Salt River Project Diversion and Conveyance System Historic District: National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
Creators: name: Bailey, Jim
Publisher: name: USDI, National Park Service
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Salt River Valley
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/2784/salt-river-valley
subject: Phoenix Metropolitan Area
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/84548/phoenix-metropolitan-area
subject: Historic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/25/historic
subject: Euroamerican
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/28/euroamerican
subject: Granite Reef Diversion Dam
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/10093/granite-reef-diversion-dam
subject: South Canal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/10094/south-canal
subject: Consolidated Canal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/10095/consolidated-canal
subject: New Crosscut Canal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/106240/new-crosscut-canal
subject: Arizona Canal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/10048/arizona-canal
subject: Western Canal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/10064/western-canal
subject: Eastern Canal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/10097/eastern-canal
subject: Highline Canal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/10070/highline-canal
subject: Grand Canal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/9976/grand-canal
subject: Tempe Canal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/10056/tempe-canal
subject: Crosscut Hydro Plant
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/9977/crosscut-hydro-plant
subject: Historic Structure
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/336/historic-structure
subject: Diversion Dam
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/817/diversion-dam
subject: Canal or Canal Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/275/canal-or-canal-feature
subject: Water Control Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/279/water-control-feature
subject: power plant
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/826/power-plant
subject: Building Materials
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/8/building-materials
subject: National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/158783/national-register-of-historic-places-registration-form
subject: Bureau of Reclamation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/2404/bureau-of-reclamation
subject: Salt River Project
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/139554/salt-river-project
subject: Historic Background Research
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/18/historic-background-research
subject: Heritage Management
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/24/heritage-management

description: The Salt River Project Diversion and Conveyance Historic District consists of nine main canals, the diversion dam that feeds water to those canals, and one hydropower plant situated on one of those canals. The contributing properties are: Granite Reef Diversion Dam (a structure); the Southside Gatekeeper’s house at the dam (a building); three canals serving land on the north side of the Salt River (the Arizona, Grand, and New Crosscut canals, all structures); six canals serving land on the south side of the Salt River (the South, Eastern, Consolidated, Tempe, Western, and Highline canals, all structures); and the Crosscut Hydro Plant (a building), situated at the downstream end of the New Crosscut Canal. All are part of an operationally interconnected system of 1,300 miles of canals, laterals, ditches, and drains, with appurtenant sub-structures, that supply water to farms and communities within an approximately 375 square mile water service area. The Crosscut Hydro Plant is one component of the larger Salt River Project power generation system that, collectively, provides electric service to a three county area of central Arizona that encompasses Phoenix and its satellite communities and area farms. The Salt River Project Diversion and Conveyance System exhibits statewide significance under Criterion A in the areas of Politics/Government, Community Planning and Development, and Agriculture. Under Criterion A it is associated with the evolution of the Salt River Project, one of the first five federally-sponsored western water projects authorized under the National Reclamation Act of 1902. Under Politics/Government and Community Planning and Development, it is associated with the growth of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Under Agriculture, it was pivotal in providing water to support the agricultural industry that was the economic foundation of local communities in the Salt River Valley.