Davis Dam is a dam on the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

about downstream from

Hoover Dam Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on S ...

. It stretches across the border between

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. Originally called Bullhead Dam, Davis Dam was renamed after Arthur Powell Davis, who was the director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1914 to 1923. The

United States Bureau of Reclamation The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...

owns and operates the dam, which was completed in 1951. Davis Dam impounds the Colorado River and forms

Lake Mohave Lake Mohave is a reservoir on the Colorado River between the Hoover Dam and Davis Dam in Cottonwood Valley defining the border between Nevada and Arizona in the United States. This 67 mile stretch of the Colorado River flows past Boulder City, ...

Description

;Davis Dam Davis Dam is a zoned

earth-fill dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi- plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface a ...

with a

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

spillway, in length at the crest, and high. The earth fill dam begins on the Nevada side, but it does not extend to the Arizona side on the east. Instead, there is an inlet formed by earth and concrete, that includes the

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure th ...

. The hydroelectric power plant is beside the inlet. The dam's purpose is to re-regulate releases from

upstream, and facilitate the delivery of Colorado River water to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

Bullhead City, Arizona Bullhead City is a city located on the Colorado River in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, south of Las Vegas, Nevada, and directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, whose casinos and ancillary services supply much of the ...

, and

Laughlin, Nevada Laughlin is an unincorporated resort town and census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is located on the Colorado River, directly across from the much larger Bullhead City, Arizona. Laughlin lies south of Las Vegas, in ...

, are located just below the dam along the river. Davis Camp is also nearby. Bullhead City was originally a construction town for workers building the dam. A road is located on the crest of the earth fill portion of the dam and a Forebay Bridge spans the Forebay. It was formerly part of

Arizona State Route 68 State Route 68, also known as SR 68, is an east–west highway in northwestern Arizona running from its western terminus at its junction with State Route 95 in Bullhead City to a grade-separated interchange at U.S. Route 93 northwest of Ki ...

to Nevada. In April 2004, the roadway was shut down to vehicle traffic. Pedestrian and bicycle traffic are permitted. The old roadway is now an extension of the Heritage Trail system. Barriers have been placed on the former road at each end of the earthen dam. The facility is heavily patrolled by security forces who strictly enforce parking regulations. ;Davis Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant The Davis Dam Power Plant is a

hydroelectric power plant Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

located on the Arizona side of the dam, beside the inlet. The

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...

plant generates between 1 and 2 terawatt-hours of electricity annually. The plant has a capacity of and the tops of its five

Francis turbine The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency. The proc ...

s are visible from outside the plant. The plant's

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals ...

is .

References

External links

USBR - Davis DamUSBR - Davis Power PlantUSBR - Parker-Davis ProjectUSGS - Real Time Water Data
* * {{Authority control Dams on the Colorado River Earth-filled dams Dams in Arizona Dams in Nevada Dams of the Lower Colorado River Valley Hydroelectric power plants in Arizona Dams completed in 1951 United States Bureau of Reclamation dams Buildings and structures in Clark County, Nevada Buildings and structures in Mohave County, Arizona Mojave Desert Landmarks in Arizona Landmarks in Nevada Historic American Engineering Record in Arizona 1951 establishments in Arizona 1951 establishments in Nevada

Description

See also

References

External links