creek, a tributary of Rapid Creek. The reservoir 

provides supplemental water to irrigated farms in the area and to Rapid City. 

President Roosevelt originally approved construction of the Rapid Valley Project in 1939 under the 

Water Conservation and Utilization Projects Act of August 11, 1939, and funds were allotted from the 

Interior Department appropriation for 1940. That allotment was rescinded because of delays in 

negotiations, and the project was resubmitted for approval as a Water Conservation and Utilization 

Project. The President granted his approval on October 25, 1940, under the Act of August 11, 1939, as 

amended. Both authorizations provided for construction of Pactola Dam. Subsequently, Reclamation 

abandoned the plan for building Pactola Dam in favor of the Deerfield Dam site. The new plan was 

approved in June 1942, and the project reached near completion in 1947. 

The project received authorization with the provision that as much labor as possible would be 

accomplished by the Work Projects Administration (WPA) or the CCC. The Army started 

construction of Camp BR-99 on September 29, 1941. Under orders from CCC headquarters, buildings 

fabricated in a West Coast mill and originally intended for proposed Camp BR-113, Saco-Divide, 

Montana, were shipped for use at Camp BR-99 instead. Camp construction continued into January 

1942. 

CCC Company No. 762 arrived on November 30, 1941, and the immediate task at hand consisted of 

helping the Army to complete the camp. On January 19, 1942, a small CCC crew began assisting in 

the construction of Deerfield Dam near Deerfield, South Dakota. Because of the decision made in 

June 1942 to terminate the CCC program, enrollees could not complete much of the work that had been 

planned. Nonetheless, they did help finish buildings at Reclamation’s construction camp, clear 

22 acres of the reservoir site, construct 0.6 mile of operating roads, string 5.5 miles of telephone lines, 

install 60 linear feet of walks, help with and make general camp improvements. 

For the short time Camp BR-99 operated, the number of enrollees ranged from a maximum of 133 

down to a minimum of 39. The camp was discontinued at the end of July 1942. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

The camp was located on private lands leased by the Army. Buildings were of the rigid type; no 

description or photographs have been found. 
A-414

Camp BR-99 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

In September 1942, the CCC director approved the transfer of Camp BR-99 to the Selective Service 

System for use as a conscientious objector camp during World War II. Disposition thereafter is 

unknown. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Rapid Valley Project, 1940 through 1942, Box 457, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 12, 47, 48, and 132, Entry 22, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 16, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 

Camp BR-99: Rapid Valley Project, view of camp construction, November 8, 1941 (Box 457, 

Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
A-415

Camp BR-99: Rapid Valley Project, logs collected from clearing by CCC for hauling to saw mill, February 

20, 1942 (Box 457, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

A-417

 BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS STUDY 

Camp Number BR-101 and BR-102 Camp Name BR-101: Farson 

BR-102: Big Sandy 

State Wyoming County Sweetwater 

Location BR-101: Farson 

BR-102: Haystack Butte 

Reclamation Project Eden Army Corps Area 7 

Date Established BR-101: July 2, 1941 

BR-102: Nov. 3, 1941 

Date Terminated BR-101: May 15, 1942 

BR-102: July 29, 1942 

CAMP HISTORY/ACTIVITIES 

The CCC approved Camp Farson, BR-101, and Camp Big Sandy, BR-102, to assist in the development of 

the Eden Project, located in southwestern Wyoming 42 miles north of Rock Springs. The CCC allocated 

a third camp, BR-129, to the project, but it appears never to have been built. No mention of its 

construction was found, although it is shown on a site plan dated October 1941 adjacent to BR-102, and 

portable buildings for both camps were shipped to the site. 

President Roosevelt authorized plans for the Eden Project on September 18, 1940, as part of the Water 

Conservation and Utilization Program. Under this program, Reclamation agreed to use as much CCC and 

Work Projects Administration (WPA) labor as possible to reduce costs. The Eden Project marked the first 

time that Reclamation attempted to use CCC forces to build an entire dam, along with project irrigation 

and drainage features. World War II altered those plans however. Begun in July 1941; project 

construction halted in December 1942 under orders from the War Production Board. After long delays, 

the Eden Project finally reached completion at the end of 1959. Features include Big Sandy Dam and 

Reservoir, Eden Dam and Reservoir, Little Sandy Canal, Means Canal, Eden Canal, and a lateral and 

drainage system 

Camp BR-101 was established at former Grazing Service Camp No. G-51. On July 2, 1941, the first 

contingent of 87 CCC enrollees and Reclamation staff arrived at the camp from the Minidoka Project. 

Less than two weeks later, 64 new CCC recruits from Kentucky joined the camp. Under the supervision 

of Reclamation employees, the young men set to work right away digging test pits for borrow areas and 

aggregate deposits to be used in the construction of Big Sandy Dam. Once the Technical Service 

employees arrived 2 weeks later, regular work crews were organized, and construction operations started 

on Big Sandy Dam. On July 30, 1941, enrollees began clearing and burning sagebrush in the reservoir 

site. They completed an area of 17 acres. This was followed by stripping the dam site, excavating cut-off 

trenches, building a cofferdam, and excavating the keyways in the rock foundation. During November 

and December 1941, enrollees operated the concrete aggregate processing plant and hauled sand and 

gravel to the dam. In the completion of these activities, CCC forces assisted as truck drivers, tractor 

operators, jackhammer operators, and common laborers. 

When cold weather brought earth-moving operations to a halt, CCC enrollees applied their strength to 

completing construction of Camp BR-102 located on high ground at the south end of Big Sandy Dam. 

Building panels for 35 portable camp structures (including those for BR-129) came from the Columbia 

Basin Project and were shipped to Rock Springs, Wyoming, during the late summer. Enrollees unloaded 
A-418

Camp BR-101 and BR-102, Camp History/Activities (continued)

and hauled the materials to the camp site, and then helped carpenters, plumbers, and electricians erect 

buildings and install sewer, water, and electric lines. By the end of the year, Camp BR-102, consisting of 

17 buildings, had reached 90 percent completion. 

