United States. Bureau of Reclamation

Variant names
Dates:
Active 1848
Active 1989
Americans
English

History notes:

The Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956 provided for the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, forming the reservoir Lake Powell behind it. Several partner institutions, including the Museum of Northern Arizona, were involved with a major project to document archaeological, environmental, and biological conditions prior to the dam's construction. Many of the images in this collection refer to this reasearch, known as the Glen Canyon Project.

From the guide to the Glen Canyon (US Bureau of Reclamation) Collection, 1957-1963, (Cline Library. Special Collections and Archives Department)

The Bureau of Reclamation, first known as the Reclamation Service, was created under the Reclamation or Newlands Act of June 17, 1902, which established a reclamation fund from the sale of public lands to finance the location, construction, and maintenance or irrigation works that would store, divert, and develop waters for reclaiming arid and semiarid lands in the States and territories. The act gave responsibility for administering the fund to the Secretary of the Interior, who established the Reclamation Service to exercise that function under the jurisdiction of, but not as a part of, the Geological Survey. On March 9, 1907, the Service was separated from the Survey and was made directly responsible to the Secretary. It was renamed the Bureau of Reclamation on June 20, 1923. The Bureau plans, constructs, and operates irrigation works in 17 contiguous Western States and Hawaii; builds and operates hydroelectric powerplants; and distributes electric power and energy generated at certain powerplants, reserviors, projects, and dams.

From the description of Records of the Bureau of Reclamation (Record Group 115). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122546866

The Secretary of the Interior appointed this factfinding committee in September 1923 to study Federal methods for reclaiming land through irrigation. On April 10, 1924, it submitted its report, which was published as Senate Document 92, 68th Congress, 1st session. 520.

From the description of Records of the Committee of Special Advisors on Reclamation. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122554382

In July of 1902, Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock established the United States Reclamation Service (USRS) within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). In 1907, the USRS separated from the USGS to become an independent bureau within the Department of the Interior.

As settlers moved west across the United States, complicated water laws and increasing demand for water resulted in mounting pressure for the Federal Government to develop water resources. In the jargon of the day, advocates called irrigation projects "reclamation projects.” The concept was that irrigation would "reclaim" or “subjugate” western arid lands for human use.

[Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation website: http://www.usbr.gov/history/2011NEWBRIEFHISTORYV1.pdf]

From the guide to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Project histories, 1923-1956, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)

Part of the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP), the Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River - a major tributary of the Colorado - holds over 3,000,000 acre-feet of water and supplies enough power to serve about 50,000 households in Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nebraska, and Nevada. Construction of the dam began in 1958 and was completed in 1962, when the waters of the Green River began to flood Flaming Gorge Canyon and the surrounding rapids and ranchlands and affecting the ecosystem of the river.

The resulting Flaming Gorge Reservoir and National Recreation Area extends from Dutch John, Utah - originally founded in 1958 as a community to house dam construction workers and future employees - into southwestern Wyoming. Once the reservoir was filled, the first power generator at Flaming Gorge Powerplant was activated by President John F. Kennedy on September 27, 1963. The dam was officially dedicated by First Lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson on August 17, 1964.

From the guide to the Flaming Gorge Bureau of Reclamation video, 1963, (J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah)

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Subjects:

  • Agricultural colonies
  • Agriculture
  • Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Canals
  • Construction projects
  • Crops
  • Crops and water
  • Dams
  • Dams
  • Electric power distribution
  • Erosion
  • Flood control
  • Hydroelectric generators
  • Hydroelectric power plants
  • Indians of North America
  • Irrigaiton
  • Irrigation
  • Irrigation
  • Irrigation
  • Irrigation
  • Irrigation canals and flumes
  • Irrigation districts
  • Irrigation water
  • Irrigation water
  • Irrigation water
  • Land settlement
  • Land use
  • Material Types
  • Moving Images
  • National parks and reserves
  • Power-plants
  • Public lands
  • Pumping stations
  • Real property surveys
  • Reclamation of land
  • Reclamation of land
  • Reservoirs
  • Resevoirs
  • Right of way
  • Rivers
  • Rivers
  • Saline water barriers
  • Surveys
  • Tunnels
  • Water and Water Rights
  • Water districts
  • Water diversion
  • Water resources development
  • Water resources development
  • Water rights
  • Water storage
  • Water-supply
  • Water-supply
  • Water supply
  • Water transfer
  • Water utilities
  • Dams
  • Irrigation
  • Irrigation
  • Irrigation
  • Irrigation water
  • Irrigation water
  • Reclamation of land
  • Rivers
  • Water resources development
  • Water-supply

