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<br />I.ll.o'-.d.fiu In 19'OS.
<br />
<br />It 500n betame apparent lhat Denver could
<br />no leng., depend vpon direct STream flow and
<br />wells to supply adequaTe .mounts of Wolfe.
<br />for its (1';Zlt". . . . fhollt an .mmenM! mountain
<br />reservoi, Iwd 10 be conurucled 10 gwr,tnlee
<br />Ihe security of supply. Confromed with tn,s
<br />1'''9ge.;ng crisi,. Cheesm.ln look Ihe 'nltial sleps
<br />10 COl'lslTvCf Cheesman Dam _" spectacular
<br />.nd enduring monument to this pioneer builder.
<br />Denver Cihlenl will be eternally indebted to
<br />Walter Scott Cheelm"n for envilioning rhe
<br />fuMe of Denver. the Mile High City, "...d
<br />for cre"r.ng rh. fou...d"tio... ot a peeden waler
<br />IUPply Syllem.
<br />Cheesm.s... D.1m. ", il "'ow u....ds. was
<br />preceded by.... e.rlier one, COnllructed on "
<br />Ileel Ihealhed rock fill. The fjrlt .Ttempt,
<br />underway in 1897. was deuroyed May 3, 1900
<br />when the lake George o.m wen' OUI \.Onder
<br />the prenure of spring floodl .nd Iwepl away
<br />the parti.lly compleled d4m below.
<br />
<br />Losi...g no lime, Ihe De...ver Union Water
<br />Comp.sny engaged Ch.r1el L. H.rrison, ....
<br />eminent engi......r who had worked on Ihe
<br />Pa""m. uMI survey, to design Ihe prelenl
<br />StrUC1ure of solid muonry. It wallO be
<br />reinforced al'ld anchored fO wifhu"l'ld +he violeM
<br />flood walers $Q prevalent in mOunt"in country.
<br />
<br />The f"et Ihal the contemporary dam wn
<br />completed in five years ii, to fhis day, con-
<br />side'ed an Ingil'le"ing phenomenol'l. Only 180
<br />days elapsed from the time' of the origmal
<br />wlShoul to the commel'lCement of ~w
<br />cOI'II/tuction,
<br />
<br />COnurUC:Tion of the dam. Jccaled on Ihe South
<br />Platte River approxi~tely 48 milel southweu
<br />of Denver, Color<ldo, <lnd nestlea in the
<br />be<lutiful <lnd rugged R:ocky Mountains, beg.n
<br />A~. 29, 1900 and was compleled J"n. I,
<br />1905. The Geddis ~lnd Seerie Slone Co. of
<br />Denver was the contr.ctor.
<br />
<br />PHYSICAL Cl-lAlACTERISTICS Of
<br />CHEESMAN DAM
<br />The dam ris" 221te" above str.am bed and
<br />il 1100 feet long, including ,he spillway.
<br />Th,ckneu ranges from 176 feef .t bue to 18
<br />feet at top, A rOotdway, 14 feet wide. crones
<br />Ihe top of the dam al'ld is flanked on both
<br />sides by six.fool paupet walll.
<br />
<br />The strUC1ure is of solid granite ashlar blocks
<br />IqIHrried on The siteJ laid in cemen! mortar.
<br />ApproximaTely 42 million pound, of cemen! was
<br />utilized in the building of the d"m and
<br />structurel al the reservoir. All mater..l, wiTh
<br />the IIlClpllon of the n.,.v, gran,te, had 10 be
<br />transported f,om Ihl I'learo~s' railroad _ 23
<br />mif" away - over rugged mOUnlllinOUI I"rain,
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