The Bridge at Roosevelt Lake

Water is a precious commodity in Arizona. The Salt River Valley grew into the location of a major metropolitan area only through the storage of water in huge reservoirs along the Salt River. The largest of these reservoirs is Roosevelt Lake, located at the junction of the Salt River and Tonto Creek. Roosevelt Lake was once the largest man-made lake in the world and still ranks among the largest. When it is full the lake covers 17,000 acres. Natural barriers, such as the Salt River and its canyons have always restricted travel across Arizona. When the original Roosevelt Dam was built, the only road east and west across the Tonto Valley had to go across the top of the dam. The Lake is located in Gila County and the lake and river effectively cut the county in half. Residents of Payson who wished to travel to the county seat had a two to three hour drive across the dam. Road improvements have come dramatically and the travel time is now much less partially due to the construction of this beautiful bridge bypassing the old road across the top of the dam.