On November 3, 1941, Company No. 2511 arrived. Until Camp BR-102 was finished in late January 

1942, some of the enrollees stayed at Camp Farson, while the rest were stationed at the Grazing Service’s 

Green River Camp. 

Bitter cold temperatures at Eden plunging to minus 47 degrees in February did not halt CCC activities. 

That month a large number of enrollees from both camps worked on building the outlet works conduit. 

Under Reclamation supervision, the youths formed and placed the necessary reinforcing steel, erected 

forms, and placed the concrete for the conduit. 

The enrollees also provided assistance in the construction of numerous buildings as part of an 

administrative site for the Farm Security Administration (FSA), which was to develop and settle the Eden 

Project upon its completion. Plans for the administrative site included eight residences for FSA 

personnel, an administrative building, a garage and warehouse, and water and sewer facilities. CCC 

enrollees worked as carpenters, plumbers, and electricians’ assistants. At Big Sandy Dam, one permanent 

and six temporary houses were planned for Reclamation employees. CCC enrollees built the foundation 

for the permanent house and two temporary ones, and they excavated the foundations for the rest of the 

temporary residences. 

The enrollees also leveled about 120 acres of land for future farm development under the supervision of 

the FSA. Both Reclamation and the FSA utilized the enrollees as rodmen and chainmen on survey parties 

running canal lines and other routine surveys. 

Because of the decision made in June 1942 to terminate the CCC program, work intended for the enrollees 

could not all be completed. Camp BR-101, occupied by Company No. 538, closed down in mid-May 

1942, with only 32 enrollees still in place. At the end of June, 98 enrollees transferred to Camp BR-102 

from Moab, Utah. Their stay was short; at the end of July 1942, the CCC discontinued Camp BR-102, 

and Company No. 2511 left. Unfortunately, the short duration of that camp was marked by a tragic 

incident. On June 6, 1942, two enrollees, absent without leave, were struck and killed by a truck on 

U.S. Highway 187 between Farson and Eden. 

CAMP DESCRIPTION (number/type of buildings)

Buildings at Camp BR-101 were of the portable type and constructed on public lands. No description or 

photographs of the buildings at Camp BR-101 have been found. Camp BR-102, also located on public 

land and consisting of portable type buildings, included: five barracks, an educational building, welfare 

building, Technical Service office and storehouse, mess hall and kitchen, dispensary, Technical Service 

quarters, officers’ quarters, Army office and storehouse, bathhouse, latrine, generator house, pump house, 

washrack, warehouse, garage, and a combination machine/blacksmith/automotive repair shop. 
A-419

Camps BR-101 and 102 (continued) 

DISPOSITION/CURRENT STATUS

On December 7, 1942, the CCC transferred all buildings and accessories at Camp BR-101 to the 

Thirteenth Naval District, Seattle, Washington. Operating accessories at Camp BR-102 were transferred 

to Reclamation on January 9, 1943. Final disposition of the buildings is unknown. 

SOURCES

Reclamation, Annual Project Histories, Eden Project, 1941 and 1942, Box 156, Entry 10, RG 115, 

National Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, General Records of CCC Activities, Boxes 13, 47, and 48, Entry 22, RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver. 

Reclamation, Work Progress Reports, Box 16, Entry 26, RG 115, National Archives, Denver. 

Recorded by: Christine Pfaff, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, 2009 
A-420

Camp BR-102: Eden Project, site plan of camp, revised October 14, 1941 (Box 156, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver).
A-421

Camp BR-102: Eden 

Project, camp 

construction looking 

northwest, 1941 

(Box 156, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National 

Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-102: Eden 

Project, panoramic 

view of camp from 

water tower, June 30, 

1942 (Box 156, 

Entry 10, RG 115, 

National Archives, 

Denver). 
A-422

 

Camp BR-102: Eden Project, Company No. 2511 in formation at retreat, July 24, 1942 (Box 156, Entry 10, 

RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 

Camp BR-101 or BR-102: Eden Project, enrollee operating a tractor 

with a sheep’s foot roller, coffer dam of Big Sandy Dam, 1941 

(Box 156, Entry 10, RG 115, National Archives, Denver). 
Appendix B

CCC Enrollment Periods 

B-1

CCC Enrollment Periods 

Enrollment 

Period 

Number Dates Covered Status 

1 June 1, 1933 — September 30, 1933 No Reclamation camps 

2 October 1, 1933 — March 31, 1934 No Reclamation camps 

3 April 1, 1934 — September 30, 1934 First nine Reclamation camps approved 

4 October 1, 1934 — March 31, 1935 

5 April 1, 1935 — September 30, 1935 

6 October 1, 1935 — March 31, 1936 

7 April 1, 1936 — September 30, 1936 

8 October 1, 1936 — March 31, 1937 

9 April 1, 1937 — September 30, 1937 

10 October 1, 1937 —March 31, 1938 

11 April 1, 1938 — September 30, 1938 

12 October 1, 1938 — March 31, 1939 

13 April 1, 1939 — September 30, 1939 

14 October 1, 1939 — March 31, 1940 

15 April 1, 1940 — September 30, 1940 

16 October 1, 1940 — March 31, 1941 

17 April 1, 1941 — September 30, 1941 

18 October 1, 1941 — March 31, 1942 

19 April 1, 1942 — June 30, 1942 Last seven Reclamation camps closed by 

end of July 1942. 

Note: Federal Fiscal Year: July 1 — June 30 (for example, fiscal year 1939 goes from July 1, 1938, 

through June 30, 1939). 

