[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 36 (Thursday, March 10, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CENTENNIAL OF THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT DAM

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                          HON. BENJAMIN QUAYLE

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 10, 2011

  Mr. QUAYLE. Mr. Speaker, next week we will celebrate the centennial 
of the Theodore Roosevelt Dam; I rise today to recognize the important 
role this structure has played in Arizona's history.
  Drought and floods often plagued the first settlers of our area. In 
1902 the National Reclamation Act was signed into law paving the way 
for a unique public-private partnership that formed the Salt River 
Valley Water Users Association and later the Salt River Project (SRP). 
Soon after the Act was signed, residents in the area pledged their land 
to the Federal Government in order to build the Roosevelt Dam on the 
Salt River.
  Completed in 1911, just one year before Arizona gained statehood, the 
Roosevelt Dam helped our area flourish, first as a farming community 
and then as a growing population center. As the Valley landscape 
changed, SRP also adapted to the changing needs of the community by 
delivering water to both city treatment plants and farms.
  The history and growth of our area all began 100 years ago with the 
dedication of the Roosevelt Dam--it helped transform the Valley into 
one of the largest metropolitan regions in the country. Roosevelt Dam 
services an area covering more than 375 square miles and a 13,000 
square mile watershed. I wish to honor this structure for the important 
role it plays in meeting Arizona's water and power needs, both in the 
past and into the next century.

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