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<br />, <br />I <br />I' <br /> <br />I; <br /> <br />:1 <br /> <br />! <br />I <br />r <br />l~ <br /> <br />i':;~C <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />DAMS AND RESERVOIRS <br /> <br />,,9 <br /> <br />6 sacks, indicating a tight formation in the diorite rock, free from <br />open joints and fissures. <br />To provide protection under normal full reservoir conditions, <br />the installation was started in December 1938 of aspha]t-filled plate <br />steel incasements for the lower portions of the structural steel of <br />the highway bridge crossing the Colorado River at Topock. This <br />protective work was completed in February 19:39 and inspected and <br />approved by engineers of the Arizona Highway Department and the <br />Division of Highways, California Department of Public Works. <br />Arrangements were made with the A. T. & S. F. Railway whereby <br />it would provide protection for its bridge at Topock as and when <br />it becomes necessary. <br />The lake formed by Parker dam was officially named Lake Hav- <br />asu on June 1. 1939. Large numbers of tourists were attracted to <br />the area following the filling of the lake, upwards of 1,000 per week <br />visiting the site during the coo] winter and spring months. <br />In September 19:39 a genera] desert storm swept over the area, <br />beginning the evening of the 3rd and lasting through the 7th, fol- <br />lowed by other storms and resulting in a total rainfall of 7.85 <br />inches during the month. In the first storm a total of 4.74 inches <br />of rain was registered at Gene headquarters gage. This heavy <br />precipitation, 1.99 inches on September 4th, 1.61 inches on the 5th, <br />and 0.94 of an inch on the 6th, caused flood flows into Lake Havasu <br />which raised the water level to a maximum elevation of 447.4. The <br />estimated maximum inflow of 146,000 cJ.s. occurred between 11 :30 <br />p.m., September 6th, and 2 :00 a.m., September 7th, made up of <br />9,000 released at Boulder, 43,000 entering the reservoir above the <br />Bill Williams River, and 94,000 from the Bill Williams alone. These <br />-flooas\vel'ele-ve]ed-6fIlnLaKe l'Gvasu storage-to i:\-maxinlurn-dis: -- <br />charge through the five gates at Parker dam of 50,000 c.f.s., doubt- <br />less preventing serious damage in the lower valleys. <br />The flooding of the reservoir area brought large quantities of <br />driftwood from the banks of the Colorado and Bill Williams rivers <br />into the basin above the dam. It has been necessary for District <br />forces to remove large quantities of this floating debris and haul <br />it away for burning. <br />During the remainder of the period a small Bureau of Reclama- <br />tion force has operated and maintained the dam and reservoir, <br />holding the water surface. aJ)\ll'oximately at elevation 440, except <br />during periods of storm run-off. <br />Table 14 gives the principal data concerning the construction <br />