The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-03-18
Greatest Irrigation Project in
the Country and Will Cost
$11,ooo,0oo
WILL IRR|GA1E A QUARTER. OF
MILLION ACRES FORMERLY DESERT
Dam Is 2SS Feet Long Between the
Canyon Walls and go Feet High,
Resting Upon Bed Rock 40 Feet
Below River Level.

Phoenix, Ariz., March 1S.-The
Roosevelt dam reclamation project,
which was oficially opened by Col.
Roosevelt to day, is situated half
mile below the confluence of Tonic
creek and upper Salt river, at the
head. of a canyon through which Salt
river flows for many miles. 1t is the
most imposing feature of the Salt
river project, the first one UNDER
taken by the United States reclama-
the reclamation act, approved by
President Roosevelt June IL, 1902,
and afser whom the town at the dam
site is named. 1t is seventy-siX miles
east Of Phoenix, which is situated in
the center of q valley Of which 240,-
600 acres is signed to the Salt River
Valley Water Users association.
This corporation represents the
farmers in their dealings with the
government, guaranteeing payment
Of the construction cost of the pro-
ject.
The dam creates reservoir ex-
tending twelve miles up Tonto creek
and thirteen miles up Salt river
nearly to what is known as the in
take dam, 400 feet long. The cap
acity Of the reservoir is 1,2S4, ,205
acre-feet, the largest artificial lake
in the world. Though the dam is
not the largest in the world, 1t is
among the largest The foundation
rests on bed rock forty feet below
river level. 1t is 235 feet long, be-
tween the canyon walls, and ITO wide.
From the river level to the crest of
the spillways at either end of the
dam, the height is 220 feet that be-
ing the greatest depth Of storage pos
sible., The spillways are bridged and
over the bridges and on the top Of
the dam runs the only highway in
that region connecting the mountain
country on the north and south sides
/. of Salt river. This roadway is twen-
ty feet above the highest storage
and coping four feet high protects
the roadway. From the bottom Of
the foundation to the top stone Of
/ the coping Is 284 feet.
The dam is curved, arching up
stream and at the top is $50 feet
long and sixteen feet wide. The
spillways at either end are 200 feet
wide, 80 the length. inclusive Of the
bridges over the spillways, is 1880
feet. The spillways are blasted from
the mountain sides.
, The dam contains 339.400 cubic
yards of masonry, every stone of
which was washed before it was per-
1nanently cemented in place. In the
construction of the dam and auxil-
iary works 33S,452 barrels of cement
were used, all manufactured on the
ground at cost of $1.063,542, in q
cement mill erected by the govern
ment and recently sold. The cost
was $3.14 per barrel as against $3.50
per barrel, the best private bid
available when operations began. The
| manufacture Of cement on the
effected saving Of s592.300.
The first stone was laid In the
foundation Sept. 20, 1906. The last
stone was laid on the coping 2S4
feet above, Feb. 6, 1911. The upper
face of the dam is almost perpen-
dicular. The lower face retreats
like the pyramids in huge stone steps
from the width of 10 feet in the
foundation to sixten feet at the top.
Correlated Works
No less interesting are the auxil-
larry and correlated works, such as
the cement mill, the hydro-electric
plants for generating 5000 horse
power. and what is termed the pow
er canal, built to operate the first
unit of the electric plant. creating
power for dam construction.
Skirting the north end of the dam,
almost under the spillway and driv-
en- through the solid rock is tunnel
No. 2, IFS feet above the river bed.
It's sole mission, is to release irriga-
ton water when the reservoir shall
contain it above that elevation. and
when it is desired to release great
er quantity than will come through
the penstock. supplying the power
house.
/ The third exit for flood water, one