Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1921-11-09
|RR|GATE $4,000
ACRES; OPENING
S. RAPIDS DAM
SATURDAY Is BANNER DAY FOR
GRANTS PASS AND JOSEPHINE
COUNTY; DEDICATION OF THE
SAVAGE RAPIDS DAM.
LARGE LOCAL DELEGATION AT
TEND EXERCISES; DAM COSTS
81 1,225, 900; NOVEL FISH LAD.
DER CONSTRUCTED

Saturday was great dAy for
Grants Pass and Josephine county,
for 1t marked the official opening OF
the Savage Rapids dam, half-mil-
lion dollar structure which Will
make possible the irrigation OF more
than 1900 fertile acres OF rich
Rogue River valley land. The event
was witnessed by thousands OF peQs
ple, who lined the banks OF the river,
blocked the highway and covered the
rocks below the dam, over whose
high crest the crystal waters plunged
with deafening roar.
This project, the entire cost OF
which is a million and quarter dol
lars, has been completec by the
Grants Pass irrigation district,
which was organized four years ago
and constantly expanded, as the
beneficient effects OF artificial wa
tering was demonstrated. Eyentu-
ally, 1t is expected that 1000 addt
tional acres will be irrigated from
the waters impounded by the Saw
age Rapids dam, bringing the total
up to 5000 acres. The cost will be
about $125 per acre under the pro-
ject as 1t now stands.
Considering the opening OF the
dam an event of more than local i'm
portance, people came many miles
from the surrounding towns and
farm communities to witness the
epochal event. Big men were pres
ent from San Francisco, Portland
and other distant points. The Ash
land delegation consisted OF c. B.
Lamkin and wife, Bert Greer, o. II.
Barnhill, j. H. Fuller and wife, and
Mrs. S. T. Sherwood, the lady last
named being from Montague. Mr.
Lamkin made a short after-dinner
speech. felicitating Ashland's neigh
bors of the lower valley upon the
success of their gigantic undertake
ing.
The length of the dam is 400 feet
and the height twenty-four feet. The
latter can be increased ten feet by
raising the movable gates fixed on
the crest of the dam. The dam is
technically described as being COM
bination of the multiple arch and
gravity type concrete diversion
STYLES, the distinguishing feature be-
ing the gates on the crest, which can
be quickly lowered to allow flood
waters to pass over.
A portion of the water is released
through gravity canals. the balance
of what is needed being elevated by
turbine operated pumps into canals
on either side of the stream, seventy
five and $50 feet above the riyen.
The turbines generate 1900 horse
mower. The water is thus made to
lift itself high above its natural bed
and water the thirsty soil along the
virgin hillsides and rolling table
lands. In places It Is proposed TO
pump the water from the high-line
canals onto still more elevated loca-
tions.
One of the most interesting fea-
lures OF the dam is fish ladder OF
the latest and most approved type.
This so-called ladder consists OF
twenty-eight concrete pools ten feet
in length, each being thirteen inches
higher than the one below. Trout
two feet long could be seen jumping
from one pool to another. When the
gates were closed few days ago 1t
was said that large numbers of trout
and salmon were left stranded in
pools along the river, affording a
rich harvest for nearby residents.
The Savage Rapids dam is located
on the Rogue River, six miles from
Grants Pass, across the county line.
It represents the first large attempt
to utilize for irrigation the surplus
waters Of Southern oregon's great
est stream.
The cost of uncleared land under
the new dam is said to vary from
SO to $50 per acre, the best land
in cultivation being priced at about
$50 per acre, exclusive of the ~
ter right. The cost of the irrigation
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