Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-03-19
BIG MASS OF MACHINERY MOVES
Immense Irrigation Project in Arizona
is Completed
CONSTRUCTED BY GOVERNMENT
Nearly Quarter of Million Acres May
Be Flooded.
DESERT TO BE MADE TO BLOSSOM
water Held Back Constitutes the
Largest Artificial Lake In world,
Backing salt River sixty or
More Miles.

ROOSEVELT. Ariz.. March 1s.--StandIng
on top OF the great storage dam which
hears his name. former President Theodore
Roosevelt. pressed an electric button which
set IN motion a mass Of grinding machinery.
which in turn raised three OF the six mas
sive iron gates Weighing 5000 pounds
apiece. BY this act he officially opened
tho Roosevelt storage dam, a part of the
Salt river irrigation project
The motors. which raises the gates. had
hardly begun to turn before three raging
torrents Of water came rushing through the
three openings at different levels and ran
madly down the valley where. after racing
fully sixty miles. II will be used in the
irrigation OF about 10000 acres Of land.
The Roosevelt dam reclamation project
il situated half mile below the confluence
OF Tonto creek and upper Salt river, At
the head OF canyon through which Salt
river flows for many miles II is the most
imposing feature Of the Salt river project
the first one undertaken by the United
states Reclamation service under the pro-
visions OF the Reclamation Act approved
by President Roosevelt June H. 1902, and
after whom the town at the dam site Is
named. II is seventy-six miles east OF
Phoenix which is situated in the center
Of a valley Of which 10000 acres is signed
TO the salt River Valley Water Users as
ISOLATION. This corporation represents the
farmers in their dealings with the govern
ment guaranteeing payment Of the con-
struction cost Of the project.
some Facts and Figures.
The dam creates reservoir extending
twelve miles zip Tonto creek and thirteen
miles up Salt river nearly to what is known
as the intake dam, 400 feet long. The ca
pacity of the reservoir is 1,2S49o5 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. II is 2S5 feet long be-
tween canyon wallis and 17O feet wide.
From the river level to the crest OF the
spillways at either end OF the dam, the
height Is 20 feet. that being ths. greatest
depth Of storage possible The splllwsys
are Bridged, 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 aud south sides OF Salt
river This roadway is twenty feet above
the highest storage and coping four feet
high protects the roadway. From the bot
tom of the foundation to the top stone of
the coping Is 2si 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
800 feet wide. 80 the length. inclusive of
the bridge over the spillway is 1850 feet.
The spillways are blasted from the noun
tain Sides
The dam contains Sss,lOO cubic yards Of
MASONRY every stone OF which was washed
before II was permanently cemented in
place. In the construction OF the dam and
auxiliary works s3s l52 barrels of cement
were used, ali manufactured on the ground
at a cost OF Si063,543, in a cement mill
erected by the government and recently
sold The cost was Ss.I4 per barrel as
against $3.50 per barrel the best private
bid available when operations began. The
manufacture of cement on the ground ef-
fected a saving OF S5se,sOo
starting the work.
The first stone was laid in the foundation
September % 1896. The last stone was laid
on the coping ss4 feet above February 6
1911. The upper face of the dam is almost
perpendicular. The lower face retreats
like the pyramids In huge stone steps
from the width Of 40 feet IN the foundation
to sixteen feet at the top.
No less interesting are the auxiliary and
correlated works such as the cement mill
the hydro electric plants for generating
5000 horsepower. and what is termed the
power canal. built TO operate the firs
unit Of the electric plant, creating power
for dam construction.
Bkirting the north end OF the dam
almost under the spillway and driver
through the solid rock IL tunnel No, q III
feet above the river bed Its sole mission
Is 70 release irrigation water when tn
reservoir shall contain It above tha
elevation, and when It Is desired to re
CONTINUED on second Pase)