The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1911-05-12
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lure III connection with this project,
a vast amount OF other engineering
work has been going on at the same
time. Many miles below the big dam
another structure of concrete was
built across the river to turn the
stream now into two huge canals
which with their laterals have a total
length of more than $50 miles This
dam is ~ feet In height and 900 feet
long. The canals will cover 10000
acres OF fine land in the valley and by
pumping with electric power an add
uonal $4,000 acres will be irrigated.
Especial interest attaches to this
project not alone because of the mag
nitude OF It's structures but especially
because of the reason that 1t will re-
store to agriculture a vast area of
desert which was densely populated
IN an age forgotten by a race which
mas vanished utterly. Some of the
prehistoric canals are utilized today
In this modern system.
Inc total investment of the govern
ment In Salt River valley will exceed
$9.OOO,000. yet this investment does
not entail the permanent loss of a
single dollar from the United States
treasury. The government holds a
mortgage on all the land which will
De watered which obligated the own
ers to repay in not less than ten years
the entire sum expended by the Unit
ed States. Salt River valley is semi
tropical In climate. Its products are
singularly like those of Egypt. Hero
the orange, lemon, lime, pomel fig
and date trees flourish, also almonds.
peaches. cherries and other fruits In
abundance. Alfalfa. corn, oats, barley
and wheat yield enormous crops. All
kinds Of vegetables and small fruits
are grown here and by reason of early
ripening command fancy prices in
eastern and western markets. The
livestock industry is permanent one
and thousands of horses, cattle, sheep
and hogs are annually marketed here.
Ostrich farming has grown rapidly I'M
til today there are 1900 OF these birds
In the valley, producing several hun
dred thousand dollars worth of feath-
ers each year.
For many years parts Of the desert
around Phoenix have been irrigated.
But the Salt river. which supplied the
water, at flood times brought more
than the farmers could use and In dry
times much less. To save the water
for use is the purpose of the Roose-
welt dam, from behind whose solid
masonry the water will be sent down
to the valley as the needs of the land
demand. From the reservoir the wa
ter flows down the Salt river bed I'M
til it energies from the foothills. There
the Granite Reef dam, a long concrete
wall across the river bed-38 feet
the water into the canals.
in which it flows as far as 80 miles
on its way TO the farthest fields be-
yond Phoenix.
Vast potentialities for the produc.
ton of foodstuff await the coming OF
the water. No richer land is found
anywhere. 1t produces all the crops
of the temperate zone and some of
the subtropical ones as we'll Already
the oranges of Phoenix are famed for
their toothsomeness, and the time
probably will not be long till the dates
of the temple and the olives of Mesa
will be spoken Of.
The works at the Roosevelt dam
will develop $4,000 horsepower. Part
of this will be used to irrigate $4,000
acres which are above the level OF the
gravity canal, requiring that the wa
ter shall be lifted. Another portion OF
the available energy will be utilized
10 pump water from the wells for the
Pima reservation. In addition, there
IS a surplus, which has already been
contract to light the city
Of Phoenix; and more power will soon
De available from the same source for
light and power to farm
houses throughout the valley.