Arizona republican., 1921-10-16
GAVE CREEK AN OLD OFFENDER
 IN TIE VALLEY
Engineer Tells How Stream Has Changed Its Course Many Miles and De- scribes Plans For Its Control

Before about 40 members of the Phoenix chapter of the American As soc1ation of Engineers who were gathered at their regular weekly luncheon at the Grand cafe yester- day, A. L. Harris, consulting engineer Tor the Paradise-Verde district and a member of the board of engineers which has recently completed plans for the control of Cave Creek, gave an interesting and informative address on The History and Development of the Cave Creek Floods and Methods Proposed for Their Control" The meeting was under the direction of S- M. Cotton, office engineer in the engineering department of the city of Phoenix, who acted as chairman of the day.
 After a description of Cave Creek and the country in which it rises. MT. Harris said:
 Cave Creek has given trouble to the settlers of this part of the state for many years, and it's menace has always been a factor in the develop ment of the lands lying along it's course. In fact, real estate men have long been accustomed to warn those living in the west end of Phoenix against the probability of their finc- ing water in the cellars any time that the creek decided to go on a rampage.
 The creek flowed formerly to the east Of its present course and found it's way to the Salt river through In- dian Bend. Through the years, how ever, deposits of eroded material gradually built up have crowded the creek west through Deer valley, so that now it flows west of Phoenix. It is usually a dry river. but there are evidences that formerly it carried water for periods long enough to in duce settlers to build ditches and use it's waters for irrigation purposes"
 Little Value in Irrigation
 Mir. Harris here described a dam which was started in the Cave Creek channel many years ago and gave the reasons why the project was never finished. Continuing, he said:
 'The creek has no value as a prob able source of irrigation water be- cause of it's extremely intermittent run-o off, but if it's waters can be di- verted and impounded with other wa ter from the Verde and New rivers they will add slightly to the possible supply in that section of the country
 Cave Creek has watershed of 225 square miles and a rainfall averag- ing between 10 and 12 inches. Its watershed is very barren, but never AAANAtsaSs IL AASSS sl AAeApAI OL SifA tAte, surprises. Reliable records have in- dicated a discharge of 30.00O cubic l feet a second by the creek in time of l flood. Such a flow, of course, lasts only for a short period. although l. l is not unbelievable that in the winter | time a flood might develop which would run for three or four weeks" 1 MT. Harris at this point took occa- sion to describe some of the tribu- l i Apache creek and Skunk creek Tn extreme flood times" lie con i tinued, Cave Creek discharges so much water that it's banks will not hold the stream, whereupon It takes it's own course and spreads over the surrounding country when it reaches the region of even alluvial deposits. where it spreads
 | Control Plans Under Way
 Many plans for the control of Cave Creek have been evolved during its
 history. and since the last flood these
 plans have taken definite shape. A
 board of engineers was appointed tC
 consider the problem. This board has met from time to time and ha:
 decided upon the present scheme
 which is the control of the river by
 an earth filled dam, located on ar
 ideal site g miles from Phoenix ana lZ mics rom the ArlZONa canal lnt
 object of the dam will be merely tC
 detain the water long enough to allow
 it to be drawn out safely.
 The dam is to have a concrete core
 wall, four feet thick at the bottom
 and two feet thick at the top. IL vii have an immense spillway capacity larger than that of Roosevelt dam and therefor the possibility of over.
 topping, which Is the usual cause O the destruction of earth-filled dams
 is done away with. The capacity O. the dam will be two of the larges floods in succession that have evel been recorded for the creek At the close of his address MT Harris answered a number of ques tions.
 The guests of the club yesterda, were E. P Rankin of the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron company; w. T.. Rob ertson. of the Fl Paso Bridge ana Iron company. Fl Paso. and A. B. Col well, United States mineral surveyor Jerome Happy McClung will b. of y1pNf week. e meeting