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This is the view from the Thompson Trail #121 south of the Roosevelt Dam by Roosevelt Lake in the Tonto National Forest.
www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/recreation/bicycling/recare...
From State Highway 188, the trail quickly climbs along an arroyo and then follows the contour of the ridges above the highway and Roosevelt Lake. After 1½ mile, at the junction with the Cemetery Trail 255, the trail turns south and gradually ascends a broad ridge to the junction with FR 341. This trail is named after Jerome Thompson who served as the district ranger, 1956-1965, for the then-named Roosevelt Ranger District.
hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=1945
Sierra Ancha Wilderness and Dutch Woman across the lake.
IMG_1072
In this view of Grand Coulee dam (taken on a foggy January winter's day). From this viewpoint you can see all three phases of the Grand Coulee dam: low, high, and third or final phase. You can also catch a glimpse of the huge pipes (top right in this photo) of the pipes connection Roosevelt Lake, behind Grand Coulee dam, and Banks Lake, up over the canyon rim in "Grand Coulee".
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Sunday 25 January 2015: My wife and I headed out for a drive up to George, Washington; Dry Falls; Steamboat State Park on Bank Lanks; and Grand Coulee dam in Eastern Washington. A good winter day trip.
The weather forecast called for morning fog, burning off by around 10 am, then partly cloudy skies, with temperatures in the high 50s. BUT like a previous trip earlier in the month, the fog never did burn off. It was thick from Ellensburg to Grand Coulee dam.
We enjoyed the drive anyway and we even hit a short stretch of sunshine above Ellensburg. At Grand Coulee dam I deposited my "loves penny slot machines" wife at the Colville Indian casino on the right bank of the Columbia River, below Grand Coulee dam, then took off to take snapshots around Grand Coulee dam.
After several short "hikes" to take photos I ended up in the Grand Coulee dam visitor center. [NOTE: we just as well get this out of the way. Anytime you visit a dam, the puns are inevitable and numerous, so get used to the dam puns.] Few people were at the visitor center on this cold, foggy winter's day in January, but I was greeted warmly by Tom from Spokane (Not his real name nor place of residence).
With no other visitors at the dam visitor center at that moment, Tom and I got into a wide ranging discussion of the history and impact of Grand Coulee dam and of course, the many Ancient Lake Missoula floods, which formed the coulee, where Grand Coulee dam is built; the coulee where the "holding reservoir, called Banks Lake", and the spectacular Dry Falls, south of Banks Lake.
The visitor center and Tom's job is to "sell" and "reinforce" the idea that the Grand Coulee dam is a marvel and a wonderful thing. Both are true, but then there is also the negative, downside of the dam and those that followed: the devestating impact it has had on the area Native American's lives; salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon in the Columbia River.
At one point, I asked Tom if water ever went over the dam's spillway. His response, was something like: "Only in the summer when we put on the nightly light show for the tourists. We tend to think of any water that goes over the spillway as wasted" (meaning if it doesn't turn a Grand Coulee turbine, irrigate, or get pumped up over the rim of the canyon into Banks Lake for future use in crop irrigation or electicity production - - it is water wasted).
Like all Americans, I am spoiled. I live in a house with heat and air conditioning, lights, hot water, running water, indoor plumbing, a kitchen with refrigerator, stove, microwave, toaster, and so forth. All of this "comfortable life style" is not enjoyed by all people, who inhabit this planet, something that I think of from time to time, but not as often as I probably should.
All that convenience requires "power" and "fuel" and those come from electicity generated by hydroelectic dams; coal fueled electric plants, nuclear power plant electricity, and lately some wind and solar power. Each of these power sources have a downside. Yes even solar (they fry birds) and wind (they kill birds too). So something we tend to want to not face, is what's it going to be? What do we do with nuclear waste? How about the pollution that comes with fossil fuel power generation? What about that salmon spawning ground and industry, that once was?
So, as I talked with and listened to Tom I tried my best to keep a balanced view of the now "managed" Columbia River, much like you have to do when looking at what has happened to the Colorado River, a managed river if there ever was one.
Irrigation provides water to grow crops that we all want to buy at reasonable prices, clean, fresh, and often refrigerated at our local grocery stores. And I have already mentioned our "God given right" to reasonably priced unlimited power to make our homes comfortable and enjoyable.
