Arizona republican., 1908-03-14
GRANITE REEF DAM
 AND ARIZONA CANAL
Latest Bulletins of the Progress of
 cons'r"'ti0" Cons Work and Ditch Dig


 Lieutenant General $. E. NJ. Young and Mrs. Young were the guests of Engineer L. c. Hill Thursday in an automobile trip to Granite Reef, the lide being enjoyed very much by all. Mir Hill when interviewed concerning the progress of the work announced that the river was falling and condi- tions were becoming normal again. Work never was stopped entirely by the flood but now it is going again at practically full force.
 A little concrete has been placed on the dam every day, notwithstanding the high water, for there was always some place where a little work could be done. Since the last rise however, the finishing touches have been put on about 90 feet of the dam and it is ex- pected that yesterday work would be going at full force with the big gable It will not take long to finish aHother section of fifty or seventy-five feet. After the section now being finished. is finished, the water will be diverted over the center of the apron which is now all built except d little at the south end which can be finished as soon as the next readjustment of the coffer dam is made. It will not be long until the apron will be entirely finished and the dam proper, will all be above water level.
 Excavation has begun for the sluic- ing gates in the Arizona canal 1900 feet below the head, the purpose of which will be to flush from the canal the sand that may enter it over the settling basin at the head. This flush ing will be done when there is plenty of water to spare for washing the sand back into the river. These gates are 7x9 feet in size and there will be six Of them opening back into the river channel There will also be a line of gates across the canal just below this point. to be raised most of the time but lowered when it is desirable to open the sluicing gates.
 The dredge is working full time and to good advantage. The dredge began operations at the head of the old Pow CT canal, 10000 feet below the Granite Reef dam and has been working up stream. The plan is to deepen the channel and widen it on one side on the upstream trip. then working back, or on a second trip widen the canal on the other side. On this first trip or first bite at the apple, the canal has been widened on one side and deepened for 35D0 feet and the next section of 2000 feet above will be slow CT work for it is practically through d rock cut The bottom however through thIs section was all shot up and loOs- ened with pow der to the depth requir- ed, many months ago when the canal was dry. 80 that the big dredger scoop can handle most of the rock. The banks will probably require powder though and this ec00 feet will be slow and tedious work compared to the rest of the canal. But for the present this 1000 feet section will be skipped and the dredge will be taken above the sluiCing gates and the 1600 feet between that point and the Granite Reef dam will be finished, Gall but cutting in the head " hiCh can be done with teams in a day). So the dredge can be taken down stream again before the sluicing gates are placed. This upper work will be done with dispatch for the ground will probably not require blast ing. though the canal banks are quite high and will require considerable ex Cavation. Altogether there is about a mile of good hard work that il will take months to do. but after that the dirt will fly fast clear down to Indian I;cnd.