Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-08-10
SUB-SURFACE DAMS
CATCH UNDERFLOW
Value to the Independent IT,
rigators o; Building Struct-
ures to Bedrock to Fill Their
Reservoirs in Dry Weather.

The suggestion made hy Territorial
Engineer Miller IN his recent speech
before The resources conference az
the Mountainnir ChautauQuu that ir-
riEaturs who develop their land by
independent water systems would do
well Co build sub surfuc, dams makes
timely tho publication ot an article
that appeared iu recent number OF
Engineering ana Contracting. % mag
: azlnc published In Chicago, descrip.
tive of the new suh-surfuyv dam ON
the Berger rarch 90 Vail. Ariz. The
artiDl, was contributed by PROT O. r..
y. smith of ih, University ot Ari-
IONA. The article In as follows.
lu the irrigated sections of th,
west many streams are popularity be-
lt,ycd 10 carry considerable, quant-
tics OF uudorlloW. and I'm many p.acos
suh-surftr, dams haze been projected
or discussed for Tho purpose of I'M
torcoptiug the undorfluW aud raising
n 20 the surface. Flow such dams,
however have been hLilt. notable tx
ccptiuus being those uf pavo,ma
| Wash. iu California and Aqua Frid
river ir Arizona
An account at such structure .lg
! of interest IA two ways. First thc
! design D.. required Go meet unique
/ conditions. ANA second the amount
lor water recovered contribute to our
| knowledge OF the uudurilnN of
streams
At tho head ol th, Cicu,sa ranch
.rrigJuuE ditch. near Tucson. the con-
diuous appeared Co bc favorable tu
tho construction ur suh-ourttvy
/ dam The river here uarroWs be-
I tween hard sandstone wallis Go e.
/ width of GO feet, and th, traditions OF
I On. locality were that bedrock was
reached h} sounding rods It maxi
! mum d,pth ot o. feet The gradient
/ pt tho river BE 90 foot per mite, tho
summer noode ar, sudden aud tor
Genital and th" great difficulty ut
muWtVimug 1u ordinary diteh head
against thy severe floods occurr.ur
every summer made 30 desirable 90
/ take IN, water ont thruush % pipr
conduit laid at a saf, depth below tho
river bed IL was expected ALSO that
% CONSIDERABLE, v,luu. of uudurtuw
vuJid %. recovered
ma, construction uE the dam cuu-
/ duit aud culhoting oasiu was carried
I out during en-, prius OF "ll The
surface How SHs v,r. small. and the
danger of floods ut that season OF
Z the year Rae negligible. rh. ,Sytyt-
I ton OF IN, river gravel was carried
/ down 90 depth ut o, feet with sup
scrapors. 81 That depth ia, width
.of tho river bod nDtw,Hu rock wallis
! wIe 22 feet and @ uough with lag
! glng was started les cross width
| being lg f.rt narrowing 90 feet
whom bedrock was finally uncovered
| Tor the WI width ot tho river ncd.
lu uri,r o. keep down th, s,.uusc
| water during tho excavation ANA CON
| srru.uuu. contIfugb pumps were
| used. tho combined discharge fur HD,-
| .tal Npphs apuroVwatiuc four 500
! end f.Dt du, n part 90 tu. drtuma
/ ONT co. th, sand reservoir aHoy, tine
at.
TIM dam be- of tho arch t.p. uI s
] huti ut plain concrete. Tho Hp-
stream iac, Dos vertical, and fn. u|u.
oi rur,atur, is equal tu tH. span
! length So feet Tho top width je %
inches and me bottom widen u th,
cNtrcmc drptu of o. feet o inches is
! tive feet
! IN, concrete was yrupurtnu,l I
rem,nt tn cot rED. gravel and uuui-
! d,rs were driven into thU musht mike
Wru after it was placed ln the forms
Tho concrete was BONDED zoo tho rock
! surface With neat cement ON the
sides nf ~, canyon The rock face was
blasted Off Eu as 90 form square
lskoVbaok tu talk, tho thrust of the
/ arch Tho elevation of tbe Ton o. THAI
of the normal river bed Six dal
sufuc.d for tho cuucrctng part OF
tho form work bcng done az uight
Whether cop not tho structure Foo
bunt viii Withstand tho floods HI
NOT been proven as vet o. co., 200
portion should fail Tho upper sN 40
eight feet can bc rybgut of r,iu-
forced concrete and with sufficiently
heavy section su that 10 will u, per.
muncnt
Upstream from the dam is % rou'
crete cylinder OF feet inside DIANE
cter and 20 foct depth 10 serve as q
cotlecting hCsd lt- thickness d.
inches The inflow is upward from
the bottom and latrralN through zoo