The signing of the Newlands Reclamation Act by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902 began “the construction of irrigation works for the reclamation of arid lands.” One of the first projects authorized under this act was the world’s largest masonry dam, the Roosevelt Dam. The first stone was placed on September 20, 1906. Benjamin Austin Fowler, a former lawyer from New York City, was central to the dam’s construction. Having left the city scene, Fowler moved to the West in 1899, where he purchased 400 acres in Glendale, Arizona, to become a farmer. With the dry climate and high temperatures, water was scarce, and his farming would be greatly aided if a reservoir could provide steady irrigation water access. Fowler lobbied for 17 years for a dam and reservoir to be constructed northeast of Phoenix, in a narrow canyon of the Salt River. The Roosevelt Dam was built to provide flood control, municipal and irrigation water, and hydropower for central Arizona. This project involved over 3,000 diverse workers. There was a shortage of workers in the summer because of the intense heat, and one of the engineers remarked, “White men won’t stay on this job because they cannot spend their money fast enough.” In turn, they hired Apache Indians who had already long dwelt in the area, and who had excellent labor skills. They completed the dam on February 5, 1911. Roosevelt Lake was the largest artificial lake in the world when it held over 1 million acres of water. One month later, on March 18th, former President Theodore Roosevelt came with a wagon parade to dedicate the dam. As most of the previous roads were then under the waters of the new reservoir, they took a route up the Apache Trail. Roosevelt reflected on the beauty of the wildflowers and landscapes in his dedicatory speech. At 5:48 pm and with about 1,000 spectators, he flipped the electric switch and opened the gate to begin Arizona’s new era of water control. This contributed to many settlements and a growing community that would not have existed otherwise. Serving communities with sustainable water and energy, Fowler’s and Roosevelt’s efforts paid off as the Scientific American newspaper publicized on the dam’s dedication day, “With the completion of the irrigation system which is being constructed by the federal government, we may safely predict for this valley an era of progress and substantial growth which will place it in the forefront of the most up-to-date agricultural districts in the world.” The Salt River Project has monitored Roosevelt Dam since 1911, and the site has changed in many ways. In 1992, overflowing problems necessitated renovations. The road to drive across it was removed, the dam was raised 23.5 meters, and a bridge was suspended over Roosevelt Lake. Today, many make the trek to enjoy the water and view the architectural feat that the Roosevelt Dam is.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

Located on the southeast shore of Keyhole Reservoir, Keyhole Beach is hailed for its fishing opportunities and as a “mecca” for bird-watching with about 225 species to see. Along with catching one of Wyoming’s largest fish, a freshwater drum, beachgoers can enjoy swimming, boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, sunbathing, and waterskiing. The closest campground is called Tatanka, after the Lakota word for “buffalo.” Tatanka Campground has the best selection of amenities in the area, including water and electric hookups for RVs and rentable cabins, as well as picnic tables at Tatanka, a marina, and a boat launch on the beach.

The Sioux inhabited and controlled the area long before the Bureau of Reclamation completed Keyhole Dam in 1952, and they continue to fight for this right today. In the Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1868, the U.S. recognized the tribe's ownership of the Black Hills territory which included the Šahíyela Wakpá River (also known as the Belle Fourche River). Named by French fur traders in the 1780s, Bella Fourche means “beautiful fork.” As miners illegally entered the territory throughout the 1870s, the settlers and the Sioux continued to have disputes about the ownership of the territory, and after the defeat of Custer at Little Bighorn, the U.S. waged war on the Sioux and then confiscated their land in 1877. While offered monetary compensation for the land grab after the 1980 Supreme Court case United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians, the Sioux believed this was an insufficient settlement and declined the money. The dispute over land ownership, and the Sioux’s claim on it, continues today.

As the gold rush persisted in the Black Hills more settlers moved in and in 1891 the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad entered the town of Belle Fourche, seventy-three miles to the northeast. The community became a livestock shipping hub and the name of Keyhole Reservoir derives from the livestock brand the McKean brothers used at their nearby ranch. The Bureau of Reclamation proposed the dam as a part of the Belle Fourche Project, started in 1904, which irrigated lands in the area. While ranchers protested the dam in 1950 due to their loss of farming land, the benefits of wildlife conservation, flood control, and recreational opportunities outweighed their concerns.