Tom showed me a list of about eight films I could choose to view upstairs in the visitor center theatre. I chose the history of building the dam a wonderfully informative and entertaining look at the challenges of building Grand Coulee dam. That film ran about 45 minutes. I was the only one in the theatre watching the film until that last few minutes when a couple came upstairs and joined me.
I looked at my watch and saw it was time to fetch my wife from the casino. Her budgeted amount of pennies would expire at the same time as our agreed upon pickup time. I knew her slot machine strategy would assure that.
After picking my wife up, I was bubbling with enthusiasm for all I had seen and learned, so we returned to the visitor center, and I introduced my wife to Tom. We then selected a 14 minute film on the Lake Missoula Flood to watch and Tom went upstairs to set it up for us. There is also a longer version of the Lake Missoula flood film, but I thought my wife would appreciate the shortened version.
After the visit at the Grand Coulee dam visitor center, we retraced our way back home, in the fog all the way, and with a pizza at Ephrata, Washington as a welcome "dinner" on the way back home.
Not many photos to share of this fog bound trip, but I hope you enjoy those I do post. There are so many fascinating facts about Grand Coulee dam, that I really don't know where to start in passing any of those along. Books of course have been written about every aspect of the dam.
What I came away with are the following information nuggets:
* The "low dam" was built with the thought of irrigating the surrounding basin for farming. The second world war changed the project from an irrigation and flood control dam to a hydroelectric plant and a "high dam" version.
* Electric power from Grand Coulee dam played a vital role in the war effort. Power helped produce aircraft in Seattle and powered the Handford Reservation nuclear fuel producing effor.
* 77 men died during the construction of Grand Coulee dam. They were paid, on average 80 cents and hour and they got a half hour lunch break. It was hot, dangerous, dusty, work but any that lagged, were quickly replaced. This was depression era times, and workers were lined up for the jobs.
* A third phase of the dam was added, by blasting off the right bank end of the old dam, and adding state of the art generators, and latest engineering innovations.
* A pump system was installed to pump water up into a "holding reservoir" now called Banks Lake. Water from Banks Lake is distributed to farms throughout the Columbia River basin and when needed, pumped back down to Lake Roosevelt to be run through the power generating turbines.
* Grand Coulee dam and the numerous other hydroelectric dams have done major damage to the salmon runs. Steelhead and sturgeon have also been impacted heavily. Fish ladders, transporting young salmon to the ocean in barges and trucks, fish hatcheries, and other attempts by man to mitigate what the dams have done to these fish are marginally successful at best.
* Grand Coulee dam provides power and irrigation water that benefit directly or indirectly millions of Americans and make our life better. The same is true of the other dams on the Columbia River.
Wikipedia is an exceptional information resource for me. I use it often. Much of what I have just listed comes from information gathered from Wikipedia, books I have read, and of course visits to Grand Coulee dam and the visitor center as well.
In case you want more "bits of pieces" of information about Grand Coulee dam, what follows is some "cut and paste" notes directly from Wikipedia. Since it is cut and paste it won't read as well as if you were to open up Grand Coulee Dam on Wikipedia and read the whole thing. Here is the Oldmantravels Cut and Paste Cliff Notes version of the Wikipedia history of Grand Coulee dam:
WIKIPEDIA: Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants. A third power station was completed in 1974 to increase its energy production. It is the largest electric power-producing facility in the United States.[3]
In 1933, the initial design was for a "low dam" 290 ft (88 m) high which would generate electricity, but not support irrigation. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and a consortium of three companies called MWAK (Mason-Walsh-Atkinson Kier Company) began construction that year. After visiting the construction site in August 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt began endorsing the "high dam" design which, at 550 ft (168 m) high, would provide enough electricity to pump water to irrigate the Columbia Basin. The high dam was approved by Congress in 1935 and completed in 1942; the first water over-topped its spillway on June 1 of that year.
