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Category: Friendly Praise Archive

~ THAT DAM WALL ~

	~ THAT DAM WALL ~ This is another, more interesting view of the John Martin Dam and Reservoir, located in south eastern Colorado, between Lamar and Las Animas. South of a little town called Hasty. Included in the discussion area is some history of the man this dam was named after, John Martin..... Jeana Clark

John A. Martin, Congressman was the greatest advocate of the Caddoa Dam project. Primarily through his efforts, legislation for the project was passed by Congress. Congress passed legislation that assigned the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with providing flood protection for the public's safety. The 1939 Roosevelt approval meant the government would spend millions on buying more than 20,000 acres of land and 21 miles of Santa Fe Railroad tracks would have to be moved. Due to WWII, it wasn't until 1946 when the project was back on track and finally completed in 1948. The length of the dam is 2.6 miles with a height of 118 feet. Its discharge capacity is 639,200 feet with a drainage area of 18,913 square miles.
Representing the Third District of southeastern Colorado, John Martin faithfully served in Congress for two periods, 1909-1913 and 1932-1939. Martin consistently fought for humane legislation and the welfare of his state. Martin was also instrumental in passing legislation for the Social Security Act. In June 1940, the Caddoa Project was renamed John Martin Dam and Reservoir in honor of the late Congressman.

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November 16, 2012