With the completion of the dam in 1952, beach life started to take off at Keyhole Reservoir with the creation of Keyhole State Park. In 1984, the Keyhole Expo was a county fair on the beach's shores that included hot air balloon racing, windsurfing, and more. In 1989, the State Park expanded upon the fair as a part of Wyoming State Park’s “Summerfest.” This event included boat rides to discover the beauty of Keyhole Reservoir, arts and crafts booths, and food concessions.

Today, Keyhole Beach hosts events such as a Lantern Fest where beachgoers can release floating lanterns on the reservoir and witness the illumination of the lake. Keyhole Marina also contains a bar and grill where visitors can eat and listen to live music on the beach. The community-oriented marina and campgrounds paired with scenic views make Keyhole Beach a memorable vacation spot.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

Strawberry Reservoir is located on the eastern edge of the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, nestled in Strawberry Valley east of Spanish Fork and southeast of Heber City. A tunnel four miles long runs through the Wasatch mountains and carries water from Strawberry Reservoir to the Spanish Fork River, a vital resource for agriculture in Utah Valley. The reservoir’s history for Utah settlers began at the very start of the twentieth century, when the availability of irrigation water was a major concern for farmers of Utah’s arid lands. While traveling through Strawberry Valley on a camping trip, John S. Lewis and Henry Gardner first thought of building the reservoir and a water transport system. Gardner, a Utah State Senator at the time, was aware of the dire water problem for Utah’s population centers along the Wasatch Front. The idea of the reservoir proved to be an effective solution. A few years later, in 1906, construction began on the Strawberry Valley Project. The resulting Strawberry Reservoir was completed less than a decade later. Although water diverted from the Strawberry Reservoir helped Utah Valley farmers irrigate their crops, the creation of the reservoir was devastating to the Ute Indians in the area. For years, the tribe had experienced varied encroachments of tribal land by white farmers who violated the law in doing so. Farmers grazed their cattle in Strawberry Valley and used water that belonged to reservation lands. Such actions not only posed a threat to Ute resources, but represented a disregard for Ute legitimacy. Earlier offenses were magnified by the Strawberry Reservoir project. The project neglected to consult the Ute tribe on its construction. Among the consequences of the project, the reservoir opened reservation lands to future developments like mining and white settlements, solidifying the loss for the Ute tribe.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

Under the direction of the 1902 Reclamation Act—congressional legislation intended to irrigate western states and provide greater access to water—the Bureau of Reclamation approved and developed Lake Lowell, starting in 1902 and finishing in 1909. Three dams—the Upper, Middle, and Lower Embankments (embankments are walls of earth or stone built to prevent a river from flooding an area)—surround a natural depression southwest of Nampa, Idaho to form the lake. A fourth wall, called the East Embankment, was added later to protect farmsteads on the eastern end of the reservoir. In the irrigation off-season, the Boise River Diversion Dam and New York Canal provide most of Lake Lowell’s volume, discharging water intp the upper end of the lake, where there is a capacity ranging from 12.7 feet on the Middle Embankment to 65 feet on the Upper. During the irrigation season, Lake Lowell becomes one of the major irrigation providers for Canyon County agriculture. With the capacity to irrigate over 200,000 acres of land, it is one of the American West’s largest off-stream reservoirs. As with many other western irrigation projects, Lake Lowell presented a significant opportunity for economic growth and restructured the relationship between people and their environment. Along with other government investment projects that opened the area to construction and farming, irrigation attracted migrants from the Midwest who worked as laborers to develop the dam and as farmers to till the land. In 1900, the census counted 161,772 people living in Idaho; by the 1920 census, the population had more than doubled to 431,866 people. This growth was sharpest in southwestern Idaho, which grew by 130% during this twenty-year period as agricultural and ex-urban communities transformed Treasure Valley into fertile land. Lake Lowell made that change possible. In addition to serving local farms, towns, and cities, Lake Lowell also plays a role in how people and other living things interact with the region’s nature. The lake hosts the Deer Flat Reservoir, one of the oldest refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System. As for humans in nature, Lake Lowell is a popular destination for numerous outdoor activities, including boating, swimming, fishing, birdwatching, hiking, and hunting.

