Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1924-05-15
CANYON
DAM DEDICATION

From the large crowd that gather
ed AT the Black Canyon dam last
Friday to witness the massive struc-
( ture and the program prepared by
the Ememtt Commercial club the
expectation of those in charge must
have been fully realized. There were
AT least 5000 people in the crowd,
and seemingly every detail of the
program was splencidly carried out.
Following several selections by the
Payette County Band, Senator ]. W.
Tyler gave the address of Wei
come Lieutenant-Governor Bald
ridge. w. G. Swendson, Commission
ed Reclamation, and Governor c. c.
Moore were the speakers that follow
ed. all giving excellent and appropri-
ate addresses, followed by the ''Dedi-
cation Ceremony" by Mrs. Walter
Ward. attended by eight Maids of
Honor. representing each if the
towns under the Black Canyon pro-
ject.
To those who had never seen the
magnificent structure it was beau
tiful sight OF see the entire water of
the Payette river pooring over the
spill-way down into foaming tor
rant 80 feet below, forming beau
tiful lake above the dam IL miles in
length, ranging in. width from $50
feet to one-half mile.
The Black Canyon dam is strictly
water raising dam-it provides no
storage water for irrigation. While
it has become part of the Emmett
Irrigation Districts system, replac-
ing the old Canyon Canal dam IS
miles up the river, the primary OBJ
pect if its construction by the recla-
nation department is to divert water
to irrigate $4,000 acres of sagebrush
land in the Black Canyon District,
and lying contiguous to the towns of
Caldwell, Parma and New Plymouth.
This dam is the keystone of that pro-
ject, and its building is the first step
in the plans of the reclamation ser
vice TO reclaim that large body of
land. Until that project is under
taken. the dam will serve the En-
nett district only, Watering approx
mately~ $4,000 acres. which have
been under Irrigation Tor 16 years.
and the ta=g ss.sedfE sxpssxtvt
side-hill bitches will be eliminated
hereafter The maintenance cost
Of the system will thus be reduced
from an annual maintenance charge
that was burdensome and almost
prohibitive to a comparatively nomi-
nal sum.
From the Emmett Index
Apr priation for dam s1,S00,0O0.
Actual cost (estimated) 1880
OOO.
Width down the stream at bot
tom 1873 feet.
Height at maximum point 1S4 feet.
Length of river section PIG feet.
Length of north wing sos feet.
Length south wing 206 feet
Total length of dam 1893 feet.
Water raise 90 feet. Half of dam
below river bed.
Lake formed by dam-Extends II
miles to Montour; varies in width
from a few hundred feet to half a
mile; depth at dam 81 feet.
Work began August %, 1922.
Pouring of cement began April,
1923.
Vast Quantity of Material Used
Concrete $1,000 yards.
Cement $4,000 sacks.
1924 cars were required to haul
the cement Allowing so feet to
car the train would be three miles
long,
Gravel hauled 10000 yards.
Reinforced steel exclusive of
pipes, etc) 2SS.70O lbs.
Grouting foundations and drilling
for rainage 5726 feet.
Highest number of men employed
40.
Lowest number men employed 200.
The payroll amounted to from
$50, 900 to $4,000 each month.
Excavation cost $4,000 more than
estimate. This was offset by savings
and s250,0OO besides.
The engineering cost was per
cent less than the average on other
government projects.
The cost of superintendent and
accounting was one-half as much as
The average on other projects.
The revenue from the store, mess
hall and the 10 cents a day charged
employees paid for the camp-build-
ngs, sewage, water and lights, main
.enance, etc.