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10 Friends oF red rock canyon
By Chuck Williams
T he Willow Spring Dam was horsepower) and for general use. The water
constructed of wood and earth
was transported three miles to the quarry
and was built to supply water
Willow Springs is 300 feet higher than the
to the Sandstone Quarry. It was nothing to through a three-inch iron pipeline. As
write home about, being only fifteen feet quarry, gravity propelled the water over the
wide and three feet deep. But it got the job ridges and washes between the two loca-
done, and at the time it is likely no one tions. Lincoln Stone spent $7,500 in 1907
really cared what it looked like. It would ($185,736 in today’s dollars) on water
sure be nice to know exactly where it was improvements. I would assume most of
located and see a photo or drawing of the the expense would have been for the iron
completed structure. pipe and labor. The water application stated
that the company planned to increase the
The dam was built by the Lincoln Stone size of the pipe but we don’t know if this
Company to supply power (estimated at 60 was ever done. It is not clear if the water
Volunteers dedicated to the preservation of Red Rock Canyon
Map with location of the dam and pipe line submitted with the Lincoln Stone Company’s 1906 Water Application
the Rock - Volume 6 Issue 3