For more (including 5 images) view the original article

The oldest feature in Bighorn Canyon is the 10,000-year-old walking trail that indigenous Plains people once traversed. Extending all the way to the Wind River mountains in the south, this trail serves as a reminder that humans used the canyon and its resources long before it became the recreation area of today. The Crow people’s relationship with Bighorn Canyon extends to the very beginnings of their own histories, and the Crow consider the land to be an inseparable part of their heritage. The canyon gains its name from the legend of Big Metal, in which the metal-horned and hooved chief of the bighorn sheep tells a rescued boy, Big Iron, that the canyon must never lose the name “Bighorn” or the Crow people will cease to exist. Records show that the modern Crow took up residence in the canyon in the early 1700s. However, the Crow found themselves facing conflict from many different groups. Other tribes wanted access to the canyon’s rich hunting grounds, and the Crow warred with many of them. Among these tribes were the Sioux and the Cheyenne, who the Crow continued to find themselves at odds with as United States colonization encroached on their territory. The Sioux and Cheyenne fought against the US Army defend their lands while the Crow tried to preserve their territory by negotiating with the United States and acting as guides and mail carriers. As white settler encroachment in the area escalated during the nineteenth century, so did the ire of many Plains tribes, were rapidly pushed out of their lands by the whites. Montana boundary disputes increased the already present tensions between settlers and Plains peoples. The federal government designated large segments of Montana land as Crow territory in 1851, part of which became the Crow Reservation in 1868, but nearby miners refused to honor these secessions. Bands of Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe rallied together to fight back against this encroachment. Facing old foes once again, the Crow chose to ally with US troops, even fruitlessly warning Custer of his odds before the Battle of Little Bighorn. In exchange, the government promised the Crow land rights in the Bighorn area. In 1966, five years after the groundbreaking on Yellowtail Dam, Bighorn Canyon became an official national recreation area. However, the park’s coverage included some Crow reservation land that the Bureau of Reclamation had previously acquired. In 1967, the Crow requested the return of land surrounding the newly completed Yellowtail Dam reservoir and the two entities formed a joint arrangement. Though this area still lies within the park’s boundaries, the Crow people retain control over assets such as the sale of fishing and hunting licenses and manage a fairly cooperative relationship with state and federal governments. The story of the Crow people shows that tribal history is not unilateral: rather, it is a complex series of relationships, with the land always at the center.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

Nestled in the Black Canyon, the Hoover Dam helps control the Colorado River’s flooding cycle that once devastated nearby communities. Construction started in 1931 and finished in 1935. 21,000 individuals worked on the monumental project and just under 100 individuals died from the dangerous working conditions. In order to authorize building the dam, the states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Nevada had to decide how to divide water rights along the Colorado River between themselves and Mexico. Ultimately, the Hoover Dam is not just an engineering marvel of American ingenuity but also a display of states working in union to overcome a shared problem.  Before the Public Works Administration could begin construction, they needed labor. Would-be construction laborers flocked to Las Vegas for the chance to work on the construction of the dam. The project took place during the Great Depression and, although it was authorized under Herbert Hoover’s presidency, was a symbol of the public works projects that President Franklin Roosevelt used to put Americans back to work. The project was not without risks and conflict. In August of 1931, the workers at the Hoover Dam went on strike. Their complaint was against unsafe working conditions. Individuals toiled in tunnels that could reach up to 140 degrees, which was made worse by Las Vegas’s heat. In July, the average high of the day hovered at about 106 degrees. There were also casualties from the unsafe conditions, such as workers falling from heights of up to 800 feet. Construction also kicked up dust and produced carbon monoxide. Both are dangerous, with carbon monoxide being potentially deadly. Despite these dangers, sufficient labor remained. There were enough workers that Boulder City was created in order to provide closer living quarters to the worksite.  The spectacle of the enormous structure has drawn tourists since before it was even finished. Tourists began visiting the dam before its completion, leading the team to construct an observation deck in order to keep visitors away from the dangerous worksite. Today, around 7 million individuals visit the dam itself while around 10 million individuals visit the lake created by the dam, named Lake Mead. At the time it was the largest dam in the world, and while others have eclipsed it in size, in the United States it remains the tallest dam, and Lake Mead the largest lake created by a dam.

