Mohave County miner., 1914-03-07
Grand Canyon to be Damned.

Possibly one of the greatest projects ; on the American continent is now in process of development, and which : means more to northern Arizona than the Roosevelt and Laguna projects do , In the matter of the development of Salt River valley aud Imperial valley. This great project contemplates the placing of six great dams in the Grand Canyon of the Colorado river, five to be built on the Indian reservation be- tween Pine Springs on the east and Muttiwitika wash on the west, this being the only dam that will be off the reserve.
 That the dams are to go in is evil denced by the haste in which the de- partment of the Interior finds itself in the granting of the permit for the dams along the river through the reservation. The permit was granted few weeks ago ana the work on the first dam is to he commenced at once This dam is to be located just above the mouth of Diamond Canyon, all material and supplies to be hauled in from Peach Springs. With the con- pletion of this work power is to be generated ard carried to all the other sites to expedite the work and reduce the power costs. The entire series of dams are to be built as rapidly as pos sible, a great force of men being en- gagged on the project. One of the best known engineers in the Sta'e has been at work getting out formative plans covering this work, and the maps and plats of the dams and site, have bsen submitted to the department. It is expected that the building of these dams will cost many millions of dol lars, and will develop nearly if not quite one million horsepower.
 Just what this great volume of pow CT IS to be used for is unknown at the present time, but it is cur belief that it will result in the electrizing of the Santa Fe railroad from Albuquerque to the coast. and will be distributed over wide area of northern Arizona. Enough power can be developed along the canyon to move every train and put Tn motion every piece of machin. cry in the State, as. well as giving hundreds of thousands of horsepower to neighboring states.
 At the various points along the can- yon where dams are to be located the canyon walls are narrower and higher than at any other points in the whole three hundred miles of this great gorge. At Diamond Canyon the walls are close lo 5000 feet above the level of the stream, and Powell, in his re- port, says that from the Gate of Ladore to Iceberg Canyon there is no such depth as is to be found throughout the canyon stretch from the eastern to the western ends of the Wallapai h. dian reservation. At the west end of the reservation, close to the ranch of T. P. Duncan, is to be built the last of the dams. that place not only being ac. cessable, but a most ideal location for a damste. For many years that place has been in the view of many for a damsite to generate power to irrigate Wallapai valley and to distribute to the mines throughout Mohavs county. but it never reached the formative stage. It is now said that the money is ready for the enterprise and that as cleared up the work will go on. By the early part of July or the first of August at the latest the work will be under way, the intervening time being used in the placing of material on the ground and swinging the working cables across the gorge. Some of the dams will be so constructed that a bridge for the use of an electrical line into the mining and timber belts of northern Mohaye and Coconino coun- ties can be carried overit
 Not only will this great project open up and develop the latent resources of nor thern Arizona, but it will open to the world one of the greatest scenic attractions on earth. And while Mo- have county will receive the greatest
 
 the pulsiting throb of this great cleo. tric generation.