Davis Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Davis Dam |
|
|---|---|
Davis Dam
|
|
| Official name | Davis Dam |
| Location | Clark County, Nevada / Mohave County, Arizona, USA |
| Coordinates | 35°11′56″N 114°34′10″W / 35.19876°N 114.56949°W |
| Opening date | 1951 |
| Operator(s) | U.S. Bureau of Reclamation |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Colorado River |
| Height | 60m |
| Length | 490m |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Mohave |
| Surface area | 26,500 acres (10,700 Ha) |
| Power station | |
| Hydraulic head | 41m |
| Turbines | 5 Francis turbines |
| Installed capacity | 251 MW |
| Annual generation | 1148 GWh |
The Davis Dam is a large dam built on the Colorado River. It's about 70 miles downstream from the famous Hoover Dam. This dam stretches across the border between Arizona and Nevada.
It was originally called Bullhead Dam. Later, it was renamed after Arthur Powell Davis. He was in charge of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1914 to 1923. The United States Bureau of Reclamation still owns and runs the dam today. It was finished in 1951. Davis Dam holds back the Colorado River, creating a large lake called Lake Mohave.
Contents
What is Davis Dam?
Davis Dam is a special type of dam called an earth-fill dam. This means it's mostly made of earth and rock. It also has a strong concrete section called a spillway. The dam is about 1,600 feet long at the top and 200 feet high.
The earth part of the dam starts on the Nevada side. But it doesn't go all the way to the Arizona side. Instead, there's an opening made of earth and concrete. This opening includes the spillway, which lets extra water flow through. The power plant is right next to this opening.
Why Was Davis Dam Built?
The main job of Davis Dam is to control the water released from Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam is located further upstream. Davis Dam helps make sure the water flows smoothly. It also helps deliver water from the Colorado River to Mexico.
The towns of Bullhead City, Arizona, and Laughlin, Nevada, are located just below the dam. Bullhead City actually started as a town for the workers who built the dam.
Getting Around the Dam
There's a road on top of the earth part of the dam. A bridge called Forebay Bridge crosses over the water in front of the dam. This road used to be part of Arizona State Route 68. However, in 2004, it was closed to cars.
Now, people can walk or ride bikes on the old road. It's part of a trail system called the Heritage Trail. There are barriers at each end of the dam to stop cars. Security guards patrol the area to make sure everyone follows the rules.
How Davis Dam Makes Electricity
The Davis Dam Power Plant is a hydroelectric power plant. It's located on the Arizona side of the dam. This plant uses the power of moving water to create electricity.
Every year, the plant generates a lot of electricity. It has five large machines called Francis turbines. You can see the tops of these turbines from outside the plant. The plant can produce up to 251 megawatts of power.
