Memorial to Lyle H. Henderson 1903-1990

JOSEPH F. FRIEDKIN*3821 Hillcrest Drive, El Paso, Texas 79902

Lyle H. Henderson passed away on July 28, 1990, in Del Rio, Texas, following a lengthy period of ill health. Lyle, better known as “Ike” from his college days, had a long career as a geological engineer with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California in the siting and construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct to supply water for the district, and with the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, in the siting and construction of the international dams needed on the Rio Grande to enable control and utilization of its waters by the two countries.

Ike was born June 5, 1903, in Kersey, Pennsylvania.He graduated from the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, in 1928, with a Geological Engineering Professional degree. His first assignment was as geologist and field engineer with the Radione Company, Los Angeles, California. He was in charge of surveys of 41 mining properties in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California.

In 1931 Ike joined the staff of the Metropolitan Water District, Southern California. He was in charge of geophysical explorations in connection with the preliminary and final siting of the Colorado River Aqueduct. In 1933 he was resident engineer on the driving of nine miles of tunnels. On this job he developed a graphic method of correlating delays in tunnel progress with adverse geologic conditions encountered. In 1935 Ike supervised the geological investigations necessary for the construction of the 92 miles of tunnel and three concrete dams required in the main aqueduct system.

Upon completion of the aqueduct in 1939 Ike joined the engineering staff of the U.S. Section, International Boundary and Water Commission, as geological engineer. He supervised field location studies for a major project to divert and transport water from the Rio Grande to the Lower Valley of Texas. In connection with this assignment, Ike located the site for the first international major storage dam on the Rio Grande, 75 miles downstream from Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. The dam was later constructed under the terms of the 1944 Water Treaty.

From April 1942 to March 1946, Ike served as operations officer, with the rank of Major, Engineering Aviation Battalion, U.S. Air Force. He served 25 months overseas in forward airfield and road construction with an Engineer Construction group in Manila and in Tokyo.

On his return from the service in 1946, he was retained as a consultant geologist for the Metropolitan Water District of California in connection with litigation relating to a rupture in the lining of one of the principal tunnels in the aqueduct. From September 1946 to September 1948, Ike was the geological engineer, Diablo Heights Canal Zone Special Engineering Division, Panama Canal. There he assisted in the supervision of investigations of the principal geological problems involved in the location of alternative routes for a new canal.

•Form er U.S. Commissioner, International Boundary and W ater Commission, United States and Mexico.

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68 THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICAFrom 1948 to April 1969, Ike was again a member of the staff of the U.S. Section Interna

tional Boundary and Water Commission. In the years 1948 to 1952, he was project engineer for investigations to determine jointly with the project engineer for Mexico the most favorable site for construction of the major international storage dam in the Big Bend section of the Rio Grande, provided for in the 1944 Water Treaty. In this section of the river, 345 miles long, Ike and his Mexican counterpart located and studied each of a total of 45 possible sites for geological, engineering, and economic suitability for a dam. On the basis of these investigations, Ike and his counterpart made their recommendation, which was subsequently adopted as the Amis- tad site, 12 miles upstream from Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila. From 1952 to1962, Ike was the principal engineer for planning for the U.S. Section. He supervised engineering investigations and planning, including those required for the design and construction of Amistad Dam. He directed the relocation of 19 miles of U.S. highways and 14 miles of Southern Pacific Railroad routes. He also supervised the planning for the construction of the Anzal- duas Flood Control Division dam on the lower reaches of the Rio Grande.

In April 1962, Ike was promoted to principal engineer supervising for the U.S. Section all construction, operations, and maintenance activities of the Section extending over the 2000-mile length of the international boundary between the United States and Mexico. His work included supervision of the final design, plans, and specifications for Amistad Dam, a $78 million project.

From 1965 until his retirement in 1969, Ike, in his role as principal engineer supervising, took direct control of the U.S. part of the International Amistad (Friendship) Dam and Reservoir Project. He coordinated the U.S. part with that of Mexico in the construction of the joint project. A special feature of the project which Ike personally designed, planned, and supervised was placing of a deep cut-off grout curtain along 5 miles of the reservoir rim to guard against serious leakage in the limestone foundation. The dam consists of a concrete gravity spillway section, standing 254 feet above the riverbed, flanked by earth embankments, 1.8 miles long on the United States side and 4.3 miles on the Mexican side. The dam creates a reservoir with a total capacity of 5.25 million acre feet. Its spillway capacity is 1,500,000 cubic feet per second.

This dam and reservoir project protects against the flood damage that affected property and developments of the people in the cities, villages, and farms on the United States and Mexican banks of the Rio Grande. It firms up the water supply for the irrigation of more than one million acres of land along both banks of the river. It provides recreation opportunities for nationals of each country. It enables the generation of hydroelectric energy that is shared equally by the two countries.

In each of his positions, Ike performed with outstanding technical skill and professional dedication. Moreover, he demonstrated extraordinary tact and diplomacy in working out agreements with his Mexican counterparts. He gained their respect, enabling the timely completion of the International Amistad Dam and Reservoir with a minimum of problems.

The unique International Amistad Dam and Reservoir Project was dedicated on September 9, 1969, by U.S. President Richard Nixon and Mexican President Diaz Ordaz. It is a living monument not only to the cooperation between the United States and Mexico but also to the geological engineering and diplomatic talents of Lyle H. Henderson. He is survived by his wife Lozier C. Henderson, who resides in El Paso, Texas; his son Michael H. Henderson in Las Vegas, Nevada; and his daughter Brenda D. Reeve in New Bern, North Carolina.

MEMORIAL TO LYLE H. HENDERSON 69SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF L. H. HENDERSON

1939 Geophysical survey of the Santa Rita orebody: Mining Congress Journal, February.------ Detailed geologic mapping and fault studies of San Jacinto tunnel line and vicinity:

Journal of Geology, v. XLVII, no. 3.Note: Each of the following references formed parts of Minutes of the International Bound

ary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, which were approved by the two governments, and formed the basis for actions by the joint commission. Each is o f public record.1954 (and Bustamante, J. C.) Recommendations: Temporary dike across the Rio Grande near its

mouth (August 2).1958 (and Bustamante, J. C.) Report: On the site, capacities and type of dam for the second

major international storage dam on the Rio Grande (June 16).1963 (and Paz, J. R.) Report: Concerning foundation drilling and grouting along the embank

ment sections of Amistad Dam (April 23).------ (and Paz, J. R.) Report: On the designs and construction procedures for Amistad Dam on

the Rio Grande (September 10).1968 (and Paz, J. R.) Report: Regarding the demarcation for the jurisdictional line at Amistad

Reservoir (May 6).

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