For more (including 5 images) view the original article

Utah’s first hydroelectric plant was constructed by the Ogden City Electric Company in 1883. It supplied direct current to a few private customers in Ogden and nine city lights, but the next year high water partially destroyed the building. By 1887, it had been rebuilt in Ogden Canyon. This plant was replaced in 1890 by a steam plant at 23rd Street and Wall.  In 1893, the Pioneer Electric Power Company was incorporated with leading Ogdenites at its helm: George Q. Cannon, Fred J. Kiesel, and Frank J. Cannon. Although its primary purpose was to generate power, the company was organized for a variety of purposes. The company provided irrigation water and eventually built a sugar factory in Ogden to process sugar beets. They contracted with Rhodes Brothers of Denver to construct a pipeline to carry water from Ogden River to the plant. Four work camps were established to house and feed the nearly 500 men who worked on the project; even a hospital was provided.  The pipeline was 31,600 feet long, required eight tunnels through solid rock, and included eight steel bridges. A contract was awarded to William Fisher in 1896 to build the power house and a transmission line was built leading to Salt Lake City and surrounding area.

The nation was in an economic recession during construction but a multimillionaire from Rhode Island, Joseph Bannigton, invested 1.5 million dollars to the cause.  Charles K. Bannister of New York was the lead architect and engineer on this project, as well as a partner of the Pioneer Electric Power Company. 

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

The last speech delivered by President Kennedy during his Conservation Tour in the Intermountain West was at Salt Lake City Municipal Airport. In this address, which started at 9:35 a.m. on September 27, 1963, JFK explained how innovative resource conservation and development programs would benefit future generations. According to the President, wise management of resources would make a profound difference to the state of Utah, and preserving natural resources would make the state a great recreational attraction for tourists from all over the United States.

Kennedy dedicated the main part of the speech to the Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River, one of the six dams that make up the Colorado River Storage Project. The President pointed out that the dam, with almost four million acre feet of capacity, would make Salt Lake City grow and properly organize the distribution of water along the Colorado River Basin. By pushing a buzzer, JFK started the first generator at the dam, making it run at full speed. Thus, the first unit of the Flaming Gorge Dam went into operation on September 27, 1963, at the flip of a switch by the 35th president of the United States.

Kennedy also emphasized the significance of the ceremony for the people of the state of Utah, stating that every drop of water should be organized to be of service to mankind. Using water wisely was not only crucial for the development of the state and the whole county in the 1960s, but also in the years to come. Kennedy was proud to implement the project that people had been thinking of for fifty years and highlighted the significance of the event for the state of Utah.

Before leaving, the president warmly greeted the people who had gathered to hear his speech. At 9:50 a.m. on September 27, 1963, Kennedy departed Salt Lake City Municipal Airport by jet for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, thus ending his Conservation Tour in the Intermountain West. All of the speeches he delivered were well received, especially when he focused on foreign policy. The president’s visits made lasting impressions on everyday witnesses, thus increasing their understanding of the environment and its value.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

After giving a speech at the University of Wyoming earlier that day (September 25, 1963), President John F. Kennedy arrived at the Yellowstone Fairgrounds in Billings, Montana, at 3:55 p.m. The Secret Service estimated that more than seventeen thousand people in this Republican stronghold gathered to greet the Democratic president and listen to his speech on outdoor recreation policy. Before arriving at the Fairgrounds, Kennedy was greeted by more than one hundred thousand people waiting for his arrival both at the airport and on the streets of the city.

In his speech, the President addressed U.S. foreign policy and the complexities of the world in a time of great changes. Assisting other countries of the world served the national interest of the United States, and decreasing the chance of a military collision between the two great nuclear powers – the USA and the Soviet Union – was of key significance. Kennedy emphasized the importance of developing international relations and highlighted the support of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Kennedy also talked about significant aspects in the U.S. domestic policy, focusing on the importance of passing a new tax bill, stimulating the U.S. economy, and avoiding overwhelming economic problems. Creating new jobs, promoting the development of education, increasing youth employment and security would make the country stronger and help promote its vital interests. According to the President, it was also crucial to focus on the protection of resources like land, water, and power in order to keep the United States strong.