Power from the dam fueled the growing industries of the Northwest United States during World War II. Between 1967 and 1974, the Third Powerplant was constructed
The reservoir is called Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake, named after the United States President who presided over the authorization and completion of the dam. Creation of the reservoir forced the relocation of over 3,000 people, including Native Americans whose ancestral lands were partially flooded. The dam has also blocked the migration of salmon and other fish upstream to spawn
In July 1923, President Warren G. Harding visited Washington state and expressed support for irrigation work there, but died a month later. His successor, Calvin Coolidge, had little interest in irrigation projects.
On July 16, 1933, a crowd of 3,000 watched the driving of the first stake at the low dam site, and excavation soon began. Core drilling commenced that September while the Bureau of Reclamation accelerated its studies and designs for the dam.[21] It would still help control floods and provide for irrigation and hydroelectricity, though at a reduced capacity. Most importantly, it would not raise its reservoir high enough to irrigate the plateau around the Grand Coulee.
Construction on the downstream Grand Coulee Bridge began in May 1934 and more considerable earth-moving began in August. Excavation for the dam's foundation required the removal of 22,000,000 cu yd (17,000,000 m3) of dirt and stone.[22] To reduce the amount of trucking required in the excavation, a conveyor belt nearly 2 mi (3.2 km) long was built
On August 4, 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the construction site and was impressed by the project and its purpose.[31] He gave a speech to workers and spectators, closing with this statement: "I leave here today with the feeling that this work is well undertaken; that we are going ahead with a useful project, and we are going to see it through for the benefit of our country."[32] Soon after his visit, Reclamation was allowed to proceed with the high dam plan
Until the project began, the stretch of the Columbia River where the dam was to rise was as yet unbridged, making it difficult to move men and materials.[39] In January 1936, the Grand Coulee Bridge (a permanent highway bridge) was opened after major delays caused by high water; three additional and temporary bridges downstream had moved vehicles and workers along with sand and gravel for cement mixing.[25][40] In March 1938, MWAK completed the lower dam and Consolidated Builders Inc. began constructing the high dam.
In 1933, Reclamation began efforts to purchase land behind the dam as far as 151 mi (243 km) upstream for the future reservoir zone. The reservoir, known later as Lake Roosevelt, flooded 70,500 acres. Within the zone were eleven towns, two railroads, three state highways, about one hundred and fifty miles of country roads, four sawmills, fourteen bridges, four telegraph and telephone systems, and many power lines and cemeteries. All facilities had to be purchased or relocated, and 3,000 residents were relocated
Workers building the dam received an average of 80¢ an hour; the payroll for the dam was among the largest in the nation. Construction conditions were dangerous and 77 workers died.
After World War II, the growing demand for electricity sparked interest in constructing another power plant supported by the Grand Coulee Dam.[59] One obstacle to an additional power plant was the great seasonality of the Columbia River's streamflow. Today the flow is closely managed—there is almost no seasonality.
Historically, about 75% of the river's annual flow occurred between April and September.[60] During low flow periods, the river's discharge was between 50,000 cu ft/s and 80,000 cu ft/s while maximum spring runoff flows were around 500,000 cu ft/s). Only nine out of the dam's eighteen generators could run year-round. The remaining nine operated for less than six months a year
Efforts to build the Third Powerplant were also influenced by competition with the Soviet Union, which had constructed power plants on the Volga River that were larger than Grand Coulee
Between 1967 and 1974, the dam was expanded to add the Third Powerplant. Beginning in July 1967, this involved demolishing the northeast side of the dam and building a new fore-bay section. The excavation of 22,000,000 cu yd (16,820,207 m3) of dirt and rock had to be accomplished before the new 1,725 ft (526 m) long section of dam was built. The addition made the original 4,300 ft (1,300 m) dam almost a mile long. Original designs for the powerhouse had twelve smaller units but were altered to incorporate six of the largest generators available. To supply them with water, six 40 ft (12 m) diameter penstocks were installed
After power shortages in the Northwest during the 1960s, it was determined that the six remaining planned pumps be pump-generators. When energy demand is high, the pump-generators can generate electricity with water from the Banks Lake feeder canal adjacent to the dam at a higher elevation.[68] By 1973, the Pump-Generating Plant was completed and the first three generators were operational. In 1983, two more generators went online, and by January 1984 the final was operational.
