Construction on Roosevelt Dam began in 1903 at the confluence of Tonto Creek and the Salt River. The primary purpose of the project was to provide water storage for the Salt River Project and flood control through the Salt River Valley. The dam was finished in 1911 after several devastating floods had interrupted the construction progress in 1905. At the time of completion in 1911, it was the largest masonry dam in the world with a height of 280 feet and a length of 723 feet while Roosevelt Lake was for a time the world's largest artificial reservoir. The dam was originally known as "Salt River Dam #1", it was not until 1959 that the dam and reservoir were officially named after Theodore Roosevelt. In the early 1990's engineers designed a way to raise the dam 77 feet, and in the process, increased water storage by 20%. The dam is located on AZ 188 about 30 miles north of Globe. (See the next photo for the Roosevelt Lake Bridge)