 

Appendix C

Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted 

by Camp Number 

Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Camp Number 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Minatare North Platte Scotts Bluff Nebraska BR-1 

(DBR-1)1 7 July 1934 

Fruitdale Belle Fourche Butte South Dakota BR-2 

(DBR-2) 

7 July 1934 

Carlsbad Carlsbad Eddy New 

Mexico 

BR-3 (DBR-3) 

8 September 1934 

Ysleta Rio Grande El Paso Texas BR-4 

(DBR-4) 

8 August 1934 

Currant Creek (summer) 

Strawberry Valley Wasatch Utah BR-5 

(DBR-5) 

9 July 1934 

Ephraim (summer) 

Sanpete Sanpete Utah BR-6 

(DBR-6) 

9 July 1934 

Deaver Shoshone Big Horn Wyoming BR-7 8 August 1935 Elephant Butte Rio Grande Sierra New Mexico BR-8 8 October 1934 Lake Guernsey North Platte Platte Wyoming BR-9 

(RS-1)2 8 May 1934 

Lake Guernsey North Platte Platte Wyoming BR-10 8 July 1934 Bridgeland (winter) 

Moon Lake Duchesne Utah BR-11 

(DBR-11) 

9 October 1934 

1 A number of CCC camps proposed or approved for Reclamation were never built. This explains the breaks in the camp numb1 BR=Drought Relief Camps assigned to the Bureau of Reclamation. They were authorized for a 12-month period. 2 RS-1 stands for Reclamation Service No. 1.

C-1
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Camp Number 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Huntsville Ogden River Weber Utah BR-12 

(DBR-12) 

9 October 1934 

Yuma Yuma Yuma Arizona BR-13 8 Fall 1935 Tempe Salt River Maricopa Arizona BR-14 8 October 1935 Topock Parker Dam Mohave Arizona BR-17 8 November 1935 Topock Parker Dam 

(at Topock) 

Mohave Arizona BR-18 8 November 1935 

Tempe Salt River Maricopa Arizona BR-19 8 October 1935 Tulelake Klamath Siskiyou California BR-20 9 October 1935 Tahoe City (summer) 

Newlands Placer California BR-21 9 July 1935 

Grand Junction Grand Valley Mesa Colorado BR-22 8 July 1935 Montrose Uncompahgre Montrose Colorado BR-23 8 July 1935 Caldwell Boise Canyon Idaho BR-24 9 September 1935 Arrowrock Boise (Arrowrock 

Dam) 

Boise Idaho BR-25 9 October 1935 

Payette Boise Gem Idaho BR-26 9 October 1935 

C-2
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Camp Number 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Minidoka/ Rupert 

Minidoka Minidoka Idaho BR-27 9 October 1935 

Island Park Upper Snake 

River 

Fremont Idaho BR-28 9 July 1935 

Sidney Lower 

Yellowstone 

Richland Montana BR-30 9 October 1935 

Babb Milk River Glacier Montana BR-32 9 August 1935 Augusta (summer camp) 

Sun River Teton Montana BR-33 9 August 1935 

Newlands Newlands Churchill Nevada BR-34 9 November 1935 Carson River Newlands Churchill Nevada BR-35 9 November 1935 Lovelock Humboldt Pershing Nevada BR-36 9 August 1935 Reno Truckee Washoe Nevada BR-37 9 November 1935 Las Cruces Rio Grande Dona Ana New 

Mexico 

BR-39 8 August 1935 

Unnamed/Bend? Klamath Deschutes Oregon BR-40 9 Camp approved but nKlamath Klamath Klamath Oregon BR-41 9 October 1935 Ontario Owyhee Malheur Oregon BR-42 9 October 1935 Nyassa Owyhee Malheur Oregon BR-43 9 October 1935 

C-3
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Camp Number 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Stanfield Umatilla Umatilla Oregon BR-44 9 October 1935 Vale Vale Malheur Oregon BR-45 9 October 1935 Columbia Columbia Basin Lincoln Washington BR-48 9 August 1935 Clear Creek (Summer camp) 

Yakima Yakima Washington BR-49 9 August 1935 

Kachess Yakima Kittitas Washington BR-50 9 July 1935 Riverton Riverton Fremont Wyoming BR-51 8 September 1941 Topaz Lake (Summer Camp) 

Walker River Douglas Nevada BR-52 9 July 1935 

Mitchell North Platte Scotts Bluff Nebraska BR-53 7 June 1935 Elephant Butte Rio Grande Sierra New 

Mexico 

BR-54 8 August 1935 

Paul/Rupert Minidoka Minidoka Idaho BR-56 9 July 1938 Ballantine Huntley Yellowstone Montana BR-57 9 September 1935 Sunnyside Yakima Yakima Washington BR-58 9 June 1938 Mesa Grand Valley Mesa Colorado BR-59 8 October 1935 Bayard North Platte Morrill Nebraska BR-61 7 October 1939 Deer Creek Provo River Wasatch Utah BR-64 9 December 1937 

C-4
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Camp Number 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Cowiche Yakima Yakima Washington BR-66 9 July 1938 Bumping Lake Yakima Yakima Washington BR-67 9 August 1941 Milk River Milk River Phillips Montana BR-69 9 July 1938 Montrose Uncompahgre Montrose Colorado BR-71 8 July 1938 Powell Shoshone Park Wyoming BR-72 8 July 1938 Meridian Boise Ada Idaho BR-73 9 October 1937 Yuma Yuma Yuma Arizona BR-74 8 November 1937 Wickiup Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-75, 

BR-76, BR-77 

9 BR-75: July 1938 

BR-76: April 1939 BR-77: April 1939 

Orland Orland Glenn California BR-78 9 June 1938 Alcova Kendrick Natrona Wyoming BR-79 8 October 1938 Augusta Sun River Lewis & Clark Montana BR-80 9 September 1938 Vallecito (summer) 

Pine River La Plata Colorado BR-81 8 August 1939 

C-5
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Camp Number 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Carlsbad Carlsbad Eddy New 

Mexico 

BR-82 8 July 1938 

Veteran North Platte Goshen Wyoming BR-83 8 August 1938 Redding No. 1 Central Valley Shasta California BR-84 9 October 1938 Redding No. 2 Central Valley Shasta California BR-85 9 November 1938 Zillah Yakima Yakima Washington BR-86 9 November 1939 Cody Shoshone Park Wyoming BR-87 8 April 1939 Redmond No. 1 Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-88 9 July 1938 Redmond No. 2 Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-89 9 July 1938 Redmond No. 3 Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-90 9 July 1938 Pleasant Grove Provo River Utah Utah BR-91 9 October 1939 Boca (Summer camp) 

Truckee Nevada California BR-92 9 May 1939 

Mancos Mancos Montezuma Colorado BR-93 8 October 1941 Mancos Mancos Montezuma Colorado BR-94 8 November 1941 Glendive Buffalo Rapids Prairie Montana BR-95 9 October 1941 Hay Springs Mirage Flats Sheridan Nebraska BR-96 7 October 1941 

C-6
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Camp Number 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Williston Buford-Trenton Williams North Dakota BR-97 November 1941 Angostura Angostura South Dakota BR-98 7 Camp approved but nHill City Rapid Valley Pennington South Dakota BR-99 7 November 1941 JUnknown Gooseberry San PeteCarbon Utah BR-100 9 Camp approved for O

never built. 

