Horseshoe Dam

The Horseshoe Dam is located on the Verde River, 58 miles northeast of Phoenix. It’s is an earthfill structure, 202 feet high, with a reservoir capacity of 131,500 acre-feet. The dam was built from 1944-1946 by the Phelps-Dodge Corp. for the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association under a water exchange agreement.

The Horseshoe Dam and its reservoir are part of the Salt River Project (SRP), the umbrella name for two separate entities: the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, and the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association which provide electric power and water, respectively to the Phoenix Metropolitan area. The Horseshoe Dam is part of the network of dams on the Salt and Verde Rivers, created by the Salt River Project.

I was accompanied on this trip by Alex Skoczen, an accomplished photographer and fellow member of the Desert Light Photography Group.From our neighbourhood, near Carefree, AZ it’s about 26 miles (42 km) to Horseshoe Dam.

Today’s first photograph shows the dam from its base, 202 ft. (62 metres) below the top.

Here’s another view of the dam, taken from a vantage point just above the level of the reservoir, Horseshoe Lake.

Back at the base of the dam, I got his great view of water being released from a spillway used to help maintain the reservoir’s level. With the spring runoff in progress, the flow from the spillway is considerable. The operating head of the dam (depth of water behind the dam) is 157 ft. (48 metres) creating a pressure of ~70 psi at the base, propelling this impressive gush of water.

We made our way to a great feature of the Horseshoe Dam, a walkway just beneath the the lip of the main spillway. I’m not sure of its functional purpose but it’s a definite attraction for visitors (including photographers). The following photographs show the outward looking view from behind the waterfall. We took a lot of photographs here!

After exhausting the opportunities around the dam, we moved on to the dam’s reservoir, Horseshoe Lake behind the dam. This scene caught my eye immediately upon arriving. The light and the still water created this striking reflection.

My final shot has very little to do with the day’s subject. It caught my eye as I strolled around looking for more perspectives on the lake, so I captured it. I developed it in black & white; I think it works better in monochrome.

It was a great afternoon for photography. I continue to be impressed by the many photographic locations so close at hand.