Standing for More than a Century: Theodore Roosevelt Dam and SRP

Summary

Water and power are foundational building blocks for the continual development of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. On March 18, 1911, Theodore Roosevelt Dam was dedicated and the cornerstone was set for dependable water and power to the Salt River Valley. The vital resources from the dam now reliably serve one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.

Standing for More Than a Century simultaneously celebrates Roosevelt Dam’s centennial and illustrates significant events in the Valley’s and SRP’s history. This book illustrates how Roosevelt Dam and SRP have endured for more than a century and, more importantly, have stood for essential principles during those 100 years of service. Roosevelt Dam stands for reclamation’s prime directive, developing lands by investing in water conservation infrastructure and incorporating power as the paying partner for the investments. The dam represents SRP’s purpose to deliver high-value electricity and water for the benefit of its customers, its shareholders and the communities it serves. Most importantly, Roosevelt Dam and SRP stand for the sustainability of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area in an arid environment.

The construction of Roosevelt Dam was well-documented by photographers, engineers and the print media. For decades, the dam and the business of SRP have been featured in local newspapers and other media outlets because of the close ties to agricultural, municipal, commercial and residential interests. From laying the cornerstone of Roosevelt Dam to contracting for wind power, photographs of SRP’s activities have been captured by numerous entities because of SRP’s value to the communities it serves. The photographs in Standing for More Than a Century are the result of numerous SRP photographers past and present who have captured the activities of the organization and the development of the Valley.

As those invaluable photographs have aged, the SRP Research Archives Department preserved the historical images and incorporated them into this book. Former and current SRP Research Archives historians share the authorship for each of the events throughout Standing for More Than a Century. In order to bring the photographs and text together in a vibrant way, the book received the creative support of SRP’s cartographers, copy editors, illustrators, and, most important, management and the Board and Council.

On behalf of the talented SRP employees who created Standing for More Than a Century, we hope readers enjoy this historical tour as much as we took pleasure in putting it together. Through the ruggedness and beauty of the environment to the vision and wisdom of SRP’s leadership, this book provides a timeless journey into the Valley’s and SRP’s history.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Salt River Project Digital Library

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Daniel Garcia

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