1. Introduction
The Glen Canyon Dam is a dam on the Colorado River in Arizona. It was engineered and constructed in several years, from 1956 to 1964. The main purpose of the dam is to generate electricity for communities and to provide water storage for the Upper Colorado River Basin, which ensures that sufficient water can be released to the Lower Basin [1] [2]. In this lab, students will be touring the Glen Canyon Dam and the Colorado River. Students will use the field trip as a reference to provide a summary of the Glen Canyon Dam’s operation. Students will also determine the channel and stream forming characteristics as well as describe the outflow by the dam and the streamflow.
2. Project Description
The primary part of this lab …show more content…
The Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Act is a United States Bureau of Reclamation act which allowed the development of the water resources of the Upper Colorado River Basin states (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico). The purposes of the CRSP are to regulate the flow of the Colorado River to Lower Basin, to provide flood control and recreation, to provide water storage for beneficial uses (irrigation, municipal, industrial, and other uses) [1]. The project is also to improve water quality, to improve conditions for fish and wildlife, and to provide electrical power [1]. The reservoirs of this project would protect public against drought since they serve as a bank account of water and would provide sufficient water for public uses during drought times. The Glen Canyon Dam is the largest unit of the CRSP system and the most important unit in controlling water release to the Lower Colorado River Basin, which provides water for Arizona, Nevada, and California. The dam was raised to the height of 710 feet above the bed rock and 583 feet above the river channel. The completion of the dam created Lake Powell, which is the second largest man-made lake in the United States, after Lake Mead created by the Hoover Dam. The Lake took 17 years to fill, from 1963 until 1980 [1]. The Lake has a storage capacity of 27 million acre feet of water when full and the water surface reached an elevation of 3700 feet above sea level [1]. At that time, the water depth was 560 feet [1]. On the day of the field trip (November 9th, 2015), the surface water elevation of the Lake was 3606.27 feet and the Lake was about 51 % full [4]. Inside the Glen Canyon Dam, the Glen Canyon power plant is responsible for providing hydroelectricity for Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado [2]. The power plant consists of eight
The Glen Canyon Dam is a dam on the Colorado River in Arizona. It was engineered and constructed in several years, from 1956 to 1964. The main purpose of the dam is to generate electricity for communities and to provide water storage for the Upper Colorado River Basin, which ensures that sufficient water can be released to the Lower Basin [1] [2]. In this lab, students will be touring the Glen Canyon Dam and the Colorado River. Students will use the field trip as a reference to provide a summary of the Glen Canyon Dam’s operation. Students will also determine the channel and stream forming characteristics as well as describe the outflow by the dam and the streamflow.
2. Project Description
The primary part of this lab …show more content…
The Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Act is a United States Bureau of Reclamation act which allowed the development of the water resources of the Upper Colorado River Basin states (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico). The purposes of the CRSP are to regulate the flow of the Colorado River to Lower Basin, to provide flood control and recreation, to provide water storage for beneficial uses (irrigation, municipal, industrial, and other uses) [1]. The project is also to improve water quality, to improve conditions for fish and wildlife, and to provide electrical power [1]. The reservoirs of this project would protect public against drought since they serve as a bank account of water and would provide sufficient water for public uses during drought times. The Glen Canyon Dam is the largest unit of the CRSP system and the most important unit in controlling water release to the Lower Colorado River Basin, which provides water for Arizona, Nevada, and California. The dam was raised to the height of 710 feet above the bed rock and 583 feet above the river channel. The completion of the dam created Lake Powell, which is the second largest man-made lake in the United States, after Lake Mead created by the Hoover Dam. The Lake took 17 years to fill, from 1963 until 1980 [1]. The Lake has a storage capacity of 27 million acre feet of water when full and the water surface reached an elevation of 3700 feet above sea level [1]. At that time, the water depth was 560 feet [1]. On the day of the field trip (November 9th, 2015), the surface water elevation of the Lake was 3606.27 feet and the Lake was about 51 % full [4]. Inside the Glen Canyon Dam, the Glen Canyon power plant is responsible for providing hydroelectricity for Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado [2]. The power plant consists of eight