Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-05-26
From a Brook to a Torrent.

The flow of the Salt river valley is
variable in the extreme. At low water
periods it runs something like loo
cubic feet per second. In one great
flood the river swept down the valley
at the rate of 100000 cubic feet pei
second. The 18th annual report OF
the Geological survey describes the
flood of 1891 as follows, all of which
ran uselessly to the sea for lack OF
storage:
ION February II, the discharge was
S35 cubic feet per second. increasing
the next day to $4,000 cubic feet and
on the 18th to 276000 cubic feet. This
was followed by a second greater
swell. until on the Gath maximum
Of 100000 cubic feet was reached.
The Roosevelt dam is to control and
store such floods. About so miles
from Phoenix. the Salt river enters a
profound canyon. with lofty. preclp
itous walls and a narrow floor, IN
which is located the dam site. ABOVE
the dam the canyon opens into VIDE
valleys, providing the most capaclous
reservoir in the west.
.Tt would probably be impossible &c
find anywhere in the arid region.
said Government Engineer Arthur T
Davis. the protector of this magnln
cent enterprise, "a storage project III
which all conditions are as favorapie
as in this one. The capacity or the
reservoir in proportion to the dimen-
sions of the dam is enormous ana tne
lands TO be watered are of remarkable
fertility, with a climate whlcn may
he classed as almost semi uoplc.
Mr. Davis also made the lliipoita,,'
discovery that material lot l,ian ,ia
good Portland cement and bricks lies
~, nv
states that the masonry dam now un
dar construction will be absolutely
COMMENSURATE, solid and secure
for all ages to come, a part OF .iie
everlasting hills of which 1t VIII pe-
come an integral part. a.,
Finding that the prices bid by tne
cement manufacturers would aau a,,
Increased burden of hall ihliiloii y,
more dollars to the payments VI .ne
irrigators, the government cons, ,;,,
ed an immense cement iii III anu 49,
itself manufacture the ZUoooV vi Az
arrels Of cement needed for the Dam
a snlendid roadway, rivaling tne
mountain roads of the Incas, mas peei u
hniIt from Phoenix to the DAM AZ
cost If over a hundred thousand uoi-
,ars The cost of the entire cohs,iuo
ion three million and a nan uoliai p
lii no anportioned among the Janus
,.anaivinq the water. to be paiu 20
70 the government in ten annual ~
stallments. and no water usei
hold more than 160 acres
The River to Build Its Own Dam.
An interesting feature of the cor
struction work is the power Tho
which has already been bullt. Az AZ
.aa,,iar flow of the river has peei u
,,artad above the dam site; anu a.
III noint is tumbled over the Tooma,
ranerating some 10000 electrical NO H.
sewer 10 be utilized in puiiolns nd
dam It will be REQUIRED uts roclxs
night for drilling. moving grea n,,,Ters
humping. grinding rocks anu and
mixing and handing The river
handing machinery Inc Not IFS
is thus being forced to cree. IN
10 ." dam After the construclion,
this mower added to large auoi haayv
LIVER 10 be extracted from the Mt. s;te
powei tha river below the dam si,e,
IAN .,, u -, electrically transmitted "
, VII W not covered by the gravity ca .h;s
sar running purposes ana gs
,,1s fnllv 10000 acres auur.d
Iii he watered from the uits Salt
SunnIy found throughout 'h
river valley. ,r;,, nrovide an
An aiiIpi xcessive flood waters. anu
escap enaI driven through sohu an
am Iua enter the reservoir DIRECTLY spil,woV
its bottom to suPp }er fhe dis Of
i,s;,,ent from the reservoirs, ,-o,,;ded
sedlIlei. NE is already well proNiu t,a
Inc ,ransnortation by the Sal.a ond
Win III Southern Pacific ra nroaua IN
anu anu axcentional climatic conult i' nrices
s s an early market anu agricul-
ture and horticulture - the salt and
The ,s dralIe aggregate some lo;vOv
I ~ miles and some s OF tne pierce
. .hn skv at an altitude OF ,,T1yG; ygG