Glen Canyon Dam

USBR Data

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DAM

Type:                                  Concrete Arch

Construction Period:           1957-1964

Height above bedrock:         710 feet

height above river channel   583 feet

Crest length (arc at dam access) 1560 feet

Volume of concrete:            4,901,000 cubic yards

Cost of Dam:                                  $187,000,000

POWER PLANT

Generating Units:                    8

Installed capacity:                       1,296,000 KW

Cost of plant                                $97,000,000

MILESTONES

Construction authorized:             April 11, 1956

First contract:                              October 1, 1956

Diversion around dam site:          February 11, 1959

First bucket on concrete:              June 17, 1960

Last bucket of concrete                September 13, 1963

First Power Generation:               September 4, 1964

Dedicated: Lady Bird Johnson -  September 22, 1966

GLEN CANYON BRIDGE

Construction period:                    1957-1959

Height above river:                       700 feet

Span of bridge arch:                     1028 feet

Vertical rise of arch:                     165 feet

LAKE POWELL

Start of storage:                             March 13, 1963

Completion of initial fill:                June 22, 1980

Total capacity:                                26,215,000 acre-feet

Surface area when full:                   266 square miles (68,900 hectares)

                                                             (160,000 surface acres)

Length of Lake:                             186 miles

Miles of shoreline:                         1,960

Maximum depth at Dam:               560 feet

Average evaporation:                     2.5% of volume

SOLID WASTE REQUIREMENTS

People camping in the national recreation area within 1/4 mile (.5km) of Lake Powell are required to have and use some device for containing solid human wastes, unless toilets are available on the beach. Use of plastic bags as receptacles for human waste is prohibited. Any vessel equipped with a marine sanitation device (toilet) capable of overboard sewage discharge must be sealed in a way that makes overboard discharge impossible. All wastes must be disposed of properly--in portable toilet dump stations or boat pumpout stations.

There are several floating boat pumpouts/portable toilet dump stations on Lake Powell. They are located: near the mouth of Warm Creek; the mouth of Face Canyon near Dominguez Butte; mouth of Rock Creek; Oak Canyon; mouth of the Escalante; the Rincon; mouth of Halls Creek; and, mouth of Forgotten Canyon.

The Colorado River impounded behind Glen Canyon Dam near Page Arizona forms Lake Powell which is 560 feet deep when filled to capacity (3700 feet above mean sea level). The lake follows the flooded river gorge for 186 miles with a dendritic shoreline encompassing 1960 miles. The lake covers over 160,000 surface acres at full pool. Two inundated rivers, the San Juan and Escalante, branch off the Colorado River and comprise major portions of the reservoir.

Most of the shoreline is inaccessible with only four areas where access from any vehicle is possible. There are full service marinas and launch ramps at these access sites: Wahweap, Bullfrog, Hall's Crossing and Hite (launch ramp only). A midlake marina, Dangling Rope, provides gas and services for boaters traveling the lake. There is no shore based access to Dangling Rope Marina. Dirt road access and primitive launching is available at Piute Farms on the San Juan Arm, Farleys Canyon near Hite and Blue Notch Canyon in Good Hope Bay when the lake is near full pool.

Annual averages: Humidity 10%; Rainfall, 6 inches; Air temperature (F) - High and low - January 45 and 24, February 53 and 31, March 61 and 36, April 72 and 48, May 82 and 53, June 90 and 62, July 97 and 71, August 94 and 69, September 88 and 61, October 77 and 50, November 59 and 38, December 45 and 25.

Water temperature (F) Spring 64, Summer 77, Fall 61, Winter 49.

Sport Fish Species and creel limits:
Largemouth (5);
Smallmouth 20;
bluegill and green sunfish (50);
black crappie(10);
Striped bass (no limit);
Walleye (10);
northern pike (6);
channel catfish and bullhead catfish (25).