On the recordMarch 3, 2011
the story of human settlement in Arizona is in many respects the story of the extraordinary efforts people have made to harness water supplies for their use and benefit. Early Arizonans were keenly aware of the importance of the State's many rivers. Recognizing the immense power and unpredictability of those river flows, settlers devised an ambitious water system known as the Salt River Project, SRP. The keystone of their efforts, the Theodore Roosevelt Dam, celebrates its centennial this month. More than a century ago, Arizonans understood that water reclamation is crucial to life in the Salt River Valley. Arizona farmers organized to lobby the U.S. Congress for a Federal reclamation law that would throw the weight of the Federal Government behind local projects. Together with the vision of President Theodore Roosevelt and the persuasive power of private citizens, Congress passed the National Reclamation Act in 1902. The Salt River Valley Water Users' Association was incorporated the following year. SRP was the first major undertaking authorized by the National Reclamation Act, and Roosevelt Dam was a critical component of SRP's development. Upon its completion on March 18, 1911, the Roosevelt Dam was the largest masonry structure in the world. The dam captured the Salt River's flows, providing a secure water supply, flood control, and irrigation to communities in central Arizona.
