Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam is a 710-foot-tall concrete arch-gravity dam on the Colorado River near Page, Arizona. Completed in 1966, it created Lake Powell, one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, providing water storage, hydroelectric power, and recreation for the arid Southwest. The dam is central to the Colorado River Storage Project. The dam represents a major moment in twentieth-century engineering, water management, and environmental debate.
Key facts
- Height: 710 ft (216 m); length: 1,560 ft (475 m)
- Completion: 1966; dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson
- Reservoir capacity: ≈ 25 million acre-feet (Lake Powell)
- Power output: 1,320 MW from 8 turbines
- Operator: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Construction and design
Built between 1956 and 1966 under the 1956 Colorado River Storage Project Act, the dam consists of roughly 5.4 million cubic yards of concrete. Engineers diverted the Colorado River through twin tunnels to excavate the sandstone canyon’s bedrock foundation before pouring concrete blocks that rose 710 feet from the floor of Glen Canyon. A companion steel-arch bridge—then the world’s highest—was completed in 1959 to move materials across the gorge.
Purpose and operations
Glen Canyon Dam regulates river flow to lower-basin states and produces about 5 billion kWh of renewable electricity each year, distributed through the Western Area Power Administration. Its reservoir serves as a vital “water bank,” buffering drought impacts across seven basin states and supporting agriculture, industry, and municipal systems throughout the Southwest.
Recreation and visitation
The dam anchors the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a 1.25-million-acre region famed for boating, fishing, and red-rock scenery. The adjacent Carl Hayden Visitor Center offers exhibits, films, and guided tours inside the structure. The nearby Glen Canyon Dam Overlook provides sweeping views of the dam, bridge, and river 1,000 feet below.
Environmental and scientific importance
The dam profoundly altered downstream ecosystems, prompting the 1992 Grand Canyon Protection Act and ongoing adaptive-management programs coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey. Periodic high-flow experiments mimic natural floods to rebuild sandbars and habitats for endangered fish such as the humpback chub.