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Teton Dam Construction photographs

 Collection
Identifier: UUS_P0729

Content Description

This collection contains the unbound pages of a photograph album, following the construction of the Teton Dam in Idaho. Included are captions with details of location, subject, and photographer. Most of the photos were taken by Bruce Beckley and R. Weisser, and P. Aberle, B. Bockstruck, W. Andrew, J. Ringel, R. Pittard, B. Holbert, L. Rogers, G. Brannson.

Dates

  • 1971-1976

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Teton Dam Construction photographs must be obtained from the Photograph curator and/or the Special Collections Section Head.

Biographical / Historical

The Teton Dam was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation, a U.S. federal agency responsible for building more than 600 dams and reservoirs in the American West. The dam was an earthwork construction on the Teton River located eastern Idaho, between Fremont and Madison counties. The failure of the dam caused the deaths of 11 people and 13,000 cattle, and cost the federal government $300 million in claims related to the damage. The dam cost $100 million to build originally.

The images and captions within the collection provide detailed descriptions of the work on the dam, which was subject to lawsuits by environmental groups during construction. The planned dam was to be an earthen structure 310 feet high and .6 miles long, intended to create a reservoir 17 miles in length. The impounded water would be used to generate hydroelectric power.

In 1973, when the dam was only half built, but almost $5 million had already been spent, large fissures were encountered during excavation of the keyway trench near the right end of the dam. Multiple images in this collection show “grout leaks” - cracks that required backfilling and voids that needed to be filled.

Extent

.25 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Photos showing the various stages of construction of the Teton Dam in Idaho.

Arrangement

These materials retain the original order of the photograph album.

Title
Guide to the Teton Dam Construction photographs
Author
Finding aid written by Asher Bosworth and Daniel Davis
Date
2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository

Contact:
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)