Between February and November Arizona Public Service (APS) and SWCA Environmental Consultants documented the hydroelectric complex, under guidance of the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER). Project managers Phil Smithers (APS) and Linda Martin (SWCA) coordinated historian Steely, photographer Jessica Maggio, and draftsman Hanson Todachine to complete the HAER documentation. Archives for the Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Project are at APS in Phoenix, Arizona. CHILDS-JRVING HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT, CHILDS SYSTEM: FLUME INTAKE AND FOREBAY HAER No.
AZ-65-1 (Page 2) Historic and Engineering Context: The Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Project encompassed a unique system-according to engineering historians evaluating the historic complex since 1976-that 1) was constructed with great effort in an extremely remote landscape, 2) captured a natural water source and followed dramatic topography, 3) generated electric power in a remarkably simple and efficient manner, and 4) operated continuously for 95 years.
In addition to its individual significance nationwide, the Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Project is a classic part of Arizona history spanning the century: remote low-grade mining operations sought reliable and less-expensive energy; a combination of investors, entrepreneurs and engineers modified a natural resource to supply the energy; cutting-edge technology entered a harsh and remote landscape; an isolated labor force merged those with skills learned far away with local residents, including Native Americans with traditional ties to the land; nearby communities soon offered an additional customer base; farmers and irrigation cooperatives became major consumers for their pumps and agricultural machinery; distant metropolitan areas boomed by tapping the energy source; and finally a conservative operational approach to investment and maintenance retained aging technology within a huge modern power grid for many, many years past a reasonable retirement.
Character Defining Attributes Component/Feature No. 18 on National Register form. A small dam on Fossil Creek included a sluice gate and sluiceway cut into the dam's spillway at its lower end. At the lower end was a sandbox with an iron-bar grizzly and spill gate to admit water into the flume. When the Irving plant was built in the flume intake was modified to accept water diverted through the Irving Powerhouse. The accepting forebay with two spill gates incorporated the original intake ditch of the Childs flume to allow direct diversion of water from Fossil Creek when the Irving system is closed for repairs.
One spill gate controlled water flowing into the Childs flume; the second gate allowed discharge of water from the forebay and back into Fossil Creek, to maintain the water level within the forebay or to divert water from the Childs flume when necessary. A part of the concrete flume discharge was replaced c. with metal. (Effland and Macnider CHILDS-IRVING HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT, CHILDS SYSTEM: FLUME INT AKE AND FOREBAY HAER No. AZ-65-I (Page 3) Bibliography Arizona Public Service (APS) Archives Historic photograph collection. Historic drawings collection. Historic documents collection. Available through appointment at: APS, P.O. Box Phoenix, Arizona Effland, Richard W., and Barbara S. Macnider Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Facilities. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form.
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Washington, Neal, and Linda Martin Childs/Irving Hydroelectric Decommissioning Project, Historic Properties Management Plan Prepared for APS/Generation Engineering. SWCA Environmental Consultants. Flagstaff. CHILDS-IRVING HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT, CHILDS SYSTEM: FLUME INTAKE AND FOREBAY HAER No. AZ-65-I (Page4) Drawing "Childs Flume Forebay Area & and Intake Ditch" c. CHILDS-IRVING HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT HAER NO.AZ-65-1 r -I i ~i ; ilf~1 I . 11 hig :::_I !. ii l I I I~ ; I E .~. iS ~ >- ~ ~ 1'~ ~ -i ~j .,~ ~ 1r Ii:! Iv 8 _, j j ~ -~ I ~ ...
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