Sunday, February 18, 2018

Horse Mesa Dam on Salt River in Arizona

(Satellite)

I'm learning more about the Salt River in Arizona. I first came across it with a construction photo of a new bridge across it near Theodore Roosevelt Dam. Now I've learned it has another old, big dam.

DOE Global Energy Storage Database
It was completed in 1927 and generated 25Hz power. In 1972, it was converted to 60Hz power and a pumped hydro storage unit was added. [DOE]

US Bureau of Reclamation
Horse Mesa Dam looking downstream, 1927. (SRP photograph) 

Photo from Colorado State
Near the beginning of the 21st Century, the spillways were repaired using dry process shotcrete after the bad concrete had been chipped off.

TruesdellCorp
TruesdellCorp
In June 2012, a guide vane inside a penstock intake collapsed. It is now being repaired. Instead of lowering the reservoir 170 feet, they are using "saturation diving." Specifically, the divers breath a blend of oxygen and helium and stay under pressure for up to 30 days by using a pressured habitat vessel on the support barge. Using divers instead of draining most of Apache Lake avoids impacting "marina operations as well as boating enthusiasts." [MarineLink]

Credit: Michael McNamara, SRP

Credit: Michael McNamara, SRP

Credit: Michael McNamara, SRP


Butch Gray posted
75 ton grove doing some maintenance work on Horse Mesa Dam.

Butch commented on his posting

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