Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Facilities

Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Facilities consisted of two 20th-century power plants, a dam, and related infrastructure along or near Fossil Creek in the U.S. state of Arizona. The complex was named an Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 1971 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places 20 years later. Decommissioned in 2005, the plants no longer produce electricity, and much of the infrastructure—including the dam, the Irving Power Plant, and thousands of feet of concrete flumes—have been removed, and the creek's original flow has been restored.HistoryThe water rights of Fossil Creek, which flows from the Mogollon Rim near Strawberry, Arizona, to the Verde River downstream of Camp Verde, were purchased in 1900 by rancher Lew Turner. His goal was to generate hydroelectric power for sale to mining communities in the Bradshaw Mountains and Black Hills in Yavapai County, such as the copper mines at Jerome.Arizona Power Company—later a part of the Arizona Public Service Company (APS)—began construction of the Childs Power Plant in 1908. Because the land around Fossil Creek consists mainly of mountainous terrain and canyons, and the nearest railroad station was in Mayer, more than 400 mules and 600 men were used to pull more than 150 wagons along the 40mi trail from Mayer to the stream. Most of the workers were Apache and Mojave Indians, who built a dam, powerhouse, and about 8,800ft of concrete flumes to carry water to the Childs plant, along the Verde River near the mouth of the creek.