1936 ORIGINAL DESIGN AND DRAFT STUDY OF A MAJOR US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS RESERVOIR AND DAM PROJECT

On offer is the original design study for a major dam project in the United States. The study is comprised of 2 documents. The main document is 10 inches by 8 inches, contains 123 pages and is in excellent condition. The second document is a technical specifications document that contains 37 pages. It too is in excellent condition. The Savage River Reservoir is a 360 acre storage reservoir in northwest Maryland. It was completed in 1952 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which also currently maintains it. The reservoir was formed by the Savage Dam which impounds the Savage River. The reservoir is used for flood control and municipal drinking. The Savage River Dam is a rock-fill, earthen dam, 184 feet high, 1,050 feet long and drains an area of 105 square miles. The dam was modified in 1980 and is owned by the Upper Potomac River Commission. The Savage River is a major wilderness recreation area and the river has been the site of U.S. Olympic trials for canoeing and international canoeing slalom championships. It is reputed to be one of the best wild trout streams in the mid-Atlantic United States. The reservoir is a major supplier of fresh water to Washington, DC. Although completed in 1952, planning had begun in the 1930's. Construction began in 1939 but was suspended in 1942 due to U.S. entry into WWII. Construction resumed in 1946. The Savage River Dam Analysis of Design document is dated 1937. This 123 page document is the end result of several years of study and then the application process for funding. The project was initiated by the Upper Potomac River Commission and undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering. It was funded by a grant from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was Franklin Roosevelt's grand scheme to help deal with the massive unemployment stemming from the Great Depression. It was the largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency, employing millions of people to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads. The Savage River Dam Analysis of Design contains general descriptions, design criteria and illustrations, technical specifications, drawing, maps and charts. There are numerous detailed fold-out engineering drawings bearing the U.S. Engineer Office stamp and signatures of the 3 signing engineers - Tippietts, Schmitt and Luplow. Since its construction, there has been subsequent work over the decades. Although there may be some copies of the model studies for this major dam project, this appears to be the original design document. The second document is a technical memorandum entitled Spillway For Savage River Dam - Hydraulic Model Investigation. It is dated 1954. The purpose of this memorandum was to verify the data regarding flow rates and impacts as a result of additional flood control alterations having been made. The document contains 37 pages of charts, diagrams and analysis. A researcher looking at the underlying studies that led to the decision to build this important dam would find this study to be a goldmine of information. Environmentalists could see the state of conservation thinking at the time. The area is under active threat today (2018) from creeping urban spread and natural gas drilling. This document shows the original thinking and work that went into the creation of the reservoir and the Savage River system.; Manuscript; 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, 20TH CENTURY; 1930S; GREAT DEPRESSION; NEW DEAL; FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT; UNITED STATES, MARYLAND, SAVAGE RIVER; SAVAGE RIVER DAM; SAVAGE RIVER RESERVOIR; SAVAGE RIVER STATE FOREST; WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION; WPA; UPPER POTOMAC RIVER COMMISSION; US ENGINEERING OFFICE; U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERING; SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; DAM CONSTRUCTION, FLOOD CONTROL, DAM DESIGN; HYDROLOGY; DRAWINGS; MAPS; CHARTS; W. D. LUPLOW; ERNEST F. TIPPETS, SCHMITT; AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, DIARY, DIARIES, JOURNALS, PERSONAL HISTORY, SOCIAL HISTORY, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, DOCUMENT, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, MANUSKRIPT, PAPIER OGGETTO D'ANTIQUARIATO, ATTO, VELINA, DOCUMENTO, MANOSCRITTO, CARTA ANTIGÜEDAD, HECHO, VITELA, DOCUMENTO, MANUSCRITO, PAPEL