Occupations:

not available for this record

Places:

  • Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (Wyo. and Utah) (as recorded)
  • Texas (as recorded)
  • Nebraska (as recorded)
  • Nebraska (as recorded)
  • Nebraska (as recorded)
  • Colorado (as recorded)
  • Colorado (as recorded)
  • Colorado (as recorded)
  • Colorado (as recorded)
  • Idaho (as recorded)
  • Idaho (as recorded)
  • Folsom Dam (Calif.) (as recorded)
  • Folsom Dam (Calif.) (as recorded)
  • New Mexico (as recorded)
  • New Mexico (as recorded)
  • California (as recorded)
  • California (as recorded)
  • California (as recorded)
  • California (as recorded)
  • California (as recorded)
  • North Dakota (as recorded)
  • Montana (as recorded)
  • American Falls Dam (Idaho) (as recorded)
  • American Falls Dam (Idaho) (as recorded)
  • Columbia River Basin (as recorded)
  • Oklahoma (as recorded)
  • California--San Francisco Bay Area (as recorded)
  • California--Sacramento County (as recorded)
  • Yuma (Ariz.) (as recorded)
  • Ada County (Idaho) (as recorded)
  • Ada County (Idaho) (as recorded)
  • American River (Calif.) (as recorded)
  • American River (Calif.) (as recorded)
  • Shoshone River (Wyo.) (as recorded)
  • Arizona--Yuma Mesa (as recorded)
  • California--Central Valley (Valley) (as recorded)
  • Reber Plan (as recorded)
  • Idaho--Boise (as recorded)
  • Oregon (as recorded)
  • Oregon (as recorded)
  • Oregon (as recorded)
  • Alabama (as recorded)
  • Laguna dam (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)
  • Missouri River (as recorded)
  • California--Madera County (as recorded)
  • Georgia (as recorded)
  • Salmon River (Idaho) (as recorded)
  • Nimbus Dam (Calif.) (as recorded)
  • Louisiana (as recorded)
  • Salt River (Ariz.) (as recorded)
  • West (U.S.) (as recorded)
  • West (U.S.) (as recorded)
  • Wyoming (as recorded)
  • Wyoming (as recorded)
  • Idaho--Ada County (as recorded)
  • Platte River watershed (as recorded)
  • Colorado--Big Thompson River (as recorded)
  • Wyoming (as recorded)
  • Utah (as recorded)
  • California--San Francisco Bay (as recorded)
  • California--San Joaquin County (as recorded)
  • Colorado River (as recorded)
  • Snake River (Wyo.-Wash.) (as recorded)
  • Hawaii (as recorded)
  • El Paso (Tex.) (as recorded)
  • San Joaquin County (as recorded)
  • California--Sacramento (as recorded)
  • California--Sacramento (as recorded)
  • Florida (as recorded)
  • Nevada (as recorded)
  • Nevada (as recorded)
  • Flaming Gorge Dam (Utah) (as recorded)
  • Pine Flat Dam (Calif.) (as recorded)
  • South Dakota (as recorded)
  • Idaho--Boise River Valley (as recorded)
  • Idaho--Boise River Valley (as recorded)
  • Utah (as recorded)
  • Green River (Wyo.-Utah) (as recorded)
  • Elephant Butte Reservoir (N.M.) (as recorded)
  • American Falls (Idaho) (as recorded)
  • United States (as recorded)
  • Colorado (as recorded)
  • Ada County (Idaho) (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)
  • Colorado (as recorded)
  • California (as recorded)
  • Idaho (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)
  • California (as recorded)
  • Wyoming (as recorded)
  • California (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)
  • Oregon (as recorded)
  • Arizona (as recorded)
  • American River (Calif.) (as recorded)
  • New Mexico (as recorded)
  • Colorado (as recorded)
  • Oregon (as recorded)
  • California (as recorded)
  • Nevada (as recorded)
  • West (U.S.) (as recorded)
  • Nebraska (as recorded)
  • American Falls Dam (Idaho) (as recorded)
  • California--Sacramento (as recorded)
  • Nebraska (as recorded)
  • Idaho--Boise River Valley (as recorded)
  • Folsom Dam (Calif.) (as recorded)

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