Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell)
The Glen Canyon Dam, named for Glen Canyon, is a concrete arch-gravity dam located on the Colorado River near Page, Arizona. The dam is 710 feet high, making it the second-highest concrete arch dam in the United States.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) started building the dam in 1956 and completed it in 1963. It was built to manage equal water distribution to the states of the Upper Colorado River Basin and the Lower Basin. The dam also has eight generators that provide up to 1,320 megawatts of hydroelectric power to Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Lake Powell, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in the United States, was formed through the construction of the dam. Visitors can enjoy boating, swimming, hiking, camping, and water-skiing on the beloved waters.
Fishing on Lake Powell can be excellent. Popular species include stripers, walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, and channel cats.
Tours:
The Glen Canyon Conservancy and the Glen Canyon Natural History Association offer guided tours of the Glen Canyon Dam. Tours begin at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center located on the west end of the dam.
Several boat tours, including dinner cruises, are offered at Lake Powell. Visitors can explore different areas of the lake such as Glen Canyon Dam, Antelope and Navajo Canyons, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Padre Bay, and Gunsight Butte, while learning more about the geological features and history of the area.
More Information:
PO Box 1507
Page, Arizona 86040
Park Headquarters: (928) 608-6200
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