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| One of the original five federal projects authorized on March 13, 1903, under the Reclamation or Newlands Act of 1902, Roosevelt Dam was the first major project to be completed under the new federal reclamation program. This, the world's highest masonry dam, was started in 1906 and completed in 1911. As originally conceived and built, it was to be a symbol of success and a showpiece for the new agency. Completed at a cost of 10 million dollars, the primary function of the dam was to provide water storage for the Salt River irrigation project and flood control for the Salt River Valley. The dam contributed more than any other dam in Arizona to the settlement of Central Arizona and to the development of large-scale irrigation there. A secondary purpose of the dam was to generate a moderate amount of hydroelectric power.
In 1989, an ambitious expansion and renovation project was begun at Roosevelt Dam. The original rubble-masonry dam was completely encased in concrete, and the structural height was extended. As a result the dam has a completely altered appearance from when it was originally listed as a National Historic Landmark. |
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