John F. Kennedy discussed the projects that had already been initiated in Washington, D.C. He focused on ten reclamation projects and the acquisition of wetlands, as well as the importance of saving woodlands, protecting the country’s wildlife, and supporting farmers and ranchers. Kennedy emphasized the role of the state of Montana in conservation and pointed out that creating new wilderness areas would attract even more tourists and help develop the state tourism industry. Each citizen, according to the president, should help lay the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful future for both the state and the country. Everyone should take action in order for future generations to live in greater security and prosperity.

At 4:35 p.m. on Wednesday, September 25, 1963, President John F. Kennedy departed the Yellowstone County Fairgrounds by motor for Logan Field Airport.

Yellowstone County, which is located in south-central Montana, is the state’s most populous county with an estimated population of 158,980 in 2017. Billings is the largest city in the state of Montana, and it is a major retail and wholesale trade, financial, energy, transportation and medical center.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

Arrowrock Dam transformed Boise by providing agricultural opportunities and is responsible for the development of Boise. Boise's roots were in the goldfields of surrounding foothills during the mid-nineteenth century. Around the 1860’s the gold rush declined, residents noticed the plentiful valley had an economic opportunity with agriculture, and irrigation became the key of the development. Decades later after numerous ideas and attempts to provide irrigation to the Boise Valley, the newly formed U.S. Reclamation Service engineers came up with the idea of constructing a dam upstream on the Boise River. The dam’s purpose was to store water for crops from June to late September when water became scarce.

The U.S. Reclamation Service could not begin constructing Arrowrock Dam until they built a railway to the construction site. The railroad from Boise to Arrowrock Dam was the first government owned standard gauge common carrier line. Construction on the railway began in August 22, 1910 and was completed in November 1911. On January 16, 1911, work began on the Arrowrock Camp found below the dam. The camp functioned similar to a small town with an estimated thirty buildings. The highest population of the camp was 1400 people, however the camp did not only have men, roughly 200 families also lived within the camp.

Before construction on the dam could begin, the next step in the building process is a diversion tunnel through the side of a hill estimated 470 feet long. After the diversion tunnel completed, the excavation began in February 1912 and the first cement pour was in November 1912.

The Arrowrock Dam is considered the grandfather of many famous dams for example, the Hoover and Shasta Dam. The Hoover and Shasta Dam’s built with the same system engineer Frank Crowe developed the Crowe Cable System. The system used to pour concert and move material due to the height of the dam and move it a long distance a pour concert in a key point. The dam revolutionized the way dams were constructed with similar techniques as well as similar design and models. The construction of the Arrowrock Dam had a large process including a railroad to the construction site, camp building for workers and their families, and finally the dam construction. The Arrowrock Dam has been called Idaho’s Eight Wonder of the World because of the unique the construction process, the size, and aesthetic appearance.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

Finished in 1976, this dam is well known for its catastrophic failure and the subsequent flooding of Eastern Idaho. Following years of alternating droughts and flooding, the Bureau of Reclamation proposed the created of a dam in 1963 to help regulate the water. It was planned to be over 300 feet tall and would create a reservoir over 17 miles long. Power turbines implanted in the dam would generate hydroelectric power to be sent to the nearby communities. However, in 1971, conservationists and environmentalists began objecting to the dam, arguing that it would disrupt the habitat for trout and other local wildlife. After a few years of complaints and a trial, construction on the dam began, which was finished in 1976, despite more legal complaints from conservationists and a brief labor strike.

On June 3, 1976, only a few months after completion, workers found two small leaks in the dam, followed by a smaller one found the next day. By Saturday, June 5, a worker found more water leaking through the dam, and alerted the supervisors. Soon, a second leak sprung, this one much higher than the last. 2 hours after the discovery, a wet spot appeared on the right side of the dam. Bulldozers were called in to replace washed out material, but it was soon clear that the leak was much larger than they could repair. Preparations soon began for the flooding and local Sheriffs were called to begin the evacuation. By noon, the dam broke and water flooded the area downstream. Cities in the area were soon hit with a massive wall of water. A 15-foot-high wall of water destroyed the town of Wilford, and seriously impacted Sugar City and Rexburg. Other nearby towns, like Teton and St. Anthony, were mostly unaffected due to higher elevation.

