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Glen Canyon Dam is a dam on the Colorado River. It sits within the boundaries of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona.
History
The dam was built between 1956 and 1966 and is 710 feet high. It created Lake Powell, which is one of the largest artificial reservoirs in the United States and can hold 9,000,000,000,000 gallons of water.
Glen Canyon Dam Bridge
The Glen Canyon Dam Bridge passes in front of the dam. It carries US-89 700 feet above the Colorado River. When it was completed in 1959, it was the highest arch bridge in the world.
Dam Tours
Tours of Glen Canyon Dam are available from the Carl Hayden Visitor Center north of Page, Arizona. They cost US$5 and are on a first-come, first-served basis. All tours last about 45 minutes. Check the official website for a tour schedule. (Note: the dam is closed to the public until further notice (as of April 2024)).
On Top of the Dam
The tour begins on the top of the dam, where some old equipment and machinery is on display. The guide does a wonderful job of explaining how everything was used.
Next, we were able to look down and see the power plant and grass field at the bottom of the dam, views of Lake Powell, and the bridge. The field is a unique feature of the dam. It was planted to prevent vibration as water is fed to the power plant. An added benefit is that it also reduces temperatures within the power plant.
Power Plant
From there, we walked to an elevator to go inside the dam and visit the power plant. At the bottom, we exited and saw the grass field as well as the entire face of the dam.
It was an incredible sight to look up and see so much concrete as well as the underside of the bridge.
The guide then took us into the turbine hall and explained how hydroelectric power is generated. The dam provides power to about five million people in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
Conclusion
At the end of the tour, we rode back up the elevator and walked back to the visitor center. It was well worth the admission we paid, and the guide was informative and entertaining.
