List of dams in the Colorado River system

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This is a list of dams on the Colorado River system of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The Colorado runs 1,450 mi (2,330 km) from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, draining parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states. The river system is one of the most heavily developed in the world, with fifteen dams on the main stem of the Colorado ^{[citation needed]} and hundreds more on tributaries. Collectively, dams in the Colorado River basin can hold four to five times the river's annual flow, generating hydroelectricity and supplying irrigation and municipal water for over 35 million people.

Dams on tributaries are listed if they are taller than 250 ft (76 m), store more than 50,000 acre⋅ft (62,000 dam³), or are otherwise historically notable. Tributary dams are organized into two lists; those in the Upper Basin, defined as the half of the Colorado River basin above Lee's Ferry, Arizona, and the Lower Basin. The Upper Basin include such tributary systems as the Green, Gunnison and San Juan. Tributaries in the Lower Basin include the Little Colorado, Virgin and Gila. A key tributary of the San Juan River, the Animas River, was severely affected by the EPA's accidental August 2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill.

Notes:

Flood control: Temporary retention and quick release of flood flows
Hydropower: Generation of electricity utilizing water flow through the hydraulic head provided by the dam and reservoir
Irrigation: Provision and storage of water for agriculture
Municipal: Provision and storage of water for residential, commercial and industrial uses
Regulation: To control erratic inflows to provide either a stable flow downstream or to release water on demand to downstream users

Main stem

Name	State	Owner	Purpose	Year completed	Reservoir	Reservoir capacity	Capacity (MW)	Annual generation (MWh)	Refs
Morelos Dam	AZ BC	IBWC	Irrigation	1950	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	^[1]
Laguna Diversion Dam	AZ CA	USBR	Diversion	1905	Mittry Lake	N/A	N/A	N/A	^[2]
Imperial Dam	AZ CA	USBR	Irrigation	1938	Imperial Reservoir	160,000 acre.ft (197,400 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^{[n 1]}^[3]
Palo Verde Dam	AZ CA	USBR	Diversion	1958	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	^[4]
Headgate Rock Dam	AZ CA	BIA	Irrigation	1941	Moovalya Lake	N/A	19.5	?	^[5]^[6]
Parker Dam	AZ CA	USBR	Hydropower Irrigation Municipal	1938	Lake Havasu	646,200 acre.ft (797,100 dam³)	120	456,944	^[7]
Davis Dam	AZ NV	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1951	Lake Mohave	1,818,300 acre.ft (2,242,800 dam³)	255	1,147,673	^[8]^[9]
Hoover Dam	AZ NV	USBR	Flood control Hydropower Irrigation Municipal Regulation	1936	Lake Mead	28,945,000 acre.ft (35,702,400 dam³)	2,079	3,806,935	^[10]^[11]
Glen Canyon Dam	AZ	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1966	Lake Powell	26,214,900 acre.ft (32,334,900 dam³)	1,296	3,454,847	^[12]^[13]
Price-Stubb Dam	CO	PCID^{[n 2]} MCID^{[n 3]}	Irrigation	1911	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	^{[n 4]}^[14]
Grand Valley Diversion Dam	CO	USBR	Irrigation	1916	N/A	N/A	3	19,350	^[15]
Windy Gap Dam	CO	Northern Water	Irrigation Municipal	1970	Windy Gap Reservoir	445 acre.ft (549 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[16]
Granby Dam	CO	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1950	Lake Granby	539,800 acre.ft (665,800 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[17]
Shadow Mountain Dam	CO	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1946	Shadow Mountain Lake	18,400 acre.ft (22,700 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[18]
Total						58,343,045 acre.ft (71,963,595 dam³)	3,772.5	8,885,749

