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| Stewart Mountain Dam | |
|---|---|
| Name | Stewart Mountain Dam |
| Location | Maricopa County, Arizona, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 33.4575°N 112.0664°W |
| Status | In use |
| Construction began | 1928 |
| Opening | 1930 |
| Owner | Salt River Project |
| Dam type | Concrete thin-arch |
| Height | 207 ft (63 m) |
| Length | 1,230 ft (375 m) |
| Reservoir | Saguaro Lake |
| Reservoir capacity | 69,000 acre-feet |
| Plant operator | Salt River Project |
| Plant capacity | 21 MW |
Stewart Mountain Dam is a concrete thin-arch dam on the Salt River in Maricopa County, Arizona, forming Saguaro Lake and operated by the Salt River Project. Completed in 1930 during the late Roaring Twenties construction boom, the dam is a component of the Salt River Project (SRP) water and power system that includes Roosevelt Dam, Horse Mesa Dam, and Mormon Flat Dam. The site sits in the Salt River Valley near Mesa, Arizona and is part of the broader Phoenix metropolitan area water infrastructure.
Stewart Mountain Dam was authorized and financed amid regional water development initiatives led by the Salt River Project and local irrigation districts. Its construction began in 1928 and concluded in 1930, contemporaneous with projects such as Hoover Dam and improvements to Roosevelt Dam; engineers and financiers from entities like Arizona Power Company and firms associated with John S. Eastwood and Reclamation Service influenced western dam development. The dam’s completion coincided with escalating urban growth in Phoenix, Arizona and demands from agricultural enterprises in the Gila River Indian Community. Stewart Mountain's commissioning was part of a networked response to recurrent floods and droughts that had affected Tempe, Arizona, Gilbert, Arizona, and surrounding communities.
Designed as a concrete thin-arch structure, the dam employed techniques derived from earlier arch dams such as those on the American River and projects influenced by engineers from the Bureau of Reclamation and private consulting firms active in the 1920s. Contractors coordinated quarrying near the Salt River corridor and used local transportation links including the Southern Pacific Railroad for materials. Construction required diversion works, cofferdams, and placement of mass concrete under supervision from SRP engineers and consultants with experience on western waterworks like Mormon Flat Dam and Horse Mesa.
The dam is approximately 207 feet tall and 1,230 feet long along the crest; it impounds Saguaro Lake with a total capacity near 69,000 acre-feet. The structure incorporates intake towers, spillway gates, and a gated overflow arrangement similar to designs used at Roosevelt Dam and Horseshoe Bend facilities. The powerhouse contains turbines connected to generators sized to supply peaking and base load to the SRP grid serving Phoenix, Mesa, and surrounding municipalities. Structural materials include reinforced concrete and steel components fabricated by regional foundries affiliated with industrial firms that supplied western reclamation projects.
The dam's hydroelectric plant has an installed capacity around 21 megawatts and historically provided peaking power to the Salt River Project electrical grid. Turbines and generators were modernized episodically to improve efficiency and integrate with SRP's network alongside generating stations at Roosevelt Dam and Horse Mesa Dam. Power dispatching is coordinated with transmission infrastructure linking to substations that serve the Phoenix metropolitan area, and operations are influenced by water release schedules tied to irrigation demands for agricultural districts including Pinal County producers.
Saguaro Lake, created by the dam, is fed by the Salt River watershed upstream from Tonto National Forest drainages and regulated in concert with upstream storage at Roosevelt Lake. Hydrologic behavior reflects snowmelt from the Mogollon Rim region, monsoonal precipitation patterns, and water management protocols of the Salt River Project. Reservoir capacity and releases are managed for municipal water supply to communities such as Scottsdale, Arizona and irrigation districts that historically included Valley farms and ranches developed during the Territorial period of Arizona.
The impoundment altered riparian and aquatic habitats of the Salt River corridor, affecting native species such as Apache trout and other southwest freshwater fauna; introductions of nonnative sport fish reshaped ecological dynamics similar to impacts documented at Roosevelt Lake and other regional reservoirs. Vegetation communities in the surrounding Sonoran Desert transitioned along the reservoir margin, influencing bird populations that use Saguaro Lake as a stopover including species tied to Tonto National Forest riparian zones. SRP and state agencies such as the Arizona Game and Fish Department have engaged in habitat monitoring, invasive species control, and water quality programs consistent with broader conservation efforts linked to western reservoir management.
Saguaro Lake and the dam area support recreational activities managed through access points near Saguaro Lake Regional Park and marinas servicing boating, fishing, and sightseeing tours that frequently reference Saguaro Lake Ranch and local outfitters. Recreation intersects with tourism corridors connecting Salt River attractions and the Tonto National Forest trail networks, providing opportunities for kayaking, angling, and desert ecology observation. Public safety, interpretive signage, and SRP visitor policies regulate access to the dam environs and coordinate with county authorities in Maricopa County, Arizona.
Category:Dams in Arizona Category:Buildings and structures in Maricopa County, Arizona Category:Salt River Project dams