Taming the River - Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell

This is the sixth in a series of posts about my visit through parts of Arizona and Utah.
​(Click words that are bolded for more information.)

After leaving the Desert Watch Tower of the Grand Canyon, we spent the the rest of the day near Page, Arizona where we toured the Glen Canyon Dam and cruised the deep blue water of Lake Powell into the lakeside of Antelope Canyon.

A Desert Landscape

The mighty Colorado River begins its 1,450 mile long journey to the Gulf of California as a tiny stream that forms in a wet meadow 10,184 feet high in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado. As it flows southwest, the river is joined by many tributaries, gaining strength and size before cutting through the vast Colorado Plateau, twisting its way through numerous gorges and canyons before passing through the Grand Canyon. One of these canyons is Glen Canyon.

Navajo sandstone of Glen Canyon

Before the 20th century, the Colorado River would periodically flood the land along its banks from Wyoming to Mexico with a mighty rush of water from melting snow or heavy rains in the spring. In an attempt to tame the river, prevent flooding, and harness its power, many dams have been built to control its flow and divert its water for use in the irrigation of crops, to generate electricity and supply water to nearly 17 million people who populate the Colorado Basin states. The largest of these dams, the Hoover Dam located on the border of Nevada and Arizona, was completed in 1936.  Glen Canyon Dam, near the border of Arizona and Utah, was completed in 1966, and is the second largest dam on the Colorado River. Both dams serve as reservoirs, which store water in the vast artificial lakes created by the dam and serve as recreation areas for boating and fishing.

Boats on Lake Powell

In preparation for the building of Glen Canyon Dam, a new road was built, along with a steel arch bridge, in order to cross Glen Canyon and facilitate the construction of the dam. Completed in 1957, the Glen Canyon Bridge was the highest of its kind in the United States, towering 700 feet above the Colorado River below.

Glen Canyon Bridge

After the completion of the Glen Canyon Dam, it took over 17 years to fill Glen Canyon and create Lake Powell. Lake Powell is the second largest man made lake in the United States, the first being Lake Mead, which was created by the Hoover Dam. Its shoreline encompasses 1,960 miles, a distance longer than the west coast of the United States. Lake Powell's primary purpose is to store the water needed for release to the states of Arizona, Nevada, and California, as well as to the two Mexican states that border the Colorado River Delta where it empties into the Gulf of California, although often the river is dry before it gets to its delta. The tour guide who spoke with us at the Glen Canyon Dam likened Lake Powell to a savings account and Lake Mead to a checking account.

Lake Powell meets Glen Canyon Dam

The beautiful deep blue water of Lake Powell originates as melted snow from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. According to the predicted snowmelt runoff, water releases from the Glen Canyon Dam are adjusted accordingly in order to maintain Lake Powell at an optimal level. Water released from the dam is 46 degrees, whereas before the dam was built, the temperature of the Colorado River ranged from just above freezing in winter to over 80 degrees in summer. This change in water temperature, along with other aspects of taming the Colorado River, has significantly affected the vegetation along its banks and the native fish that live in its harnessed waters. Despite ecological concerns, the beauty of Lake Powell is stunning.

The Lake Powell side of Glen Canyon Dam

The Colorado River side of Glen Canyon Dam

Our group took a boat tour into Antelope Canyon​, one of the side canyons into which Lake Powell spills. The windswept canyon walls painted in shades of orange and red were decorated with dark streaks of desert varnish, a natural patina composed of minerals, manganese and iron oxides, sand particles and other trace elements, which can take thousands of years to develop on exposed rock surfaces in arid areas.

Streaks of Desert Varnish decorate the walls of Antelope Canyon

As the tour boat twisted its way through Antelope Canyon, we were able to get a close view of the canyon walls. Here and there tenacious plants grew in nooks and crannies of the massive rock walls. The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow on higher west facing canyon walls, while other walls remained in the shadow.

Antelope Canyon walls kissed by the sun

Ancient rock dunes of Antelope Canyon

A lakeside view of Antelope Canyon

Leaving Antelope Canyon behind, we headed back to the marina surrounded by the stunning landscape of this one small portion of Lake Powell. And I am again reminded of the One Who brings life giving water to those who thirst.

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" John 7:38

​"I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water." Isaiah 41:18

As we headed to our room for the night, we lingered to watch the sunset which painted the sky with pastel pinks, blues, and purples. It was a pleasant way to end another amazing day of our tour through parts of Arizona and Utah. In the morning we would visit Zion National Park, so we took in the beauty of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon before the night hid the view from sight.

Sunset at Lake Powell

A painted pastel sky

Good night

~Debbie

First stop - Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden here.
Second stop - Montezuma's Castle here.
Third stop - Sedona here.
Fourth stop - The Grand Canyon here.
Fifth stop - The Desert Watch Tower here.
​Seventh stop - Zion National Park here.