Farson Eden Sweetwater Wyoming BR-101 7 July 1941 MFarson Eden Sweetwater Wyoming BR-102 7 November 1941 JUnknown/Weiser? Mann Creek Washington Idaho BR-110 9 Camp approved unde

Agreement of 11/1/19

Unknown Buffalo Rapids Unknown Montana BR-112 9 Camp approved but nUnknown Saco Divide Phillips Montana BR-113 9 Proposed camp but u

approved. 

Unknown Mirage Flats Nebraska BR-114 and 

BR-115 

7 Camps approved on 

built. 

Unknown Angostura South Dakota BR-121 and 

BR-122 

7 Camps approved on 

built. 

Unknown/Farson? Eden Sweetwater Wyoming BR-129 7 Camp approved in 19

C-7

Appendix D

Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted 

by Project Name 

Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Project Name 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Angostura Angostura South Dakota BR-98 7 Camp approved but nUnknown Angostura South Dakota BR-121 and 

BR-122 

7 Camps approved on 

built. 

Fruitdale Belle Fourche Butte South Dakota BR-2 

(DBR-2) 

7 July 1934 

Caldwell Boise Canyon Idaho BR-24 9 September 1935 Payette Boise Gem Idaho BR-26 9 October 1935 Meridian Boise Ada Idaho BR-73 9 October 1937 Arrowrock Boise (Arrowrock 

Dam) 

Boise Idaho BR-25 9 October 1935 

Glendive Buffalo Rapids Prairie Montana BR-95 9 October 1941 Unknown Buffalo Rapids Unknown Montana BR-112 9 Camp approved but nWilliston Buford-Trenton Williams North Dakota BR-97 November 1941 Carlsbad Carlsbad Eddy New 

Mexico 

BR-3 (DBR-3) 

8 September 1934 

Carlsbad Carlsbad Eddy New 

Mexico 

BR-82 8 July 1938 

1 A number of CCC camps proposed or approved for Reclamation were never built. This explains the breaks in the camp numb

D-1
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Project Name 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Redding No. 1 Central Valley Shasta California BR-84 9 October 1938 Redding No. 2 Central Valley Shasta California BR-85 9 November 1938 Columbia Columbia Basin Lincoln Washington BR-48 9 August 1935 Wickiup Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-75, BR76, BR-77 9 BR-75: July 1938 BR-76: April 1939 

BR-77: April 1939 

Redmond No. 1 Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-88 9 July 1938 Redmond No. 2 Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-89 9 July 1938 Redmond No. 3 Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-90 9 July 1938 Farson Eden Sweetwater Wyoming BR-101 7 July 1941 Farson Eden Sweetwater Wyoming BR-102 7 November 1941 Unknown/Farson? Eden Sweetwater Wyoming BR-129 7 Camp approved in 19Unknown Gooseberry San PeteCarbon Utah BR-100 9 Camp approved for O

never built. 

Grand Junction Grand Valley Mesa Colorado BR-22 8 July 1935 Mesa Grand Valley Mesa Colorado BR-59 8 October 1935 Lovelock Humboldt Pershing Nevada BR-36 9 August 1935 

D-2
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Project Name 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Ballantine Huntley Yellowstone Montana BR-57 9 September 1935 Alcova Kendrick Natrona Wyoming BR-79 8 October 1938 Tulelake Klamath Siskiyou California BR-20 9 October 1935 Unnamed/Bend? Klamath Deschutes Oregon BR-40 9 Camp approved but nKlamath Klamath Klamath Oregon BR-41 9 October 1935 Sidney Lower 

Yellowstone 

Richland Montana BR-30 9 October 1935 

Mancos Mancos Montezuma Colorado BR-93 8 October 1941 Mancos Mancos Montezuma Colorado BR-94 8 November 1941 Unknown/Weiser? Mann Creek Washington Idaho BR-110 9 Camp approved unde

Agreement of 11/1/19

Babb Milk River Glacier Montana BR-32 9 August 1935 Milk River Milk River Phillips Montana BR-69 9 July 1938 Minidoka/ Rupert 

Minidoka Minidoka Idaho BR-27 9 October 1935 

Paul/Rupert Minidoka Minidoka Idaho BR-56 9 July 1938 Hay Springs Mirage Flats Sheridan Nebraska BR-96 7 October 1941 

D-3
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Project Name 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Unknown Mirage Flats Nebraska BR-114 and 

BR-115 

7 Camps approved on 

built. 

Bridgeland (winter) 

Moon Lake Duchesne Utah BR-11 

(DBR-11) 

9 October 1934 

Tahoe City (summer) 

Newlands Placer California BR-21 9 July 1935 

Newlands Newlands Churchill Nevada BR-34 9 November 1935 Carson River Newlands Churchill Nevada BR-35 9 November 1935 Minatare North Platte Scotts Bluff Nebraska BR-1 

(DBR-1)1 7 July 1934 

Lake Guernsey North Platte Platte Wyoming BR-9 

(RS-1)2 8 May 1934 

Lake Guernsey North Platte Platte Wyoming BR-10 8 July 1934 Mitchell North Platte Scotts Bluff Nebraska BR-53 7 June 1935 Bayard North Platte Morrill Nebraska BR-61 7 October 1939 Veteran North Platte Goshen Wyoming BR-83 8 August 1938 Huntsville Ogden River Weber Utah BR-12 

(DBR-12) 

9 October 1934 

1 BR=Drought Relief Camps assigned to the Bureau of Reclamation. They were authorized for a 12-month period. 2 RS-1 stands for Reclamation Service No. 1.