The nearby American Falls dam had been scheduled for much needed renovations and the flooding water threatened the integrity of this dam, as well as the safety of the people in the area. The dam was quickly emptied in preparation for the coming of the water from the broken Teton Dam. Water, spreading at over 10 miles an hour, from the broken Teton dam reached American Falls on the 7th of June, were the now empty American Falls dam was able to contain it and end the immediate emergency. 11 people died because of the dam and the flood caused over $2 billion of damages to local business and farm and livestock owners. While legal experts found that the government was not liable for the damages caused, President Ford requested funds to help the people affected, and eventually the government paid over $300 million in claims to people who had lost property during the flood.

Due to the original failure, the dam was never fully reused. It was the first of all the dams made by the Bureau of Reclamation to collapse, and left a bad mark on their record. The dam was soon repaired and by January of the following year, repairs were completed. Studies and expert testimony believed that one of the two big problems with this dam was poor placement. Due to the porosity of local rock and the geological instability of the area, many geologists concluded that this was not a good site for a dam. The second discovered problem was poor techniques used in the construction of the dam and poor oversight over some of the aspects of construction. This led to the creation of the SEED, the Safety Evaluation of Existing Dams program, which inspected dams to ensure safety and other legislation to help prevent the reoccurrence of tragedies like this. While the dam was repaired, it was never reused on the same scale that it was originally planned and some have made propositions for its reuse and for its destruction in the last few years.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

The largest dam in the area, the Palisades dam was build long after the other dams were completed. After the success of the American Falls, Minidoka, and Jackson Dam, the Bureau of Reclamation realized that most of the dams supplied water to farmers in the lower area of the valley, while those in the upper valley struggled to find access to enough water, especially during drought years. The Bureau began investigating new sites for one more dam in the area. A number of surveyed sites were dismissed due to poor geology, and surveyors looked for a site that would create a sufficiently high reservoir while not being extremely high, to minimize the risk of failure. Eventually, the Grand Valley site was selected, and renamed the Palisade site to avoid confusion with other projects in Colorado.

Construction began in 1946 and was finished by 1957. The reservoir holds over a million acre feet of water, making it the second largest reservoir in the region, following the American Falls reservoir. It provides water to about 650,000 acres of farm land, helping to grow grain, beans, potatoes, sugar beets, other vegetables, and many other seeds. It serves as a home to many cutthroat trout, as well as other species of fish found in the area. The power plant installed inside the dam generates a total of 176,600 kilowatt hours, enough to power a few hundred homes. According to estimates by the Bureau of Reclamation, this dam helps produce almost $1 billion of services, accounting for the irrigation to crops, livestock fed, and recreation on the reservoir and the river.

One of the main purposes of the dam is flood control, helping to keep the amount of water steady throughout the year. The Bureau estimates that this dam has prevented over $250 million of damages to farms and property, making it the largest contribution of a single dam to the prevention of flood damage. One of its most well-known uses is for recreation. The reservoir itself has over 70 miles of shore line and has become a popular fishing spot for local anglers.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

Located between the city of Minidoka and Highway 86, this dam and its corresponding lake provide water for most of the surrounding area. It serves as an oasis for nearby fauna and provides fishing and boating for local residents. The small island inside the reservoir is called Bird Island, as it is a popular roost for many different species of local birds. According to the Fish and Wildlife Center, there have been over 235 different species of birds observed in this area. Fishermen can find various species of trout and catfish, as well as steelhead, white sturgeon, and both small and large mouth bass.

The construction of this mile-long dam began in 1904 as the first major reclamation project in Idaho. The dam ended up being about 86 feet high and was originally made with compacted earth. Later, parts would be reinforced with concrete as various sections of the dam began to erode away. The lake that was created by stopping the Snake River was named Lake Walcott, after a member of the construction crew. The lake has a 210,200 acre-feet storage capacity, and is about 8 miles long and about a mile wide, at the larger points. This dam cost $5.8 million to construct, which would be about $156 million today.

Originally, the dam was only intended to provide water for irrigation and agriculture. However, engineers soon realized the potential for hydroelectric power provided by the dam. In 1909, they began construction on the power plant that now provides electricity for many of the surrounding cities. The city of Rupert was one of the first cities in the US to be completely powered by electricity, drawing its power from the dam’s storage. Similarly, the addition of the power plants allowed for the diversion of water uphill, using electricity, which provided water to land at a higher elevation than the dam. Additional units were added to the power plant in 1927 and 1942 as the nearby cities grew and the demand for water and electricity increased. In 2011, workers began to replace many of the outdated aspects of the dam and installed new and more efficient technology, making the dam more effective and much safer.

