The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1907-08-22
WILL REBUILD DAM
Work Begins Today by the
Canyon Canal Co.

The best news The Index carrie
to its readers this week is that th'
work of rebuilding the Canyon cana
dam began to day and will be con
tinued until completed Along witt
the replacing Of the dam will alst
90 the reconstruction or strengthen
ing of every weak spot in the canal
until, as the company states, it be
comes the best irrigating system in
the state.
This decision was the result of a
meeting held in this city Saturday,
when George b. Rogers, president
of the Canyon Canal company; D. R.
Niyer, representing the Trowbridge
q Niver company of Chicago; State
Engineer Stevenson; Mr.. Chase. a
prominent engineer of Washington;
Chief Engineer Tom Babbitt, and a
number of business men and mem
bers of the Canyon Canal Water
Users Association were pleased.
The position of engineer of the
work was offered to Tom Babbitt,
engineer of the White Pine Milling
company, which he accepted on con-
, dition that he be given full power
and free hand in rebuilding the
dam and putting the canal in first
class condition. He was given to
understand that the company would
stand back of him in any expense he
may think necessary to incur in
order to carry out his plans.
In an interview with Mr.. Babbitt
last night, he gave to The Index a
general outline of the course he had
mapped out, as follows:
The new dam will be built ON the
site of the old one. 1t will be crib |
dam, 60 feet at the base, with an
apron 80 feet wide. An apron is a
-brush foundation and is adopted on
work of this character where solid
rock foundation is not obtainable.
1t is made of willow brush woven
into bundles about 6 inches in dia-
meter, each bundle being interlaced
every six inches with wire. In this
case each bundle will be 80 feet long,
projecting beneath the base of the
dam on the lower side 20 feet. The
bundles are then interlaced with
cables every foot, the ends of the
cables tied to each bank of the river,
thus forming a solid mat of brush
work. Upon this network the dam {
will rest. The object of the apron {
is to prevent water from washing
under at the upper side or cutting )
under on the lower side. The old
dam had no apron, but rested on a
loose foundation, which the water
cut away. The bed of the river at
the point where the dam rested is |
now five feet lower than it was t
when the dam was built.
In addition to the rebuilding of I
the dam, all fumes that are consid-
cred weak or defective will be re- I
built or strengthened. Those rest Q
ing on earth will be supported by v
cement or masonry pillars. Some of n
the fumes will be torn out and C
earth work and cement substituted. v
The dam will be three feet lower e
than the old one in order to avoid d
with the Boise-Payette b
company's power plant. This will '
lowering and widening b
the ditch at the upper end for dis v
lance of two or three miles. t
Mr.. Babbitt has not yet examined t,
the tunnels and is therefore unable F
to state whether they will be chang Il
I'd or not. He thinks, however. they \
,hould be cemented. W
1t is estimated that four months 81
Will be required to complete the "
lob. Work started this morning at b
he dam, where soundings are being p
made. Charlie Hedrick has been e.
appointed general foreman and he is Ii
very competent man, having had B
afge experience in the construction n
# irrigation enterprises. II
The selection of Mr.. Babbitt as a
,hief engineer is wise one and will W
10 much to restore the confidence p
# the people of this section in the =
Ultimate success of this great pro-
ect. He is a man of ability and ex-
,erience. More than that, he is a