D-4
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Project Name 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Orland Orland Glenn California BR-78 9 June 1938 Ontario Owyhee Malheur Oregon BR-42 9 October 1935 Nyassa Owyhee Malheur Oregon BR-43 9 October 1935 Topock Parker Dam Mohave Arizona BR-17 8 November 1935 Topock Parker Dam 

(at Topock) 

Mohave Arizona BR-18 8 November 1935 

Vallecito (summer) 

Pine River La Plata Colorado BR-81 8 August 1939 

Deer Creek Provo River Wasatch Utah BR-64 9 December 1937 Pleasant Grove Provo River Utah Utah BR-91 9 October 1939 Hill City Rapid Valley Pennington South Dakota BR-99 7 November 1941 Ysleta Rio Grande El Paso Texas BR-4 

(DBR-4) 

8 August 1934 

Elephant Butte Rio Grande Sierra New Mexico BR-8 8 October 1934 Las Cruces Rio Grande Dona Ana New 

Mexico 

BR-39 8 August 1935 

Elephant Butte Rio Grande Sierra New 

Mexico 

D-5

BR-54 8 August 1935 
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Project Name 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Riverton Riverton Fremont Wyoming BR-51 8 September 1941 Unknown Saco Divide Phillips Montana BR-113 9 Proposed camp but u

approved. 

Tempe Salt River Maricopa Arizona BR-14 8 October 1935 Tempe Salt River Maricopa Arizona BR-19 8 October 1935 Ephraim (summer) 

Sanpete Sanpete Utah BR-6 

(DBR-6) 

9 July 1934 

Deaver Shoshone Big Horn Wyoming BR-7 8 August 1935 Powell Shoshone Park Wyoming BR-72 8 July 1938 Cody Shoshone Park Wyoming BR-87 8 April 1939 Currant Creek (summer) 

Strawberry Valley Wasatch Utah BR-5 

(DBR-5) 

9 July 1934 

Augusta (summer camp) 

Sun River Teton Montana BR-33 9 August 1935 

Augusta Sun River Lewis & Clark Montana BR-80 9 September 1938 Reno Truckee Washoe Nevada BR-37 9 November 1935 Boca (Summer camp) 

Truckee Nevada California BR-92 9 May 1939 

Stanfield Umatilla Umatilla Oregon BR-44 9 October 1935 

D-6
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by Project Name 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Montrose Uncompahgre Montrose Colorado BR-23 8 July 1935 Montrose Uncompahgre Montrose Colorado BR-71 8 July 1938 Island Park Upper Snake 

River 

Fremont Idaho BR-28 9 July 1935 

Vale Vale Malheur Oregon BR-45 9 October 1935 Topaz Lake (Summer Camp) 

Walker River Douglas Nevada BR-52 9 July 1935 

Clear Creek (Summer camp) 

Yakima Yakima Washington BR-49 9 August 1935 

Kachess Yakima Kittitas Washington BR-50 9 July 1935 Sunnyside Yakima Yakima Washington BR-58 9 June 1938 Cowiche Yakima Yakima Washington BR-66 9 July 1938 Bumping Lake Yakima Yakima Washington BR-67 9 August 1941 Zillah Yakima Yakima Washington BR-86 9 November 1939 Yuma Yuma Yuma Arizona BR-13 8 Fall 1935 Yuma Yuma Yuma Arizona BR-74 8 November 1937 

D-7

Appendix E

Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted 

by State 

Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by State 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Topock Parker Dam Mohave Arizona BR-17 8 November 1935 Topock Parker Dam 

(at Topock) 

Mohave Arizona BR-18 8 November 1935 

Tempe Salt River Maricopa Arizona BR-14 8 October 1935 Tempe Salt River Maricopa Arizona BR-19 8 October 1935 Yuma Yuma Yuma Arizona BR-13 8 Fall 1935 Yuma Yuma Yuma Arizona BR-74 8 November 1937 Redding No. 1 Central Valley Shasta California BR-84 9 October 1938 Redding No. 2 Central Valley Shasta California BR-85 9 November 1938 Tulelake Klamath Siskiyou California BR-20 9 October 1935 Tahoe City (summer) 

Newlands Placer California BR-21 9 July 1935 

Orland Orland Glenn California BR-78 9 June 1938 Boca (Summer camp) 

Truckee Nevada California BR-92 9 May 1939 

Grand Junction Grand Valley Mesa Colorado BR-22 8 July 1935 

1 A number of CCC camps proposed or approved for Reclamation were never built. This explains the breaks in the camp numb

E-1
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by State 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Mesa Grand Valley Mesa Colorado BR-59 8 October 1935 Mancos Mancos Montezuma Colorado BR-93 8 October 1941 Mancos Mancos Montezuma Colorado BR-94 8 November 1941 Vallecito (summer) 

Pine River La Plata Colorado BR-81 8 August 1939 

Montrose Uncompahgre Montrose Colorado BR-23 8 July 1935 Montrose Uncompahgre Montrose Colorado BR-71 8 July 1938 Caldwell Boise Canyon Idaho BR-24 9 September 1935 Payette Boise Gem Idaho BR-26 9 October 1935 Meridian Boise Ada Idaho BR-73 9 October 1937 Arrowrock Boise (Arrowrock 

Dam) 

Boise Idaho BR-25 9 October 1935 

Unknown/Weiser? Mann Creek Washington Idaho BR-110 9 Camp approved unde

Agreement of 11/1/19

Minidoka/ Rupert 

Minidoka Minidoka Idaho BR-27 9 October 1935 

Paul/Rupert Minidoka Minidoka Idaho BR-56 9 July 1938 Island Park Upper Snake 

River 

Fremont Idaho BR-28 9 July 1935 

E-2
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by State 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Glendive Buffalo Rapids Prairie Montana BR-95 9 October 1941 Unknown Buffalo Rapids Unknown Montana BR-112 9 Camp approved but nBallantine Huntley Yellowstone Montana BR-57 9 September 1935 Sidney Lower 

Yellowstone 

Richland Montana BR-30 9 October 1935 

Babb Milk River Glacier Montana BR-32 9 August 1935 Milk River Milk River Phillips Montana BR-69 9 July 1938 Unknown Saco Divide Phillips Montana BR-113 9 Proposed camp but u

approved. 

