Gillespie Dam: Difference between revisions
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The Gillespie Dam was constructed in 1921 by a local rancher to replace an existing structure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80127e/80127E0b.htm|title=Field Excursion Reports|accessdate=2008-06-03|publisher=United Nations University}}</ref> As the dam was located at an important river crossing that would later become [[US Route 80]], the Arizona Highway Department - the predecessor to the [[Arizona Department of Transportation]] - constructed a concrete apron at the foot of the dam to allow for vehicular crossings. As the dam was a simple spillover construction, during times of heavy runoff cars would have to be pulled through the flow by trucks, and during floods could not cross at all.<ref name="gilabend"/> |
The Gillespie Dam was constructed in 1921 by a local rancher to replace an existing structure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80127e/80127E0b.htm|title=Field Excursion Reports|accessdate=2008-06-03|publisher=United Nations University}}</ref> As the dam was located at an important river crossing that would later become [[US Route 80]], the Arizona Highway Department - the predecessor to the [[Arizona Department of Transportation]] - constructed a concrete apron at the foot of the dam to allow for vehicular crossings. As the dam was a simple spillover construction, during times of heavy runoff cars would have to be pulled through the flow by trucks, and during floods could not cross at all.<ref name="gilabend"/> |
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In anticipation of the formation of the [[United States Numbered Highways|United States Highway System]] in 1926, the Highway Department commissioned the construction of a [[steel]] [[truss bridge]] just downstream from the dam. The bridge was completed and opened to traffic on August 1, 1927 at a cost of [[United States Dollar|US]]$320,000 (''US$3,950,000 in 2007''). The bridge, which was at the time the longest highway bridge in the state of Arizona, was immediately incorporated into the highway system as Route 80.<ref name="gilabend"/> The bridge carried US 80 traffic until 1956 when the highway was decommissioned, devolving to a [[county (US)|county]] highway, thus placing the bridge under [[Maricopa County]] care. The bridge was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on May 5, 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pr.state.az.us/partnerships/shpo/natlregister_s_o_m/may_06/gillespiedam.html|title= |
In anticipation of the formation of the [[United States Numbered Highways|United States Highway System]] in 1926, the Highway Department commissioned the construction of a [[steel]] [[truss bridge]] just downstream from the dam. The bridge was completed and opened to traffic on August 1, 1927 at a cost of [[United States Dollar|US]]$320,000 (''US$3,950,000 in 2007''). The bridge, which was at the time the longest highway bridge in the state of Arizona, was immediately incorporated into the highway system as Route 80.<ref name="gilabend"/> The bridge carried US 80 traffic until 1956 when the highway was decommissioned, devolving to a [[county (US)|county]] highway, thus placing the bridge under [[Maricopa County]] care. The bridge was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on May 5, 1981.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pr.state.az.us/partnerships/shpo/natlregister_s_o_m/may_06/gillespiedam.html |title=Gillespie Dam Bridge |accessdate=2008-06-03 |publisher=Arizona State Parks |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20060526133547/http://www.pr.state.az.us:80/partnerships/shpo/natlregister_s_o_m/may_06/gillespiedam.html |archivedate=May 26, 2006 }}</ref> |
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==Failure== |
==Failure== |
Revision as of 04:14, 24 January 2016
Gillespie Dam | |
---|---|
Official name | Gillespie Dam |
Location | Maricopa County, Arizona, USA |
Opening date | 1921[1] |
Dam and spillways | |
Impounds | Gila River |
Height | 20 feet (6.1 m) |
Length | 1,700 feet (520 m) |
Reservoir | |
Creates | Gillespie Dam Reservoir (former) |
The Gillespie Dam is a concrete gravity dam located on the Gila River between the towns of Buckeye and Gila Bend, Arizona. The dam was constructed during the 1920s for primarily irrigation purposes. A portion of the dam failed unexpectedly in 1993 during unusually heavy rains.
History
The Gillespie Dam was constructed in 1921 by a local rancher to replace an existing structure.[2] As the dam was located at an important river crossing that would later become US Route 80, the Arizona Highway Department - the predecessor to the Arizona Department of Transportation - constructed a concrete apron at the foot of the dam to allow for vehicular crossings. As the dam was a simple spillover construction, during times of heavy runoff cars would have to be pulled through the flow by trucks, and during floods could not cross at all.[1]
In anticipation of the formation of the United States Highway System in 1926, the Highway Department commissioned the construction of a steel truss bridge just downstream from the dam. The bridge was completed and opened to traffic on August 1, 1927 at a cost of US$320,000 (US$3,950,000 in 2007). The bridge, which was at the time the longest highway bridge in the state of Arizona, was immediately incorporated into the highway system as Route 80.[1] The bridge carried US 80 traffic until 1956 when the highway was decommissioned, devolving to a county highway, thus placing the bridge under Maricopa County care. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 1981.[3]
Failure
The winter months of 1993 saw unusually high rainfall amounts that resulted in record flows through central Arizona rivers and streams, including the Salt River, a major tributary to the Gila upstream from the Gillespie Dam.[4] At approximately 10:30 on the morning of January 9, the dam failed when a segment approximately 120 feet (37 m) in length collapsed into the river. While the precise cause of the failure is unknown, the extreme flooding was almost certainly a contributing factor. The precise size of the flood was not recorded due to equipment failure, but an estimate based upon a high-water mark recorded on USGS equipment yielded a peak flow of approximately 200,000 cubic feet (5,700 m3) per second, corresponding to a predicted 65-year flood, or a flood of a magnitude anticipated only once per 65 years. The previous high, recorded during similarly disastrous floods in 1980, had been 178,000 cubic feet (5,000 m3) per second.[5]
Due to the failure, three underground natural gas lines were exposed and later severed by the floodwaters. The bridge downstream survived, and was deemed safe for travel.[1]
The remnants of the dam remain in place and the area is largely accessible to the public. A small earthen embankment exists to divert water into nearby canals.
References
- ^ a b c d "Historic Gillespie Dam". Town of Gila Bend. Retrieved 2008-06-03. [dead link]
- ^ "Field Excursion Reports". United Nations University. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ "Gillespie Dam Bridge". Arizona State Parks. Archived from the original on May 26, 2006. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
{{cite web}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ "Arizona's Most Notable Storms". National Weather Service. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- ^ Larson, Robert; James Slosson (1997). Storm-induced Geologic Hazards: Case Histories from the 1992-1993 Winter. Geological Society of America. pp. 32–33.