Arizona republican., 1922-01-01

There were few settlers in the Salt
River valley in the early sixties, when
Jack Swilling, in 1867, organized a
company and built the first canal,
then called the Swilling ditch, and
now. with its extensions, known as
the Salt River valley canal. The first
town Of Phoenix was established
about three miles east Of the present
site, from which it was removed to
its present location three years later
The county OF Maricopa was Gre
ated in 1871 by division of Yava-
pal county, and Phoenix selected as
the county seat. The Southern Pa
cific railroad was built into Phoenix
in 1887 from Maricopa, and the Santa
Fe. connecting with the main line at
Ash Fork, was completed in 1895.
The area of Maricopa county is
9,070 square miles, larger than either
Massachusetts or New Jersey and
greater than the combined area of
Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Is
land. 1t lacks little Of being as large
as either the state OF Vermont or
New Hampshire.
Greatest Irrigation System
The population, according to the
latest estimates, is $4,000. The area
Of the county is 5,s04,S00 acres. OF
| this area, 296,500 acres are now irri-
gated, most of this being in what is
known throughout the world as the
| Salt River valley. Agricultural Ari-
zona Is centered chiefly in and around
this valley, with thousands of acres
OF soil which is not excelled any
place in the world. At this time there
are 296,500 acres under irrigation, di-
| vided into several projects.
The Salt river project is the worlds
premier irrigation system; II has the
great Roosevelt dam as its backbone.
This great dam, started in 1906, has
gained world wide fame because of
it's complete success. The dam is
| built in a narrow canyon 80 miles
from Phoenix. This giant Atlas of
stone holds back in a great natural
basin a world of water wealth which
each year adds millions Of dollars
] to the agricultural prosperity of the
community. The lake, filling beau
tiful valley for length of % miles,
| is surrounded by hills and mountains
Here are to be found the remains OF
cliff and cave dwellings overlooking
the blue waters of the lake.
The dam arises to a height or 2S4
| feet from the bed of the river, where
1t is built into bed rock for depth
| of 80 feet. 1t is also locked into the
canyon walls on each side for 30
! feet. 1t Is 16S feet thick at the base
and reduces, step by step, until at
the top, where it Is crowned with
roadway, 1t is 20 feet wide. Along
| the top, including two fine bridges
which span the spillways, the length
Of the dam is 1,125 feet. For the first
time during the spring or 1913, ana
again at other times, the water has
| flowed over the spillways to depth
of IL feet, creating two wonderful
waterfalls. each 250 feet high and
having a combined width OF 425 feet
7s1 Miles of Main Canals
The water stored in the lake when
full totals 1,367,305 acre. feet. or
enough to cover the same number OF
acres with water to a depth OF one
foot.
There are 7s1 miles of main canals
in the Salt River valley served with
water from the reservoir and there
are approximately $500 farmers on
lands within the project.
1t took five years to puild tne
dam and no one can conceive OF its
dignity, it's bigness and its beauty
except by seeing 1t. When the water
is flowing over the spillways, dash
| ing down $50 feet onto the rocks be-
low and sending up clouds of spray
with every color of the rainbow then
and only then can one appreciate the
true magnificence of the dam.
The big dam at Roosevelt checks
and stores the waters of the Salt
river and Tonto creek, and in proper
quantities allows it to return through
the sluice gates to the bed of the
river. where IT flows on, taking up
| in its course the waters of the Verde
river and then heading for the di-