Augusta (summer camp) 

Sun River Teton Montana BR-33 9 August 1935 

Augusta Sun River Lewis & Clark Montana BR-80 9 September 1938 Hay Springs Mirage Flats Sheridan Nebraska BR-96 7 October 1941 Unknown Mirage Flats Nebraska BR-114 and 

BR-115 

7 Camps approved on 

built. 

Minatare North Platte Scotts Bluff Nebraska BR-1 

(DBR-1)1 7 July 1934 

Mitchell North Platte Scotts Bluff Nebraska BR-53 7 June 1935 

1 BR=Drought Relief Camps assigned to the Bureau of Reclamation. They were authorized for a 12-month period.

E-3
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by State 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Bayard North Platte Morrill Nebraska BR-61 7 October 1939 Lovelock Humboldt Pershing Nevada BR-36 9 August 1935 Newlands Newlands Churchill Nevada BR-34 9 November 1935 Carson River Newlands Churchill Nevada BR-35 9 November 1935 Reno Truckee Washoe Nevada BR-37 9 November 1935 Topaz Lake (Summer Camp) 

Walker River Douglas Nevada BR-52 9 July 1935 

Carlsbad Carlsbad Eddy New 

Mexico 

BR-3 (DBR-3) 

8 September 1934 

Carlsbad Carlsbad Eddy New 

Mexico 

BR-82 8 July 1938 

Las Cruces Rio Grande Dona Ana New 

Mexico 

BR-39 8 August 1935 

Elephant Butte Rio Grande Sierra New 

Mexico 

BR-54 8 August 1935 

Elephant Butte Rio Grande Sierra New Mexico BR-8 8 October 1934 Williston Buford-Trenton Williams North Dakota BR-97 November 1941 

E-4
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by State 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Wickiup Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-75, 

BR 76, BR-77 

9 BR-75: July 1938 

BR-76: April 1939 BR-77: April 1939 

Redmond No. 1 Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-88 9 July 1938 Redmond No. 2 Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-89 9 July 1938 Redmond No. 3 Deschutes Deschutes Oregon BR-90 9 July 1938 Unnamed/Bend? Klamath Deschutes Oregon BR-40 9 Camp approved but nKlamath Klamath Klamath Oregon BR-41 9 October 1935 Ontario Owyhee Malheur Oregon BR-42 9 October 1935 Nyassa Owyhee Malheur Oregon BR-43 9 October 1935 Stanfield Umatilla Umatilla Oregon BR-44 9 October 1935 Vale Vale Malheur Oregon BR-45 9 October 1935 Angostura Angostura South Dakota BR-98 7 Camp approved but nUnknown Angostura South Dakota BR-121 and 

BR-122 

7 Camps approved on 

built. 

Fruitdale Belle Fourche Butte South Dakota BR-2 

(DBR-2) 

7 July 1934 

Hill City Rapid Valley Pennington South Dakota BR-99 7 November 1941 

E-5
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by State 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Ysleta Rio Grande El Paso Texas BR-4 

(DBR-4) 

8 August 1934 

Unknown Gooseberry San PeteCarbon Utah BR-100 9 Camp approved for O

never built. 

Bridgeland (winter) 

Moon Lake Duchesne Utah BR-11 

(DBR-11) 

9 October 1934 

Huntsville Ogden River Weber Utah BR-12 

(DBR-12) 

9 October 1934 

Deer Creek Provo River Wasatch Utah BR-64 9 December 1937 Pleasant Grove Provo River Utah Utah BR-91 9 October 1939 Ephraim (summer) 

Sanpete Sanpete Utah BR-6 

(DBR-6) 

9 July 1934 

Currant Creek (summer) 

Strawberry Valley Wasatch Utah BR-5 

(DBR-5) 

9 July 1934 

Columbia Columbia Basin Lincoln Washington BR-48 9 August 1935 Clear Creek (Summer camp) 

Yakima Yakima Washington BR-49 9 August 1935 

Kachess Yakima Kittitas Washington BR-50 9 July 1935 Sunnyside Yakima Yakima Washington BR-58 9 June 1938 Cowiche Yakima Yakima Washington BR-66 9 July 1938 

E-6
Reclamation CCC Camps Sorted by State 

Camp Name

Reclamation 

Project County State

CAMP 

NUMBER1

Army 

Corps 

Area

Date 

Occupied

Bumping Lake Yakima Yakima Washington BR-67 9 August 1941 Zillah Yakima Yakima Washington BR-86 9 November 1939 Farson Eden Sweetwater Wyoming BR-101 7 July 1941 Farson Eden Sweetwater Wyoming BR-102 7 November 1941 Unknown/Farson? Eden Sweetwater Wyoming BR-129 7 Camp approved in 19Alcova Kendrick Natrona Wyoming BR-79 8 October 1938 Lake Guernsey North Platte Platte Wyoming BR-9 

(RS-1)2 8 May 1934 

Lake Guernsey North Platte Platte Wyoming BR-10 8 July 1934 Veteran North Platte Goshen Wyoming BR-83 8 August 1938 Riverton Riverton Fremont Wyoming BR-51 8 September 1941 Deaver Shoshone Big Horn Wyoming BR-7 8 August 1935 Powell Shoshone Park Wyoming BR-72 8 July 1938 Cody Shoshone Park Wyoming BR-87 8 April 1939 