Upper Basin

Name	State	Stream	Owner	Purpose	Year completed	Reservoir	Reservoir capacity	Capacity (MW)	Annual generation (MWh)	Refs
Blue Mesa Dam	CO	Gunnison	USBR	Flood control Hydropower Regulation	1966	Blue Mesa Reservoir	940,700 acre.ft (1,160,300 dam³)	86.4	203,412	^[19]
Dillon Dam	CO	Blue	Denver Water	Irrigation Municipal	1963	Dillon Reservoir	257,304 acre.ft (317,373 dam³)	1.8	?	^[20]^[21]
Flaming Gorge Dam	UT	Green	USBR	Flood control Hydropower Regulation	1964	Flaming Gorge Reservoir	3,788,700 acre.ft (4,673,200 dam³)	153	344,369	^[22]
Fontenelle Dam	WY	Green	USBR	Flood control Irrigation	1964	Fontenelle Reservoir	345,360 acre.ft (426,990 dam³)	10	67,043	^[23]
Green Mountain Dam	CO	Blue	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1943	Green Mountain Reservoir	153,639 acre.ft (189,507 dam³)	21.6	60,228	^[24]^[25]
Joes Valley Dam	UT	Seely Cr.	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1966	Joes Valley Reservoir	54,920 acre.ft (67,740 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[26]
McPhee Dam	CO	Dolores	USBR	Flood control Irrigation	1984	McPhee Reservoir	381,195 acre.ft (470,187 dam³)	1.283	5,335	^[27]^[28]
Morrow Point Dam	CO	Gunnison	USBR	Hydropower	1968	Morrow Point Reservoir	117,190 acre.ft (144,550 dam³)	173.334	292,887	^[29]^[30]
Navajo Dam	NM	San Juan	USBR	Flood control Irrigation Municipal Regulation	1962	Navajo Lake	1,708,600 acre.ft (2,107,500 dam³)	32	215,000	^{[n 5]}^[31]^[32]
Ridges Basin Dam	CO	Offstream	USBR	Irrigation	2007	Lake Nighthorse	120,000 acre.ft (148,000 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[33]
Ridgway Dam	CO	Uncompahgre	USBR	Flood control Irrigation	1987	Ridgway Reservoir	84,410 acre.ft (104,120 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[34]
Ruedi Dam	CO	Fryingpan	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1968	Ruedi Reservoir	102,000 acre.ft (125,800 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[35]
Scofield Dam	UT	Price	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1946	Scofield Reservoir	73,600 acre.ft (90,780 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[36]
Soldier Creek Dam	UT	Strawberry	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1974	Strawberry Reservoir	1,127,610 acre.ft (1,390,860 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[37]
Starvation Dam	UT	Strawberry	USBR	Irrigation	1970	Starvation Reservoir	167,300 acre.ft (206,400 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[38]
Taylor Park Dam	CO	Taylor	USBR	Irrigation	1937	Taylor Park Reservoir	106,200 acre.ft (130,990 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[39]
Vallecito Dam	CO	Los Pinos River	USBR	Irrigation	1941	Vallecito Reservoir	129,700 acre.ft (160,000 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[40]
Vega Dam	CO	Plateau Creek	USBR	Irrigation	1959	Vega Reservoir	33,800 acre.ft (41,691 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[41]
Williams Fork Dam	CO	Williams Fork	Denver Water	Irrigation Municipal	1959	Williams Fork Reservoir	96,822 acre.ft (119,426 dam³)	3.158	?	^[42]
Wolford Mountain Dam	CO	Muddy Cr.	CRWCD^{[n 6]}	Irrigation Municipal	1996	Wolford Mountain Reservoir	66,000 acre.ft (81,400 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[43]
Total							9,821,250 acre.ft (12,114,080 dam³)	482.575	1,188,274

Lower Basin

Name	State	Stream	Owner	Purpose	Year completed	Reservoir	Reservoir capacity	Capacity (MW)	Annual generation (MWh)	Refs
Alamo Dam	AZ	Bill Williams	USACE	Flood control	1968	Alamo Lake	1,043,000 acre.ft (1,286,500 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[44]
Bartlett Dam	AZ	Verde	USBR	Flood control Irrigation	1939	Bartlett Lake	176,186 acre.ft (217,318 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[45]
Coolidge Dam	AZ	Gila	BIA	Flood control Irrigation	1930	San Carlos Lake	910,000 acre.ft (1,122,400 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[46]
Horse Mesa Dam	AZ	Salt	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1927	Apache Lake	245,138 acre.ft (302,367 dam³)	129	126,900	^{[n 7]}^[48]
Horseshoe Dam	AZ	Verde	USBR	Flood control Regulation	1946	Horseshoe Lake	131,500 acre.ft (162,200 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[49]
Mormon Flat Dam	AZ	Salt	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1925	Canyon Lake	57,852 acre.ft (71,358 dam³)	60	65,400	^{[n 8]}^[50]
New Waddell Dam	AZ	Agua Fria	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1994	Lake Pleasant	1,108,600 acre.ft (1,367,409 dam³)	45	?	^[51]
Painted Rock Dam	AZ	Gila	USACE	Flood control	1960	Painted Rock Reservoir	2,491,700 acre.ft (3,073,400 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[52]
Sand Hollow Dam	UT	Offstream	WCWCD^{[n 9]}	Irrigation Municipal	2002	Sand Hollow Reservoir	51,360 acre.ft (63,350 dam³)	N/A	N/A	^[52]
Stewart Mountain Dam	AZ	Salt	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1930	Saguaro Lake	69,765 acre.ft (86,052 dam³)	13	57,700	^{[n 10]}^[53]
Theodore Roosevelt Dam	AZ	Salt	USBR	Flood control Hydropower Irrigation Municipal	1911	Theodore Roosevelt Lake	2,910,200 acre.ft (3,589,600 dam³)	36	123,900	^{[n 11]}^[54]
Total							9,195,301 acre.ft (11,342,000 dam³)	283	373,900

