Bisbee daily review., 1909-06-15
WALNUT GROVE DAM |S ID BE
 REBUILT SOON

PRESCOTT. June 14.-The re- building of the gigantic Walnut Grove dam. situated about forty miles to the south of Prescott, has been de cided upon. Luther wasoner. a civil engineer of note, passed through the city a few days ago en route to his home in Los Angeles, after complet- ing a general survey of the domain owned by the Walnut Grove Water Storage company.
 Twenty-two years ago Mir. Wagon. CT performed a similar service for the old company and the two dams were constructed on the lines he then out. lined. His entry again to perform a similar service is but to be expected. as the field notes he possesses have
 naturally been preserved, permitting him to run tn many lines over again more expeditiousiy than If otherwise was the case. MT. wagoner stated that the proposed new dam at the Grove would, however, be materially different in elevation and construc- tion from the old one. and that the ne wone would be built on modern | lines throughout. In short, 1t would | be patterned after the curve dams now in service everywhere under the | reclamation service. having what is | termed as the apron or overflow char acter. The old dam, 1t will be re- membered. was constructed along the
 principles of horizontal lines, and
 was not intended to be filled with
 water, observations showing that the
 water shed of Its flow would never be the means of filling it up. A dam of | 110 feet in height was built and shortly afterward, in the first year of it's operation, the heavy rains caused 1t to be filled to the surface. It was decided to reconstruct or enlarge the
 waste way on the left, and this serv-
 ed the purpose of permitting the
 overflow to pass through that chan.
 nel, thus saving the dam from de-
 struction. But in the year following the rains were incessant for a period of thirty consecutive days and under the terrific pressure of the water with the gates opened and the waste way running full, the structure brock in the center and the frightful disaster that caused the loss of over 100 lives with many thousands of dollars in personal property, resulted. This was in February, 1890. In that disaster the two dams went out. The storage dam in Walnut Grove was 40 feet across. with depth of 110 feet. Be low. about fifteen miles, was the ser vice dam. of smaller dimensions,
 with which was connected the Hume,
 four by six feet and four miles long,
 which was to convey water to tbr
 placer beds several miles distant
 and to be operated with hydraulic ap Daratus.
 Mr. Wagoner says that the plans nf the new project will differ mater tally from the old, and that while the
 identical sites of the old will be SC llected, it is the intention to make the
 storage service much more capacious
 than formerly, and to this end it will have a depth up the stream of at
 least 13e feet, with the same width . as formerly. the lower or service dam to be about sixty feet in depth and
 about 250 feet across. The water from
 the upper dam will be permitted tc ao-s dow pthe Hassayampa on the , natural grade of the rived bed, and l lon reaching the lower dam will be , regulated in its flow into the humt , as occasion demands.
 !, Linked to this gigantic water stor . age project there Is the compound | proposition of mining and farming tt o be considered, and in either event th' 0 solution of any of the questions in \ volved is of the most vital import
 anee. The placer beds 1t Is proposes . to operate will afford profitable re
 turns under the hydraulic method P there is but little doubt. The groun e to be worked has been tested at hur ~ dreds of points and in a majority 0 | fa ~ turns were received.
 The question of the reclamation ( v the arid lands adjacent. and in th o operation of the hydraulics 1t Is prt posed to convert the water used Iihe sch on gravity basis. and { ~ this end thousands of acres of Ian thatare of fertile make up can be hui . banded and made productive. Su veys run show that the water can b
 taken to the range of tie Piedmor
 Cattle company, twelve miles distan and which also includes the preser io barren ground in the vicinity of Col gress Junction. The Piedmont con
 pany is a subsidiary organization (
 the Walnut Grove Water Storas = company.
 Since the dam went out in 1ss si only the annual assessment work hs L- been done to hold this company | x tact, and in that time the work hs $ been centered to rebuilding the fou h dation of the dame it has been deci 'f- cd TOW 10 rebuild This work has te
 minated in the completion of it.
 The Van Buren estate is financsr
 lthe project, and Mir. Whittmn, SO V in-iaw of the late H. s. Van Bure II is prominently identified with II
 work Of rehabiIitating this wonderf " enternrfse, fhe estimated cost
 which runs. 1t is said, close to m
 lion dollars.