2 RS-1 stands for Reclamation Service No. 1.

E-7

Appendix F

List of Reclamation Spike (Side) Camps 

F-1

List of Reclamation Spike (Side) Camps 

Reclamation Project Main Camp 

Number 

Spike Camp Location 

Carlsbad BR-3 Alamogordo Dam, New Mexico 

Ogden River BR-12 Strawberry Valley Project (BR-5), Utah 

Uncompahgre BR-23 and 71 1. Portal to Gunnison Tunnel 

2. Taylor Park 

Both in Colorado 

Boise BR-26 Abandoned BR-25, Arrowrock, Idaho 

Lower Yellowstone BR-30 Savage, Montana 

Newlands BR-34 1. Mason, Nevada 

2. Lake Topaz, Nevada 

3. Boca, California 

Rio Grande BR-39 Hatch, New Mexico 

Klamath BR-41 Clear Lake Reservoir, California 

Owyhee BR-42 Unity, Oregon 

Vale BR-45 Beulah, Oregon 

Huntley BR-57 Billings, Montana 

Provo River BR-64 Willard, Utah 

Milk River BR-69 1. Fresno Dam, Montana 

2. Glasgow, Montana 

North Platte BR-83 Lake Guernsey, Wyoming 

Provo River BR-91 1. Altonah, Utah 

2. Moon Lake, Utah 

Appendix G

Select Journal Articles Relating to Bureau of 

Reclamation CCC Activities 

G-1

Select Journal Articles Relating to Bureau of Reclamation 

CCC Activities 

Articles Appearing in The Reclamation Era 

(a monthly journal published by the Bureau of Reclamation) 

1935 

January 

Cory, H.T., consulting engineer, “Civilian Conservation Corps Work on Reclamation Projects,” 

page 22. 

March 

Martin, John S., accounting division, Bureau of Reclamation, “Accomplishment and Finances of 

Emergency Conservation Work Camps,” page 58. 

May

Editorial, no author, “Emergency Conservation Work Under Reclamation Bureau,” page 92. 

June

No author, “C.C.C. Camps Assigned to Bureau of Reclamation,” page 129. 

September

No author, “C.C.C. Camps on Reclamation Projects,” page 188. 

December

“C.C.C. forces for Ontario Camp BR-A2 and Nyssa Camp BB-43 arrived on the Owyhee Project 

on October 19, and graveling of camp grounds and roads leading to camps was carried on during 

the remainder of the month,” page 231. 

Golze, Alfred, assistant to supervising engineer, E.C.W., “Reclamation and Emergency 

Conservation Work,” page 235. 

1936 

April

Golze, Alfred, assistant to supervising engineer, E.C.W., “Emergency Conservation Work 

Activities,” page 102. 

May

Weber, R.C.E., Superintendent, Yuma Project, “Emergency Conservation Work, Yuma Project - 

Arizona-California,” page 124. 
G-2

June

No author, C. C. C. Camps in Colorado included in article, “Operations of the Bureau of 

Reclamation in Colorado, page 130. 

July

Golze, Alfred, assistant to supervising engineer, E.C.W., “Emergency Conservation Work Safety 

Program,” page 175. 

August

Heinemann, E.H., junior engineer, C. C. C. Aids Explorers included in article, “Lake Mead 

Disturbs the Ancient Indian,” page 182. 

November

Lumpee, Henry L., assistant clerk, Vale, Oregon, “The Civilian Conservation Corps: Irrigator,” 

page 268. 

December 

Davis, Louis, S., engineer, Emergency Conservation Work, “E. C. W. Activities on Reclamation 

Projects,” page 298. 

1937 

January

Golze, Alfred R., supervising engineer, E.C.W., “C. C. C. Accomplishments on Reclamation 

Projects,” page 20. 

February

Golze, Alfred R., supervising engineer, E.C.W., “Reclamation Work Trains CCC Man,” page 38. 

March

Dunkley, L.R., associate engineer, “C. C. C. Builds Midview Reservoir and Canals, Moon Lake 

Projects, Utah,” page 66. 

April

Golze, Alfred R., supervising engineer, E.C.W., “Summer Program of Reclamation C. C. C. 

Camps,” page 86. 

May

Beam, Clyde C., assistant to the supervising engineer, E. C. W., “Safety in the Reclamation 

Civilian Conservation Corps Camps,” page 116. 

June

No author, “C. C. C. Demonstrates Improved Practices in Weed Control,” page 142. 

July

Mealey, W.P., Jr., superintendent, Camp BR-39, “C. C. C. Erosion and Flood Control Program, 

Rio Grande Project,” page 164. 
G-3

August 

Golze, Alfred R., supervising engineer, C.C.C., “C. C. C. and Emergency Work,” page 188. 

September 

Beam, Clyde C., Assistant to Supervising Engineer, CCC, “Accomplishments of Bureau CCC 

Camps,” page 222. 

October 

No author, “Reclamation C. C. C. Work in Cooperation With the Bureau of Biological Survey,” 

page 248. 

November 

Golze, A.R., “The Future of the Civilian Conservation Corps,” page 266. 

1938 

January

Balcom, R.B., Senior Foreman, Camp BR-1, “What Trees Have Done for A. E. Scott in the 

Great Plains Area,” page 14. 

Fiock, L.R., superintendent, Rio Grande Project, and regional director, CCC, “Work of the 

Civilian Conservation Corps at Elephant Butte Reservoir,” page 16. 

February

Berg, Irving, senior foreman, CCC Camp BR-57, “Civilian Conservation Corps Constructs the 

Anita Dam - Huntley Project,” page 38. 

July

Fiock, L.R., superintendent, Rio Grande Project, and regional director, CCC, “Where the 

Gophers Go, CCC Boys Rough on Rats,” page 134. 

Jensen, E.S., Junior Engineer, Bureau of Reclamation “Civilian Conservation Corps Constructs 

Midview Dam, Moon Lake Project,” page 136. 

 

August

No author, “C.C.C. Program for Federal Reclamation Projects, Fiscal Year 1939,” page 163.

September 

Golze, Alfred R., supervising engineer, CCC, “Civilian Conservation Corps Accomplishments 

on Federal Reclamation Projects,” page 190. 

