Arizona Places: Lake Powell

Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona. Most of the lake, along with Rainbow Bridge, is in Utah. It is the second largest man-made reservoir in maximum water capacity in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing 24 million acre feet of water when full. Current water levels, however, put Lake Powell ahead of Lake Mead in water volume and surface area.

Lake Powell was created by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the controversial Glen Canyon Dam, which also led to the creation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a popular summer destination. The reservoir is named for explorer John Wesley Powell, a one-armed American Civil War veteran who explored the river via three wooden boats in 1869. In 1972, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was established. It is public land managed by the National Park Service, and available to the public for recreational purposes. It lies in parts of Garfield, Kane, and San Juan counties in southern Utah, and Coconino County in northern Arizona. The northern limits of the lake extend at least as far as the Hite Crossing Bridge.

Construction on Glen Canyon Dam began with a demolition blast keyed by the push of a button by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at his desk in the Oval Office on October 1, 1956. The first blast started clearing tunnels for water diversion. On February 11, 1959, water was diverted through the tunnels so dam construction could begin. Later that year, the bridge was completed, allowing trucks to deliver equipment and materials for the dam, and also for the new town of Page, Arizona.

The lake's main body stretches up Glen Canyon, but has also filled many of the over 90 side canyons. The lake also stretches up the Escalante River and San Juan River where they merge into the main Colorado River. This provides access to many natural geographic points of interest as well as some remnants of the Anasazi culture.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area draws more than two million visitors annually. Recreational activities include boating, fishing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, and hiking. The rental of houseboats is a very popular vacation option.

Prepared campgrounds can be found at each marina, but many visitors choose to rent a houseboat or bring their own camping equipment, find a secluded spot somewhere in the canyons, and make their own camp (there are no restrictions on where visitors can stay). Anyone who camps further than a quarter of a mile from a marina, however, must bring a portable toilet. The burying of human waste in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is prohibited. Pet waste must also be packed out.

The southwestern end of Lake Powell in Arizona can be accessed via U.S. Route 89 and State Route 98. State Route 95 and State Route 276 lead to the northeastern end of the lake in Utah.
http://www.pagelakepowell.com

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