The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-05-02
ALL BIG DAMS
COST BIG MONEY
EASTERN WORK is NO CRITERION
Comparison of Cost and Size of the
Big Eastern Dams With
Western Projects.

One OF the most surprising features
connected with the work OF tile Rcrama-
ton Service, as weii as the one afford
ing highest gratifcation IS the cost Of
structures compared with those which
have become familiar t. engineers IN
the east
When the reclamation work was in
augurated it was a matter Of conjecture
whether or not the standards of cost
for dams, canals, ETC., that has been es-
tablished by engineering practice in the
eastern part Of the country. could he re
lied upon as a basis of estimates of the
cost of the proposed western structures.
As the work has progressed it has be-
come more and more evident that many
classes Of engineering work in the wcst
can be performed considerably cheaper
than in the east and at the same time
the natural conditions are such that
these structures are more economical and
effective.
If we take. for example. the three
great masonry dams now being erected
for the purpose of storing water. viz:
the Roosevelt dam in Arizona. the Path
finder dam in southeastern Wyoming
and the Shoshone dam in northwestern
Wyoming, we shall find that the effec-
tive storage capacity and costs are far
below those of some of the great east
crn dams like the new Croton in New
York, and the Wachusett in Massac,iu-
sets. The heights of these dams are
as follows: Roosevelt $50 feet: Path
finder 90 feet: Shoshone, sos feet
New Croton 297 feet. and Wachusett.
POI feet. These heights are measured
from the foundation stones to parapet
in each case, and they show that the
Shoshone is the highest. while the New
Croton is second and the Roosevelt third
IF. however. the height above the river
bed is considered that is. the effective
storage height. the New Croton is the
lowest. The order IS then MS follows;
Shoshone. 240 feet; Roosevelt, $50 feet;
Pathfinder. 200 feet; Wachusett. ls5
feet and the New Croton l57 feet. In
other words. about so per cent Of the
masonry in the New Croton dam is be-
low ground and is serviceabe for founda-
ton purposes only.
ic inf -, ,o4o h.
tive reservoir capacity. While the New
Croton dam is the largest in the world
from the standpoint Of its masonry. the
storage capacity Of the reservoir formed
by it is by far the lowest OF any of
those above mentioned In fact from Il
standpoint of storage economy. tile New
Croton reservoir is one Of the poorest
that has been constructed in recent
years. The dam contains $4,000 cubic
yards OF masonry and was erected at
cost OF S7,600000. The capacity of
the reservoir formed by it is 100000
600 cubic feet, or a cost OF 81 900 per
million cubic feet storage. Similar fg-
ures for the Wachusett dam show that it
contains 100000 cubic yards Of masonry.
and was erected 1T cost Of about So
100000, It's storage capacity is $780,.
100000 cubic feet. or cost Of S23s per
million cubic feet storage In contrast
to these excessive costs the three west
ern dams appear remarkable. Tie
Roosevelt dam for example. contains
$4,000 cubic yards oi masonry erected
At cost Of s3.S5o0oo The capacity IT
the reservoir is 81 0oooo00o cubic feet.
or fifteen times That Of tie New Crotan
and about ~ times that Of the Waeb.
usett. The cost Of this dam pen million
cubic feet storage is only SG3l6 Even
more remarkable appears the Pathfinder
dam. It contains $4,000 cubic wards OF
masonry, erected at a cost Of 81 100000
The capacity of the reservoir is 1850.
100000 cubic feet, or more than ten
times that OF the Croton. The cost az
the dam per million cubic feet storage
is therefore only S22.05 as against 81 900
for the New Croton. and S23S for the
Wachusett Similar figures Tor the
Shoshone dam. the highest in the world.
are-cubie yards of masonry, $4,000.
cost, sl,oooooo. capacity OF reservoir.
2o0oo,ooo cubic feet, or cost per mil
hon cubic feet storage of S5O.35.
These extremely low costs have sell
dom been equalled in the history of res
ervoir construction. and are due largely
to the excellent natural facilities which
are found in the rugged western coun-
try. From this fact it must not be in
ferred that these western structures are
simple engineering works On the con.
trary, owing to their isolated location
their inaccessibility by rail and often
by wagon, and the cratic and torrential
character of the streams, they involve
problems which tax the skill and in
genuity of their builders to the utmost.
II is most fortunate that these reser-
voirs provide enormous storage at rel
atiValv low oact nfhar,-;e. 4lo..