October

No author, “Orland CCC Camp Educational Program,” page 207. 
G-4

November 

No author, “CCC Rebuilds Deer Flat Reservoir Embankments,” page 230. 

No author, “Directory of Approved CCC Camps, Twelfth Enrollment Period,” page 232. 

December

No author, “Deschutes Project Canal Work Started With CCC Camp Dedication” page 254. 

1939 

January 

Page, John C., Commissioner of Reclamation, “CCC Aid” in the article, “Federal Reclamation in 

Nebraska,” page 7. 

Williamson, Thomas, assistant engineer, “CCC Construction of Parapet and Curb Walls Rye 

Patch Dam, Humboldt Project, Nevada,” page 15. 

March 

Golze, Alfred R., supervising engineer, CCC, “Reclamation Trains the CCC Enrollee,” 

page 62. 

Youngblutt, F.C., project superintendent and regional director, CCC, “Large Siphons on Belle 

Fourche Project Constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps,” page 65. 

April

Shepard, Erle W., chief clerk, Carlsbad Project, “CCC Reconstructs McMillan Dam and the 

Avalon Dam Spillway, Carlsbad Project,” page 72. 

Ketchum, Smith A., assistant engineer, “CCC Activities on the Kennett Division Central Valley 

Project,” page 85. 

No author, “CCC Completes Shoshone Telephone Line,” page 92. 

May 

Gavin, Ava Hays, assistant clerk, “Civilian Conservation Corps at Alcova Reservoir, Kendrick 

Project, Wyoming,” page 100. 

Fisher, C.C., construction engineer and regional director, CCC, “CCC Aids in Construction of 

the Deschutes Project,” page 101. 

No author, “CCC Constructs 18-Mile Range Drift Fence Owyhee Project,” page 115. 
G-5

June

No author, “Beginning of Construction of Wickiup Reservoir by CCC Forces, Deschutes Project, 

Oregon,” page 139. 

No author, “Special Motion-Picture Work,” page 140. 

Ashline, A.N., assistant engineer, “CCC Enrollees Salvage Owyhee Railroad,” page 141. 

No author, “Establishment of CCC Camp at Boca Dam” in the article “Boca Dam Construction 

Work Resumed,” page 143. 

July

Mannick, Alfred, assistant engineer, “CCC Enrollees Reconstruct Portion of Mabton Siphon, 

Sunnyside Division, Yakima Project,” page 181. 

Sullivan, Ralph W., assistant to supervising engineer, CCC, “Job Training in the Reclamation 

CCC Camps,” page 184. 

August 

No author, “Rodent Control by Minidoka CCC’s,” page 213. 

Carmody, D.L., superintendent and regional director, CCC, “CCC Accomplishments on the 

Orland Project,” page 218. 

No author, “Lower Yellowstone CCC’s Active,” page 220. 

Ashline, A.N., assistant engineer, “Water Hemlock Eradication on the Owyhee Project,” page 

222. 

September 

Golze, Alfred R., supervising engineer, CCC, “CCC Accomplishments on Federal Reclamation 

Projects, F. Y. 1939,” page 248. 

October

Maxey, Jr. William, assistant engineer, CCC, “CCC Activities on the Milk River Project,” page 

257. 

December

In the report, “Report of F. O. Hagis, Secretary-Manager National Reclamation Association” is 

the following paragraph, “The CCC program, with 44 of its camps assigned to reclamation work, 

was continued by law for 4 more years,” page 327. 

Under the heading, “Resolutions Adopted by N. R. A. at 8th Annual Convention, Denver, Colo., 

November 14-16, 1939" is “Resolution No. 10" - CCC aid in Great Plains States, page 337. 
G-6

Langell, Fred C., superintendent, CCC Camp, BR-41, “Additional Storage Provided in Clear 

Lake Reservoir, Klamath Project,” page 347. 

1940

March 

Taylor, Paul, assistant engineer, “Clearing Kachess Reservoir Area With CCC Forces - Yakima 

Project, Washington,” pages 77-79. 

April

Lumpee, Henry L., Vale Project, Oregon, “Parapet Wall on Agency Valley Dam,” pages 106-

107. 

May

Balcom, R.B., senior foreman, CCC Camp BR-1, “The Recreational Development of Lake 

Minatare - North Platte Project.” page 129. 

June

No author, “The Museum at Guernsey, Wyoming,” page 184. 

November

Golze, Alfred, R., supervising engineer, CCC, “CCC Accomplishments on Federal Reclamation 

Projects” - Fiscal Year 1940, page 318. 

December 

No author, “Improvement Activities at Boca Dam, Truckee Storage Project, Nevada-California,” 

page 347. 

1941 

January 

Kay, R.C., assistant engineer, CCC, “CCC Reconstructs Alkali Creek Inclined Drop - Shoshone 

Project,” page 10. 

March

Beam, C.C., associate engineer, CCC, “Deschutes Project CCC Enrollees Operate Construction 

Equipment,” page 90. 

April

Golze, Alfred, R., supervising engineer, CCC, “Operation and Maintenance of CCC Equipment 

on Reclamation Projects - Its Relation to National Defense,” page 118. 

May

Martin, Melvin R., junior engineer, “CCC Clearing Operations in Shasta Reservoir,” page 144. 
G-7

July

No author, “Operation and Maintenance Civilian Conservation Corps Soil and Moisture 

Conservation,” page 196. 

Olsen, F.J., chief, program and property control section, Office of the Departmental 

Representative on the Advisory Council, CCC, “CCC Goes to War on Rodents,” page 197. 

December 

No author, “First Honors in CCC Exhibits at the California State Fair,” page 320. 

1942 

April

Rounds, N.G., E. L. Forte and W. R. Fry, CCC, “Lining Lateral Canals - Precast Concrete Slabs 

Used on Yuma Project,” page 89. 

Other Journal Articles 

Golze, Alfred B., “The CCC on Federal Reclamation Projects,” Civil Engineering, 

November 1939, pp. 652-656.