Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-11

mentS, the nrSt 10 De MADE upon COM
pletion Of the project. The largest
dam thus far completed is the Roose-
welt dam in the Salt River Valley
Arizona. 1t irrigates some 100000
acres Of land and cost $8,000,000.
The largest task yet undertaken by
the reclamation service is the Eagle
or Elephant Butte project in the lower
Rio Grande valley Of New Mexico.
The construction Of this plant has been
under way since November, 1910. It
will be completed in 1917 and will be
the largest and most expensive irriga-
tion system in the world. The cost
will be more than $10,000,000, Of
which 100000 has already been
appropriated by congress. The dam
is being constructed of rubble con-
crete, 100000 cubic yards being cal
culated by the reclamation engineers
as the amount necessary. One end
Of the great wall Of concrete will be
anchored to the Elephant Butte, from
which the project takes its name, and
the other end will be extended into a
great mountain of rock.
The Rio Grande Is being diverted
through a huge concrete flume so that
the foundation work may be carried
on without interference. The found
alton, 1000 feet long and 200 feet
wide, is being laid 55 feet below the
river bed. The dam will be 265 feet
high above the foundation and 1,480
feet long on top. 1t will slope up
gradually from the base and a drive
way 20 feet wide will extend be-
tween parapet walls across the en-
tire length. The great artificial
mountain Of concrete placed in the
channel Of the Rio Grande will make
the largest artificial body Of water In
the world-a total Of 2,760,000 acre
feet Of stored water, enough to sub
merge the entire state Of Rhode Is
land more than three feet.
The lake will cover 41,2S0 acres Of
ground from 200 feet to 10 feet deep.
and will be forty miles long and from
one to ten miles wide. 1t will never
go dry, and will irrigate 10000
acres Of land in New Mexico, Texas
and Old Mexico, extending from the
dam site, 1875 miles north Of Ell Paso,
down the Rio Grande valley, dis
tance of 100 miles. Separate diver
sion dams and canal systems will be
constructed for Las Palomas, Rincon,
Mesilla, and Ell Paso valleys.
The diversion dam in Mesilla valley,
known as Leasburg Unit, irrigating
$4,000 acres, is already in operation.
OF the 10000 acres to be reclaimed
by the project 10000 are in New
Mexico, 10000 in Texas, and $4,000
in Old Mexico, the latter being neces-
sary because Of Mexico's claim to prior
water rights.
The government owns all the land
surrounding the great reservoir, and
it has been set aside as a bird pre-
serve. The lake will be the largest
south Of the Great Salt Lake and
west of the Rocky mountains. 1t will
have many bays and inlets, will be
stocked by the government with bass
and other fish, and will afford camp
ing places for all who desire to take
advantage Of them.
Like the Roosevelt dam in Arizona,
this great body Of imprisoned water
will serve another purpose than that
of giving life to the stretches Of desert
to the south. It will be harnessed at
the spillways and will furnish power
for electricity which will be trans
mitted to cities, mines and farms
stretching over an area Of more than
500 square miles.