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Sally Shaw | all galleries >> Galleries >> Mountain and Desert Pictures > Barker Dam
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05-SEP-2005 Sally

Barker Dam

Joshua Tree National Park

Originally there was a smaller Dam, maybe only a few feet high!
Built by George Meyers a cowboy!who worked for the McHaney brothers,who were early cattle ranchers, in the area.
Meyers built his Dam across a wash to collect water runoff from Desert storms to water the cattle .
Later George Meyers went into partnership with C.O.Barker and another dam was built 50' farther down the wash .
This new dam was 150'long and 9'tall and it was called Barker Dam.
In 1932 Bill Keys a local Miner and Pioneer, worked on Barker Dam off and on.,finishing it in the early 1950's. He and his family working together brought it up to It's present hight and in the concret you can see where he renamed it Big Horn Dam. But It will always be Known as Barker Dam.
The water behind the Dam covers about 6 acres and now is a watering place for many Desert animals

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Judith Barnett08-Sep-2005 16:36
I have a pic. taken here too but only a little water in it.
Judith
Guest 08-Sep-2005 13:13
Ah, that answered my question regarding why called Barker Dam.