Davis Dam

Davis Dam
Name	Davis Dam
Country	United States
Location	Boulder City, Nevada / Parker, Arizona border
Status	Operational
Purpose	Flood control, water storage, power generation, navigation
Construction began	1942
Opening	1951
Owner	United States Bureau of Reclamation
Dam type	Concrete gravity
Dam height	200ft
Dam length	1,600ft
Reservoir	Lake Mohave
Plant operator	United States Bureau of Reclamation
Plant capacity	200 MW (approx.)

Davis Dam Davis Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Colorado River that impounds Lake Mohave and lies downstream of Hoover Dam between Boulder City, Nevada and Parker, Arizona. Constructed primarily during the mid-20th century to regulate river flow, provide hydropower, and improve navigation, the project involved federal agencies and wartime priorities. It continues to be operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and interacts with multiple Western water and power institutions.

Location and Purpose

The dam is sited near river mile 280 of the Colorado River, roughly between Laughlin, Nevada and Parker, Arizona, serving the Lower Colorado River Basin system coordinated with projects such as Hoover Dam, Imperial Dam, and Glen Canyon Dam. Its purposes include regulating releases for the All-American Canal, supporting deliveries under the Colorado River Compact allocations, mitigating floods affecting the Basin and Range Province corridor, and contributing to regional power supplies used by entities like the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and Colorado River Indian Tribes.

Design and Construction

Designed as a concrete gravity structure, the dam was authorized during the World War II era with construction interrupted by wartime labor and material constraints, then completed in the early 1950s. The project involved coordination among the Bureau of Reclamation, the United States Army Corps of Engineers for related works, and contractors experienced from Hoover Dam experience. Engineering features include gated spillways, radial gates, a concrete intake tower feeding penstocks, and foundation treatments suitable for the local Basin and Range geology, informed by studies contemporary to projects like Glen Canyon Dam and Parker Dam. Design incorporated considerations from notable engineers and standards practiced by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Reservoir and Hydrology

The impounded Lake Mohave stores flows from the Upper Colorado River Basin regulated by upstream reservoirs such as Lake Mead and Lake Powell, and provides seasonal buffering to meet apportionments under the Colorado River Compact and the 1944 United States–Mexico Treaty on Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande River. Hydrologic operations are affected by variable snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, inflow variability documented by the United States Geological Survey, and long-term trends examined by agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Reservoir levels influence downstream releases to the All-American Canal, Arizona Canal, and municipal supplies for places such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, and San Diego.

Power Generation and Facilities

The powerplant contains multiple Francis-style turbines and generators sized to balance peaking and base-load needs for the Southwest United States grid. Electrical output is marketed under federal allocations similar to those associated with projects like Hoover Dam and delivered via transmission corridors used by utilities including the Western Area Power Administration, Southern California Edison, and regional cooperatives serving Mohave County, Arizona and Clark County, Nevada. Plant controls, switchyards, and protective relays adhere to standards promulgated by organizations such as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.

Environmental and Recreational Impacts

Reservoir creation transformed riparian and desert habitats, affecting species protected by statutes like the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and overseen by agencies including the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Aquatic ecosystems were altered with introductions and management actions targeting species such as nonnative sportfish and native razorback sucker and bonytail chub concerns mirrored across the Colorado River Basin restoration efforts guided by frameworks such as the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. Lake Mohave and adjacent lands support recreation managed by the National Park Service at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, attracting boating, fishing, and camping that involve stakeholders like local tourism bureaus in Henderson, Nevada and Needles, California.

Operations, Management, and Safety

Operational decisions integrate hydrologic modeling, water rights priorities from entities like the State of Arizona, State of Nevada, and State of California, and interagency agreements including the Minimization of Emergency Surplus Criteria historically used by Reclamation. Routine inspections, dam safety evaluations, and emergency action planning follow protocols from the Bureau of Reclamation and guidance by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Security, infrastructure maintenance, seismic assessments aligned with regional studies by the United States Geological Survey, and coordination with tribal governments such as the Colorado River Indian Tribes inform contemporary management of the facility.

Category:Dams in Arizona Category:Dams in Nevada Category:United States Bureau of Reclamation dams