The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1916-11-09
NATION BUILDS
HUGE RESERVOIR
Elephant Butte Dam is Largest
in the World
TO HARNESS THE RIO GRANDE
Project Is Similar to Those Proposed
for River Regulation in Pennsyl-
vanla and Is Regarded as
Absolutely Safe in
Construction.

That the United States Govern
ment does not fear for the safety of
storage reservoirs when properly con-
structed has been brought forcibly to
the front by the dedication during
October of the great Elephant Butte
Dam on the Rio Grande by President
Woodrow Wilson. This dam is to be
used for irrigation purposes in the
arid west but the principle of its con-
struction and operation is the same
as that of the reservoirs it is pro-
posed shall be erected in Pennsyl-
vania for river regulation, while the
latter would be much smaller.
The Elephant Butte Dam is the
largest and most important of the
irrigation projects that the United
States has undertaken in efforts to
reclaim the desert lands of several
Western States and make them pro-
ductive. The work was begun in
1904, when the first borings for the
foundations of the monster dam were
made. Actual construction was COM
menced in July, 1910, so that the
dedication by President Wilson will
be the final formal event of six years
work on the project.
Largest Dam in the World.
Actual completion of the construc-
ton occurred on May IL, last. The
dam is the largest piece of masonry
for the storage of water in the
world. 1t contains 60S,000 cubic
yards of reinforced concrete. 1t is
of the gravity type, straight in plan,
1897 feet long at the top, which is
205 feet above the original level of
the Rio Grande. From the deepest
excavation the top is 306 feet high.
On the top there is an 1S-foot road
way. The cost of the structure alone
was S5,O00,000 with an additional
S5.OO0,00O for the many canals and
other work necessary for the distri-
button of the stored water. All of
this work is not yet completed.
The total capacity of the dam is
2,642,292 acre feet of water, or suf-
ficient to cover this number of acres
in another way, the reservoir behind
the dam when full. will contain $685.
100000 gallons, which, If spread out
one foot deep, would cover 4,2S5
square miles, an area over twice that
of the State of Delaware
The reservoir, pronounced the
largest artificial body of water in the
world, and known as Lake B. M.
Hall, has shore line of more than
200 miles. and an average width of
two miles.
Is Practically lndestructibe.
The spillway is of the combination
weir and tunnel type. The weir is
275 feet long, divided into five sec
lions, with an elevation at the crest
of 1913 feet above the original river
bed. There are four tunnel outlets,
10 feet in diameter, with a capacity
permitting the safe discharge of
5000 cubic feet of water per second
The discharge is controlled by 10.
feet diameter cylinder gates.
The dam is solid wall of masonry
and concrete with a width of 215
feet at the base, tapering to a thick
ness of about 20 feet at the top It
is built to withstand anything but
the most severe earthquake shock
and is said to be practically indie
structible.
Waters from the dam, which is To-
Gated in Sierra County, will irrigate
100000 acres of land in the Rio
Grande Valley, in New Mexico, Tex
as and the Mexican State of Chihua-
hua. extending 100 miles below the
dam.
By treaty with Mexico the
United States agrees to deliver to
Mexico 10000 feet of water annually
without cost. In return Mexico
valves all rights to the waters of