DAVIS DAM

THERE ARE FOUR DAMS ON THE COLORADO RIVER. THE MOST FAMOUS OF COURSE IS THE HOOVER DAM JUST OUTSIDE OF LAS VEGAS WHICH FORMS LAKE MEAD.

UP RIVER THERE IS THE IS THE GLEN CANYON DAM WHICH FORMS LAKE POWELL. THERE IS ALSO THE PARKER DAM WHICH FORMS LAKE HAVASU.

WE HAVE OUR OWN DAM ON THE COLORADO RIVER HERE IN OUR VALLEY, CALLED DAVIS DAM, AND IT FORMS LAKE MOHAVE.  DAVIS DAM IS 70 MILES DOWNSTEAM FROM HOOVER DAM AND CONTROLS THE WATERS OF THE RIVER AND MAKES ELECTIC.

OVER THE YEARS I’VE BEEN ON TOP OF THE DAM FOR A LOOK AROUND, BUT THERE ISN’T MUCH TO SEE. ON A RECENT SCOOTER TRIP I FINALLY FOUND THE DAM FROM THE BOTTOM.  THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY A FEW PICTURES.

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 1932. The United States Bureau of Reclamation owns and operates the dam, which was completed in 1951.

Davis Dam is a zoned earth fill dam with a concrete spillway, 1,600 ft (490 m) in length at the crest, and 200 ft (61 m) high. The earth fill dam begins on the Nevada side, but it does not extend to the Arizona side. Instead, there is an inlet formed by earth and concrete. At the end of the inlet, there is the spillway. The power plant is on the side of the inlet, perpendicular to the dam. This is a very unusual design. The dam's purpose is to re-regulate releases from Hoover Dam and facilitate the delivery of Colorado River water to Mexico. Bullhead City, Arizona, and Laughlin, Nevada, 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.