At the time, Eastwood's hydroelectric plant was considered a groundbreaking achievement, due to its record setting penstock head (1,410 ft.), long-distance power transmission (35 miles), and high voltage 3-phase output (11,000 volts).

[4] Unfortunately, the financial capabilities of the company proved insufficient to meet the great cost of constructing the dam in the remote reaches of the mountains, and, as a result, Eastwood was forced to rely on an undammed, natural supply of water to drive the turbines and generators.

[4] Shortly thereafter, Eastwood became engaged with the Pacific Light and Power Company as engineer in charge of designing a large hydroelectric project on the South Fork of the San Joaquin River.

The Pacific Light and Power Company was controlled by the famous financier and electric railroad magnate Henry Huntington, in partnership with A.G. Wishon, Alan C. Balch, and William Kerckhoff.

[4] Eastwood had great hopes for the Big Creek project, and he planned it to include storage dams to ensure that a drought could not stop its power production.

Although Big Creek was for the most part designed prior to 1907, financial difficulties associated with the Panic of 1907 delayed Huntington's ability to initiate construction for several years.

Although he was awarded 5,400 shares of stock in the newly formed Pacific Light and Power Corporation (which was legally distinct from the earlier PL&P Company), this financial interest soon disappeared when in the summer of 1912 Huntington, as majority stockholder, assessed all owners of Pacific Light and Power Corporation stock $5 per share to help pay for the construction of Big Creek.

Following this abrupt separation from the Big Creek project at the age of 53, Eastwood was left with only modest financial holdings and, as a means of survival, he began actively pursuing a career devoted to the design of multiple arch dams.