Glen Canyon Dam facts for kids

The Glen Canyon Dam

Glen Canyon Dam is a large dam on the Colorado River. It is in Page, Arizona. The dam is 583 feet high and it is 1,560 feet wide. It creates Lake Powell which is 186 miles long. The purpose of the dam is to create electricity and to prevent floods. The reservoir can store 27 million acre-feet of water (which is the amount of water that can cover one acre to 1 foot deep). Construction of the dam began in 1956. It was able to begin storing the flow of the river in 1963.

Images for kids

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  A boater on the river in Glen Canyon before damming, circa 1898.

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  Map showing locations of major dams in the Colorado River Basin, with Glen Canyon near the center of the basin.

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  Glen Canyon damsite from the air in November 1957, prior to construction of the Glen Canyon Bridge

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  Architectural plans for the Glen Canyon Dam and ancillary structures

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  Glen Canyon Dam under construction, 1962

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  Lake Powell filling underway, 1965

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  Glen Canyon Dam releasing floodwater in 1984, testing repairs of the spillways which were heavily damaged in 1983.

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  The right spillway gates during 1983 flood, showing flashboards that were installed to increase the water level

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  Low water levels on Lake Powell in April 2006, seen from Hole in the Rock. The water is 107 feet (33 m) below the top of the "bathtub ring" along the reservoir shore.

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  An aerial view of Glen Canyon Dam from upstream, showing the spillways to lower left and right, the Glen Canyon Bridge and the electric switchyard to the right of the bridge.

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  Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell

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  Chart showing daily water volume observations for Lake Powell, from Jun 28, 1963 to October 11, 2021

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  Francis turbine runner on display

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  A generator being repaired with rotor removed

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  View of the power plant and grass lawn

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  Inside the turbine hall at the Glen Canyon Power Plant

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  View of the Colorado immediately downstream of Glen Canyon Dam (right). The green, clear water is caused by the dam trapping sediment, which would naturally cause the river to have a reddish-brown color.

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  The Colorado River is now much calmer and colder than before the dam was built.

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  River outlet works are open during high flow experiment in December 2012.

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  Map of Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon NRA

See also

In Spanish: Presa del Cañón de Glen para niños