Theodore Roosevelt Dam, Hydroelectric dam on Salt River in Gila County and Maricopa County, United States.
Theodore Roosevelt Dam is a concrete arch dam on the Salt River northeast of Phoenix, Arizona, 109 m high and forming Theodore Roosevelt Lake. Its pale grey face is marked by closely spaced vertical seams running from the crest to the base, with low parapets along the crest and thick intake towers projecting at the upper left and right. The lower right side meets a rocky abutment with stepped concrete walls.
Construction took place between 1905 and 1911 as one of the first major federal projects under the 1902 Newlands Reclamation Act. The project demonstrated that the federal government could support large-scale infrastructure in western states.
The dam shows how early irrigation projects transformed land use across Arizona's desert and enabled farming communities to establish themselves. Visitors can observe how this structure shaped the relationship between people and water in this arid region.
Visitors can explore the dam from designated areas that offer viewpoints and information displays about its operation. The best time to visit is during cooler months, as desert temperatures become very high in summer.
The 1989–1996 renovation encased the original rubble-masonry dam in concrete and raised it 77 feet (23 m) to 357 feet (109 m), lifting Roosevelt Lake's storage by about 20%. Because the design and materials changed, the National Historic Landmark designation granted in 1963 was withdrawn on March 10, 1999. The project cost $430 million.
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