Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-03-19
LARGEST ARTIFICIAL LAKE IN
THE WORLD OPENED TODAY.
COST WAD OF MONEY, TOO
Contains 830, 100 Cubic Yards OF Ma
sonry-Will Water Many
Thousands Of Acres,

/ IRON gates weighing 5000 pounds
each, by this act he officially OPEN
ed the Roosevelt storage dam, a part
/ OF the Salt River irrigation project.
The motors, which raise the gates,
had hardly begun to turn before three
raging torrents Of water came rush
ing down through the three openings
at different levels and ran madly
down the valley where, after rcing
fully sixty miles, II will be- used in
the irrigation Of about 100000 acres
Of land.
Phoenix, Arlz., March 1S.-Tho
Roosevelt dam defamation project is
situated a half mile below the con-
fluence Of Tonto Creek and upper
salt River at the head Of a Canyon
through Salt River flows for many
miles II Is the most imposing feat
ure Of the Salt River project the
first one undertaken by the United
States Reclamation Service under the
provisions Of the Reclamation Act, ap-
proved by President Roosevelt, June
H. 1909, and after whom the town
at the dam site Is named. 1t Is 20
miles east of Phoenix which IL sit
uated In the center of a valley Of
which 100000 acres is signed to the
salt River Valley Users Association
This corporation represents the farm
ers in their dealings with the gov,gn-
ment, guaranteeing payments Of the
construction cost OF the project
The dam creates a reservoir eX-
tending twelve miles up Tonic Creek
and thirteen miles up Salt River near
ly to what Is known as the intake dam,
400 feet long. The capacity Of the
reservoir Is 1,2S4,205 acre-feet the
largest artificial lake in the world.
Through the dam Is not the largest In
the world, II Is among the largest. The
foundation rests on bed rock 40 feet
below river level. It is 235 feet long
between the canyon walls, and 10 feet
wide, From the river level to the crest
of the splllwovs at either end Of the
dam. the height Is 22O feet, that be-
Ing the greatest depth Of storage pos
sible, The spllways are brldged and
over the bridges and the top Of the
dam runs the only highway in that
region connecting the mountain coun-
try on the north and south sides OF
Salt River This roadway is 90 feet
above the highest storage and n cop
ing 4 feet high protects the roadway.
From the bottom OF the foundation
to the top stone of the coping, is 2Si
feet
The dam is curved, archlng up
stream and at the top Is $50 feet long
and l6' feet wide. The splllways at
either end are 200 feet wide, so the
length, inclusive Of the bridges over
the spillways, Is 1850 feet. The spill
ways are blasted from the mountain
sides.
The dam contains $4,000 cubic
yards of masonry, every stone Of
which was washed before It was per-
manently cemented in place. In the
construction OF the dam and auxiliary
works 8SS,5G2 barrels Of cement were
used, all manufactured on the ground
at cost Of S1,OG3,542, In cement
mill erected by the government and
recently sold. The cost was s3.14 per
barrel as against S4.S9 per barrel, the
best private bid available when oper-
atlons began The manufacture Of,
cement on the ground effected n saving
Of s592,3 800.
The first stone was laid in the foun-
dation September 20, 1906. The last
stone was laid on the coping 2Si feet
above, February G, 1911, The upper
face Of the dam is almost perpendi-
ouar. The lower retreats like the
pyramids in huge stone steps from
the width OF 170 feet In the founda-
tlon, to 10 feet at the top.
No less interesting are the auxiliary
and correlated works, such as the ce-
ment mill the hydro-electrlc plants
for generating 5000 horse power, and .
what is termed the power canal, built
to operate the first unit Of the electric .
plant creating power for dam CON
Sklrtlng tho north end Of the dam
almost under the spllway and driven
drought the solid rock is tunnel No
2, 11j feet above the river bed. Its
lolo mission Is 10 release irrigation
water when the reservoir shall contain
t above that elevation. and when II Is
lesired 10 release q greater quantity
han will come through the penstock,
supplying the power house.
The third exit for flood water, one
hat IL most necessary but will be least
lsed and the largest Of ALL Is known L
ls the slclng tunnels, or tunnel No II
4 was driven through the solid noun l
ain clrcling the south end OF the site.
It the river level. before the con-
truction Of the dam began. II viii be
ised for slclng silt, II necessary, |
md for releasing a larger irrigation
upply than the pen stock furnishes,
{ needed, when the water elevation in
he reservoir is below the entrance To
unned NJ. 2.
Among the earliest construction feat
lres was the building Of freight
Dad GO miles long from Mesa City,
he nearest available point, TO the
Roosevelt dam site. or this % miles
3 across desert and 3S miles through
he most impressive scenery in the
Vest. The road was constructed for
'ermnnency and though as crooked
y Il knotted rope and often winding
round the face Of a cliff, Ii IL as fine
thoroughfare M n city street.
The foregoing consti uctions con-
tltute the larger features OF the stor-