This dam led to the irrigating of many of the nearby farms, which quickly brought farmers and entrepreneurs to the area. Within a decade, a formerly-barren wasteland, filled with tumbleweeds and desert, was filled with 17,000 people, thousands of green farms, and several new, small cities. The creation of this dam spurred enormous population growth and led to the creation of other dam and irrigation projects in the area.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

In 1907, after the success of the Minidoka Dam, construction began for a new dam on the Snake River in Wyoming. Benjamin Sheffield, who ran the Teton Lodge near where the dam is presently located, suggested the dam to the reclamation service to help limit spring runoff and to allow him to build more lodges for travelers and wealthy hunters. A temporary dam was constructed to hold water until other water storage needs for facilities could be calculated. This temporary dam was inefficient for agriculture, as it made the bottom lands too wet to build and for agriculture. In 1910, due to rot and poor maintenance, the temporary dam failed, flooding the nearby area. Workers of the Minidoka project filled the broken parts of the dam with dirt to mitigate the flow of water. Soon after, concrete was added to help strengthen the dam. Finally, it was determined necessary to build the planned permanent structure quickly to save money on upkeep.

The construction of this dam led to the development of the surrounding area. The nearby city of Moran exploded with activity, filled with workers, engineers, and tourists, who came to see the engineering spectacle and to enjoy local hunting and visiting Yellowstone. Small towns popped up along the roads used by the construction crew that would help the progress of settling this area of Wyoming. Within the next decade, over 30,000 visitors a year came through this area, stabilizing the local economy.

The purpose of this dam was to regulate the water level in the lake, in order to help promote farming in Idaho through irrigation. It was meant to ease pressure on the local homesteaders who were struggling to maintain their 160-acre farms without sufficient water. These homesteaders would be expected to pay back the cost of the dam within 10 years of its completion. It was completed in 1916, creating a lake capable of storing 847,000 acre-feet of water. In 1977, the Bureau of Reclamation began renovations on the dam to strengthen the foundation in case of an earthquake. Most of the dam was completely replaced. This dam has no hydroelectric capabilities, although some recent proposals have called for the addition of a power plant to supply the nearby cities with cheaper electricity. The dam is about 8 miles long and over two miles long at its widest, including two large islands, Elk Island and Donoho point, and a number of smaller islands near the coast. It is stocked with many different breeds of trout as well as the native Snake River cutthroat trout and the mountain whitefish. It is one of the few lakes allowed for motorboat use, and the largest close to the Grand Teton.

For more (including 5 images) view the original article

Located on the western edge of Yellowstone, this dam had a very controversial beginning. A few dams in this area had been planned in the late 1910's, after the success of the Minidoka Dam. However, these plans were put on hold as conservationists in the area successfully lobbied Congress into stalling these projects. They argued that by virtue of being on federal land, the area should be protected and preserved by the Federal Government. This came as a backlash against the flooding of the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park through the creation of the O'Shaughnessy Dam.

Similar requests by farmers in California led to the creation of the O'Shaughnessy Dam in 1919 and was soon denounced by conservationists. Special legislation had been passed to allow the creation of a dam in a federal park, which required that the dam is held in public hands. The dam was soon sold to a private company, which further angered the conservationists, who saw this as an attack on the entire idea of the federal park system. They were successful as they lobbied congressmen to stall the authorization of the proposed. Even President Franklin D. Roosevelt opposed the creation of a dam on the Yellowstone Lake, the site of the most controversial dam proposal. However, by 1937, it was apparent that local farmers were running out of irrigable waters and a compromise between the two factions was reached. Two dams would be created near the confines of Yellowstone: the Island Park Dam and the Grassy Lake Dam. However, they were to be much smaller than the proposals had called for and would be planned to minimize their effect on the national park. Farmers would be able to access the water stored in the dam, especially during particularly dry seasons.