Notes

^ Reservoir capacity given is the original capacity in 1938 before siltation.
^ Palisade County Irrigation District
^ Mesa County Irrigation District
^ Dam went out of operation in 1919 after the completion of the Grand Valley Diversion Dam upstream, but remains in place
^ Annual power generation calculated from a power station hydraulic head of 381.6 ft (116.3 m) and average annual flow of 1,082 cu ft/s (30.6 m³/s) in the San Juan River below the dam, 1963–2012.
^ Colorado River Water Conservation District
^ Annual generation calculated from a hydraulic head of 255 ft (78 m) and an average Salt River flow of 962 cu ft/s (27.2 m³/s).^[47]
^ Annual generation calculated from a hydraulic head of 131.5 ft (40.1 m) and an average Salt River flow of 962 cu ft/s (27.2 m³/s).^[47]
^ Washington County Water Conservation District
^ Annual generation calculated from a hydraulic head of 116 ft (35 m) and an average Salt River flow of 962 cu ft/s (27.2 m³/s).^[47]
^ Annual generation calculated from a hydraulic head of 249 ft (76 m) and an average Salt River flow of 962 cu ft/s (27.2 m³/s).^[47]

References

^ "Morelos Dam". Archived from the original on 2013-02-15. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Laguna Diversion Dam". Archived from the original on 2010-04-06. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
^ "Imperial Reservoir". Archived from the original on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
^ "Palo Verde Dam". Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
^ "Moovalya Lake" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Irrigation at the Lake. Headgate Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Lake Havasu and Parker Dam". Archived from the original on 2011-01-29. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
^ "Lake Mohave". Archived from the original on 2016-03-01. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
^ "Powerplant details - Davis Powerplant - Bureau of Reclamation". www.usbr.gov. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Hoover Dam at Lake Mead". Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
^ www.usbr.gov http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Powerplant.jsp?fac_Name=Hoover+Powerplant. Archived from the original on 28 March 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ "Lake Powell". Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
^ "Powerplant project". Archived from the original on 2016-09-28. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
^ "PriceStubb Dam" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Project details - Grand Valley Project - Bureau of Reclamation". www.usbr.gov. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Northern Water Windy Gap Project". www.northernwater.org. Archived from the original on 25 July 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Lake Granby". Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Shadow Mountain". Archived from the original on 2012-10-04. Retrieved 2011-03-20.
^ "Blue Mesa". Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Dillon Reservoir". Archived from the original on 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
^ "Steely dam - repair work at Dillion spillway - International Water Power". www.waterpowermagazine.com. 12 January 2004. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Flaming George". Archived from the original on 2012-10-14. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Fontenelle Dam". Archived from the original on 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
^ "Green Mountain". Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ www.usbr.gov http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Powerplant.jsp?fac_Name=Green+Mountain+Powerplant. Archived from the original on 28 March 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ "Joes Valley Reservoir". Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "McPhee reservoir". Archived from the original on 2013-03-09. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ www.usbr.gov http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Powerplant.jsp?fac_Name=McPhee+Powerplant. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ "Morrow Point Reservoir". Archived from the original on 2011-11-12. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
^ "Powerplant at Morrow". Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
^ "Navajo Lake" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ Reclamation, Bureau of. "Navajo Dam - UC Region - Bureau of Reclamation". www.usbr.gov. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ Reclamation, Bureau of. "News Archive: Reclamation Celebrates Completion of Ridges Basin Dam". www.usbr.gov. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Ridgway Reservoir". Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Ruedi reservoir". Archived from the original on 2012-08-23. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
^ "Scofield reservoir". Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Strawberry reservoir". Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Starvation Reservoir". Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
^ "Project details - Uncompahgre Project - Bureau of Reclamation". www.usbr.gov. Archived from the original on 16 March 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Vallecito Reservoir". Archived from the original on 2014-04-24. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Vega Reservoir". Archived from the original on 2016-09-28. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
^ "Williams Fork". Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
^ "Wolford Mountain Reservoir". Archived from the original on 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
^ "Rural Programs - Arizona Department of Water Resources" (PDF). www.azwater.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Bartlett Dam and Bartlett Lake". www.srpnet.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Coolidge Dam, Arizona". 31 October 2001. Archived from the original on 31 October 2001. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "TR Lake" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Horse Mesa Dam and Apache Lake". www.srpnet.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Horseshoe Lake". Archived from the original on 2013-06-25. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Mormon Flat Dam and Canyon Lake". www.srpnet.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
^ "Lake Pleasant Park". Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
^ ^a ^b "Painted Rock Reservoir" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-02-18. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
^ "Saguaro Lake". Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
^ "TR Dam". Archived from the original on 2013-02-28. Retrieved 2013-06-17.

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