26 Pristine Facts about Lake Powell

By James Israelsen, Associate Writer

Published February 4, 2025

With its unique red-rock canyon walls and clear blue water, many consider Lake Powell to be one of the most beautiful spots in America._[5]
Lake Powell is fed by the Colorado River, the main source of water for roughly 40 million people in the American Southwest._[3][6]
Lake Powell was created when a 710-foot-tall concrete dam was built on the Colorado River._[2]
The shape of Lake Powell is roughly that of a snake with a porcupine in its belly._[8]
Lake Powell has the capacity to hold 24 million acre-feet of water._[3]
If all the water in Lake Powell were poured into the state of Massachusetts, the water level would be waist high._[5]
Before it was flooded to become Lake Powell, Glen Canyon in Arizona was known for being one of the most beautiful river rafting spots in the United States._[2][3][6]
Opponents who object to the destruction of natural landscapes to create human-made reservoirs refer to Lake Powell as "Lake Foul."_[5]
Since 2000, the water supply in Lake Powell has been dramatically reduced by drought, climate change, and overuse._[6][9]
Due to water reduction, Lake Powell's red-rock La Gorce Arch, which used to be accessible by boat, can now only be reached by a half-mile hike._[1]
In 1996, concerned Utahns created the Glen Canyon Institute to lobby for the removal of Lake Powell's dam and for Glen Canyon to be restored to its natural state._[5][6]
The water level of Lake Powell has dropped 140 feet in the past two decades._[9]
Lake Powell is the second largest human-made lake in the United States, after Lake Mead._[3][8]
Writer Edward Abbey called the submersion of Glen Canyon to create Lake Powell a crime similar to burying the Taj Mahal "in mud until only the spires remain visible."_[1]

All dams are ugly, but the Glen Canyon Dam is sinful ugly

- Edward Abbey

Lake Powell was named for John Wesley Powell, whose 1869 expedition was responsible for the exploration of Glen Canyon, the location of present-day Lake Powell._[3][7]
After his retirement, former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater said that, in his entire political career, the only ballot he regretted having cast was when he voted to build the dam that turned Glen Canyon into Lake Powell._[5]
Although Glen Canyon Dam was built in 1963, it took 17 years for the entire reservoir to fill to capacity._[2][6]

The desert has its charms

When it is at full capacity, Lake Powell's surface reaches 3,700 feet above sea level._[8]
Lake Powell is home to the Rincon Floating Toilet, a public restroom anchored in front of the Rincon Mesa._[5]
The 1956 congressional bill that approved building Lake Powell's Glen Canyon Dam also included three other American Southwest dams: Flamingo Gorge, Navajo, and Blue Mesa._[2][4]
Because Lake Powell was made by submerging a network of canyons under water, it became possible for people to use boats to reach areas of Glen Canyon that few people had ever been to before._[8]

Don't forget your life jacket

Lake Powell often gets as many as four million visitors a year._[5]
Glen Canyon Dam is sometimes referred to as a "cash register dam" because most of Lake Powell's water is simply funneled to nearby Lake Mead reservoir, indicating that it was never intended to be used as a regional water supply._[2]
Lake Powell's namesake, Major John Wesley Powell, lost an arm fighting for the Union Army in the Battle of Shiloh._[7]
Lake Powell's Glen Canyon Dam is the second highest concrete arch dam in the United States, falling short of Hoover Dam by only 16 feet._[4]
In addition to the main body of water, there are more than 90 side canyons into which Lake Powell runs._[4]