[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1611]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        ROOSEVELT DAM CENTENNIAL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 11, 2011

  Mr. PASTOR of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to note that on 
March 18, 2011, my home State of Arizona will celebrate the centennial 
of Roosevelt Dam, a great accomplishment that for 100 years has served 
our people. I wish to reflect on what the structure has meant for the 
Salt River Valley, the State of Arizona, and the Salt River Project, 
SRP.
  Growing up in Claypool, Arizona, I journeyed north on State Route 88 
hundreds of times to visit Theodore Roosevelt Lake and view Theodore 
Roosevelt Dam. The massive dam seemed to tower into the sky and was an 
engineering marvel to a small boy. The lake provided hours of 
recreational activities and adventures well into my teen and young 
adult years.
  To understand what Roosevelt Dam will mean to the greater Phoenix 
metropolitan area during the next 100 years, there are a few attributes 
that must be noted.
  The most important characteristic is certainty. Roosevelt Dam was 
designed to bring stability to weather-related patterns ranging from 
drought to flooding, so it is well-suited to provide certainty for the 
greater Phoenix metropolitan area's future water supplies. The 
conservation ethic will continue to be an important facet in Arizona's 
water future. In 1911, Roosevelt Dam was one of Arizona's first 
significant acts of conservation; 100 years later, the dam is still one 
of the most important examples of resource stewardship, as it stores 
water for millions of people. As the ethic of conservation evolves 
during the next 100 years, Roosevelt Dam will continue to epitomize 
this concept because it helps ensure certainty.
  Adaptability is Roosevelt's second most important attribute, enabling 
the dam to be the continual cornerstone for the Phoenix area's 
development. The dam has been modified multiple times, including 
improving water management operations, increasing storage capacity, 
enhancing hydropower capability and creating features for flood 
control. Roosevelt Dam and SRP provided Arizona the ability to adapt 
from an agriculturally based economy to a knowledge-based one. Both 
must continue to adapt to deal with the changing nature of Arizona, 
including evolving economies, increasing political complexity and 
emerging environmental challenges. This ability to adapt is vital, 
because the delivery of reliable water and power is the underpinning 
for Arizona's next century.
  A final characteristic is stewardship. Roosevelt Dam and SRP have 
been leaders in renewable water and power for Arizona during the past 
century, and must continue to do so to ensure Arizona's future. From 
the beginning of the 20th century, SRP's visionary founders were 
advocates for Arizona as they used federal resources to build Roosevelt 
Dam, which created the state's largest sustainable water supply.
  Mr. Speaker, Roosevelt Dam and SRP have been with us since before 
Statehood. This vital bedrock of infrastructure, and the homegrown 
organization that operates it, will continue to be stewards for 
Arizona's future prosperity.

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