Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1908-04-24
Governments
FIRST PROJECT
SALT RIVER IRRIGATION
DAM LARGEST IN WORLD
Area OF Reservoir when Complete
WIN 10 is,soO and WIN Water ieo,'
900 Acres OF Arid Iasnd--Valicy IL
80 by 40 Miles In Extent and ix'
rcmcly Rich---Projcct WIN Cos
ss,OoO,OOO when Complete.


The following comprehensive re-
view OF the salt river government lr-
rigation project. the first and largest
Of the government schemes. Is from
government report and gives Many IN
terosting details:
First among tho many Irrigation
sehemes planned by tho government
reclamation service Ia tho Salt river
project at Roosevelt. AriH., where the
largest reservoir In the world Is being
finished. says the report. This ator-
age dam Is s76 feet high and VIII I'M
pound t,ssA,00O aere-feet OF water,
creating reservoir having an area OF
is, 500 acres or ass square miles.
This structure will DO completed In
1893 and will regulate the supply OF
water In the Salt river, Forty miles
below tho dam the water Is to be de-
livcred by means of a low dam into
tho mains OF system OF canals, one
on each side OF tho river. and water
ing about 100000 acres OF land In the
vicinity OF Phoenix and Mesa.
When the Roosevelt dam II COM
pIeted several thousand electric horse
power will be developed and utilized
to.pump additional water from under
ground sources. A power canal ISL
miles long, having a capacity OF ss'
cubic feet second. has already beer
constructed and Is now being used tC
develop t400 electrical horse-poweI
which Is utilized in the work OF con
| struction.
The lands under this project stu
ated In the salt river valley, surround
Phoenix. the capital OF the territory
This valley has length cast and Yves
OF about 40 miles and n width varyinI
from is 10 so miles. The soil IL Al
alluvlal deposit OF great fertility AM
adapted TO the cultivation OF wid
variety OF crops. including those o
the temperate and subtropical zones.
A tunnel about 500 fet long ha
been driven through the side walls o
tho canyon at the dam. In this tun
mel will be placed ak gates TO be use
for sluclng purposes and for regu
Iating the flow OF water IN the canal
In Salt river valley. about so mile
below.
These gates, with thei roperatln
mechanism. will weigh nearly 10000
pounds and viii he the largest eve
constructed to operate under the gre0
pressure of 100 pounds per saunr
inch. The pressure on each gate
about 100000 pounds with the res
ervoIr full the gates. are capable q
dlschargIng 10000 cubic feet per soc
ond.
To carry the water from the powe
canal to the electrical power house n
incline penstock tunnel $40 feet Ion
, has been driven. The available hen
OF 220 feet, when discharged throug
turbine water wheels direct connecte
to electric generators. will give sevel
al thousand electrical horse-pow'
I which will be transmitted so mile
away to drive the centrifugal pump
It is estimated that each hors'
power so developed will pump watC
enough TO irrlgate 10 acres of Ian
The entire electrical apparatus Il
this work was furnished by the Ger
erai Electric company.
For those who cannot visit Il
scenes OF operation II Is difficult. II
|, deed, to grasp the magnitude of IN
undertaking being carried on by u
government for the benefit OF the PEI
pie. There will be more than 81
miles of main canals for DISTRIBUTE
the water and at the lowest waterfa
- on record the flood contained in Il
:. reservoir will lbe sufficient to wat
!, the crops over an area OF 312 squn
!. miles for two and one-half years.
;. The work was started three yea
= ago and will cost about $4,000, 90
all of which Is advanced by the go
ernment without interest. N
amount will be eventually repaid
h. the farmers whose lands are ben
= fitted. The income which will accr,
from the sale of electric power W
also be applied to the cost and VIII,
the outlay has been repaid to the go
ernment the farmers will own 4
plant and share the expenses pro raj
!, This storage water will make the dc
= ert, formerly supporting only cat
and other hardy plants, blossom as 4
rose.