The dam's primary goal, irrigation, was postponed as the wartime need for electricity increased. The dam's powerhouse began production around the time World War II began, and its electricity was vital to the war effort. The dam powered aluminum smelters in Longview and Vancouver, Washington, Boeing factories in Seattle and Vancouver, and Portland's shipyards. In 1943, its electricity was also used for plutonium production in Richland, Washington, at the Hanford Site, which was part of the top-secret Manhattan Project.
Grand Coulee Dam's spillway is 1,650 feet (500 m) long and is an overflow, drum-gate controlled type with a 1,000,000 cu ft/s (28,000 m3/s) maximum capacity.[69] A record flood in May and June 1948 flooded lowland below the dam and highlighted its limited flood control capability at the time,The flood damaged downstream riverbanks and deteriorated the face of the dam and its flip bucket at the base (toe) of the spillway.[78] The flood spurred the Columbia River Treaty and its provisions for dams constructed upstream in Canada, which would regulate the Columbia's flow
The dam had severe negative consequences for the local Native American tribes whose traditional way of life revolved around salmon and the original shrub steppe habitat of the area. Because it lacks a fish ladder, Grand Coulee Dam permanently blocks fish migration, removing over 1,100 mi (1,770 km) of natural spawning habitat.[81] By largely eliminating anadromous fish above the Okanogan River, the Grand Coulee Dam also set the stage for the subsequent decision not to provide for fish passage at Chief Joseph Dam (built in 1953).[82] Chinook, Steelhead, Sockeye and Coho salmon (as well as other important species including Lamprey) are now unable to spawn in the reaches of the Upper Columbia Basin (Walleye eating baby sturgeon - Tom at visito center).
Built in the late 1970s, the Visitor Center contains many historical photos, geological samples, turbine and dam models, and a theater. Since May 1989, on summer evenings, the laser light show at Grand Coulee Dam is projected onto the dam's wall. The show includes full-size images of battleships and the Statue of Liberty, as well as some environmental comments.[89] Tours of the Third Powerplant are available to the public and last about an hour.
These Indian cliff dwellings are approximately 700 - 800 yrs old and are located near Roosevelt Lake in Arizona. These are the lower ruins. I didn't get a chance to see the upper ruins as the walk up this hillside was quite enough excercise for me for the day.
Last weekend we went on a day trip from Tempe to Globe and then the Tonto National Monument (forest preserve) where we found gorgeous views of Roosevelt Lake, pictured here. It was a marvelous trip with perfect weather and stunning landscapes.
In this photo an ocatillo bush is in the right foreground, and a saguaro cactus is in the right foreground.
INFORMATION ON ROOSEVELT LAKE:
Theodore Roosevelt Lake was formed by the construction of a masonry dam on the Salt River in 1911, making it the oldest artificial reservoir in Arizona. About 10 miles of the original river are now beneath the waters, and in the other direction one of its major tributaries, Tonto Creek, is flooded for about 8 miles although the lake level and hence the overall length is quite variable. It is a major center for fishing, boating, camping and general vacationing, and despite being quite close to Phoenix, the shortest route is via the unpaved Apache Trail, so the number of visitors is rather less than for some other water-based recreational sites in the Tonto National Forest with easier access such as Lake Pleasant and Saguaro Lake.
Access: The lake is the largest in the state except for those on the Colorado River, and the southwest shoreline is easily reached from AZ 188, which runs close to the lake for most of its 18 mile length, passing various marinas and campsites. Some of these sites used to be free, but a recent change in policy has meant that fees are now charged. There is little access to the northeast side as the terrain here is more mountainous. One track (FR 60, or A Cross Road) winds through the hills from AZ 288 in the south to AZ 188 north of the lake but this runs several miles from the shore and only a few long and very bumpy 4WD trails lead towards the water. One point of interest along the track is Salome Creek, best approached from the north end - this is famous because of a short section of granite narrows ('The Jug') with smooth, sheer, pinkish-white walls, deep pools and waterfalls.