Construction of this dam began in 1937 and was completed in 1939. Much like the Grassy Lake Dam, this is an earth fill dam. Its corresponding reservoir holds 135,000-acre feet of water, making it smaller than the Jackson Lake and American Falls, though larger than Lake Walcott and Grassy Lake. It is located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and supplies most of the nearby towns in Idaho with irrigation water. This dam also boasts the eighth coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States. On January 18, 1943, this dam reached -60 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest temperature recorded in Idaho.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article

While this dam is fairly small compared to the nearby Jackson Lake, the creation of this dam was quite dramatic. In 1919, after working on the Jackson Lake dam, proposals were made for another dam in the Bechler Meadows. This was an attempt to use the local water for irrigation and farming. No real action was undertaken for some time, but within a few years, conservationists became alarmed that this dam (along with a few other dam proposals in the area) would recreate the infamous Hetch Hetchy project in Yosemite National Park.

In 1919, construction began on the O'Shaughnessy Dam, which created the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. This dam was constructed inside a National Park and required special legislation for approval. The legislation decided that public lands should be used for public benefit and that the scenic valley would be of more use to the community of California as a dam than a place for sightseeing. By the time of the dam's completion, many groups had already begun calling for the removal and prevention of dams in the name of conservation, the idea that the natural landscape should be preserved. The Grassy Lake dam fell victim to the backlash against the flooding of the Hetch Hetchy Valley and was postponed.

After two decades of political debates, a compromise between local irrigators and conservationists in Congress allowed for the creation of two dams, both added to the Minidoka Project. The Grassy Lake dam was to be created at the head of Cascade Creek, near the Fall river and close to the southern edge of Yellowstone. This would prevent Yellowstone Lake from being diverted for irrigation, preserving it for future generations. It would still allow farmers in the area to have access to water during especially dry seasons. In 1937, construction began and by 1939, the dam was completed. It is an earth fill dam and can hold 15,000 acre-feet of water. It is a little over a mile in length and less than half a mile wide. Recently, in both 1996 and 2004, the Reclamation Bureau modified and replaced some worn out sections of the dam.

For more (including 3 images) view the original article

The idea for the American Falls dam began after the success of the nearby Minidoka Dam led to better farmland and increased population. In 1908, limited testing of a dam site began, and a decade later, in 1918, geological investigations began that led to the proposal of a dam in 1919. This proposal presented a controversial issue, as it claimed that the best place for a dam and subsequent reservoir would be right where the town was located. The authors of the proposal called for the relocation of a large section of American falls, a massive undertaking for a city that was starving from the falling crop prices of the post WW1 era. Deliberations on both the federal and local level took years to conclude that the dam was necessary and to finally begin the process of moving.

The Bureau of Reclamation purchased many of the properties that would soon be flooded by the dam, and helped to clear the sagebrush to make new properties for these relocated homeowners. They would eventually buy 329 properties in the area, while some homeowners decided to keep their claim on the land soon to be flooded. However, by the end of 1921, the head of the Reclamation Service decided that this project was too costly and ordered it ended. This alarmed many local farmers, who depended on dams and irrigation for water. A group of local businesspeople and farmers raised enough money to cover the additional costs and petitioned the Bureau to resume construction on the dam. With half of the financial cost covered by the local community, the head of the Bureau of Reclamation acquiesced and resumed planning to move the city.

In 1925, construction began. Old power lines and railroads had to be relocated around the dam, and the monumental task of moving the entire city had to be undertaken. Most of the buildings in the city were moved by horses pulling large wheeled carts. Famously, one particular Sunday, the St. John Lutheran Church was in transit and several worshipers attended their service in the church while it was on wheels. By the end of 1925, all the buildings and markings from the former town site had been moved, with some exceptions. All that remained were a few foundations, some sidewalks, and the giant concrete grain silo that was deemed too difficult to move. The dam was finished in 1926, and local banks began opening up and expanding services, hopeful for the economic boost that this dam would bring.

The dam held more than 1.7 acre-feet of water and stretched for miles along the Snake river. However, by 1973, it became evident that weathering and wear on the dam necessitated complete replacement of the structure. The new dam, finished in 1978, was built downstream of the old dam, and actually lowered the amount of water that could be held. Today, it supplies thousands of farms with water. The cement grain silo can still be seen from the dam, as well as the old powerhouse. This building was built two decades before the dam was made, utilizing the natural waterfall to generate power, which was sent via power lines to Pocatello. The generator that was originally installed is still located within the dilapidated building, though it is impossible to reach.

For more (including 4 images) view the original article