The Water: In common with other lakes in the Phoenix area, summer water temperatures of Theodore Roosevelt Lake can exceed 90 °F, but cooling afternoon thunderstorms are common. The last few years had seen a dramatic reduction in the water level, largely due to the need to maintain supply to the other lakes on the Salt River downstream - in some places the shoreline was half a mile distant from the previous high point. Still, in such conditions many good beaches are exposed which provide excellent camping opportunities, close to the water, although in some places soft mud makes vehicular travel difficult. One good location is Bachelor Cove, along AZ 188 a little north of Theodore Roosevelt Dam. Since 1999, the waters have risen again and for the moment, most of the campsites are flooded. Hotels: The nearest main town with hotels close to Theodore Roosevelt Lake is Payson.
Great day exploring sites east of Phoenix on my free day. I spent a good time in the Tonto National Forest and was able to stop at the observation areas to view the Roosevelt Lake Bridge and the Theodore Roosevelt Dam. The dam is on the Salt River northeast of Phoenix and forms Theodore Roosevelt Lake. The dam was originally built between 1905 and 1911. Definitely the largest dam I have ever seen. Taken on Friday July 13th, 2018.
viewed best (Large) - Seen in Top 20 Vivid, Great Shots, Travel Photography, Super-Group, Arizona, World Wide Photographers, In The Deep, Felt Life GROUPS
"What we anticipate seldom occurs; what we least expected generally happens." Benjamin Disraeli
I try to "Walk In Beauty" and post photos of beauty. I often see reality but rarely post it. This reality confronted me today. It was a tough hike for me. I was hiking the Four Peaks Trail #130 north of Roosevelt Dam and Roosevelt Lake heading into the Four Peaks Wilderness. This trail is part of the Arizona Trail AZT which crosses Arizona from the border with Mexico to the border with Utah.
“Try as much as possible to be wholly alive, with all your might, and when you
laugh, laugh like hell and when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be
alive. You will be dead soon enough.” William Saroyan
“I remember my youth and the feeling that will never come back any more /the
feeling that I could last for ever, outlast the sea, the earth, and all men; the
deceitful feeling that lures us on to joys, to perils, to love, to vain effort
/to death; the triumphant conviction of strength, the heat of life in the
handful of dust, the glow in the heart that with every year grows dim, grows
cold, grows small, and expires /and expires, too soon, too soon /before life
itself.” Joseph Conrad
"Through the Jungle very softly flits a shadow and a sigh - / He is Fear, O
Little Hunter, he is Fear!” Rudyard Kipling
Great day exploring sites east of Phoenix on my free day. I spent a good time in the Tonto National Forest and was able to stop at the observation areas to view the Roosevelt Lake Bridge and the Theodore Roosevelt Dam. The dam is on the Salt River northeast of Phoenix and forms Theodore Roosevelt Lake. The dam was originally built between 1905 and 1911. Definitely the largest dam I have ever seen. Taken on Friday July 13th, 2018.
A Raven Nest High Above Roosevelt Lake Arizona. I am having big time problems uploading photos. Photos keep timing out. Flicker Sucks some times.
An eastern view of Theodore Roosevelt Lake from Route 188. The Salt River Dam created the lake in 1911.
Great day exploring sites east of Phoenix on my free day. I spent a good time in the Tonto National Forest and was able to stop at the observation areas to view the Roosevelt Lake Bridge and the Theodore Roosevelt Dam. The dam is on the Salt River northeast of Phoenix and forms Theodore Roosevelt Lake. The dam was originally built between 1905 and 1911. Definitely the largest dam I have ever seen. Taken on Friday July 13th, 2018.
Photos of the boat my Son and I bought last week. It's a 1997 Rajin Cajun 185, with a 150 H.P. Mercury EFI outboard Motor. It was awesome.
Great day exploring sites east of Phoenix on my free day. I spent a good time in the Tonto National Forest and was able to stop at the observation areas to view the Roosevelt Lake Bridge and the Theodore Roosevelt Dam. The dam is on the Salt River northeast of Phoenix and forms Theodore Roosevelt Lake. The dam was originally built between 1905 and 1911. Definitely the largest dam I have ever seen. Taken on Friday July 13th, 2018.
In July of last year we took a big loop tour through Apache Junction (including Apache Land a former movie studio location) to Roosevelt Lake and back home. Along the way we passed Canyon Lake, Tonto National Monument, and Roosevelt Dam.
The view from our campsite - Tonto Basin, Gila County, Arizona
{ L } Lightbox view is best
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