List of dams in the Colorado River system

Map showing locations of major dams in the Colorado River basin. Lee's Ferry, which separates the Upper and Lower Basins, is located just downriver from Glen Canyon Dam.

This is a list of dams on the Colorado River system of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The Colorado runs 1,450 mi (2,330 km) from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, draining parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states. The river system is one of the most heavily developed in the world, with fifteen dams on the main stem of the Colorado and hundreds more on tributaries. Collectively, dams in the Colorado River basin can hold four to five times the river's annual flow, generating hydroelectricity and supplying irrigation and municipal water for over 35 million people.

Dams on tributaries are listed if they are taller than 250 ft (76 m), store more than 50,000 acre·ft (62,000 dam³), or are otherwise historically notable. Tributary dams are organized into two lists; those in the Upper Basin, defined as the half of the Colorado River basin above Lee's Ferry, Arizona, and the Lower Basin. The Upper Basin include such tributary systems as the Green, Gunnison and San Juan. Tributaries in the Lower Basin include the Little Colorado, Virgin and Gila. A key tributary of the San Juan River, the Animas River, was severely affected by the EPA's accidental August 2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill.

Notes:

• Flood control: Temporary retention and quick release of flood flows
• Hydropower: Generation of electricity utilizing water flow through the hydraulic head provided by the dam and reservoir
• Irrigation: Provision and storage of water for agriculture
• Municipal: Provision and storage of water for residential, commercial and industrial uses
• Regulation: To control erratic inflows to provide either a stable flow downstream or to release water on demand to downstream users

Main stem

Parker Dam (AZ-CA)  Hoover Dam (AZ-NV)  Glen Canyon Dam (AZ)  Grand Valley Diversion Dam (CO)  Granby Dam (CO)

Name	State	Owner	Purpose	Year completed	Reservoir	Reservoir capacity	Capacity (MW)	Annual generation (MWh)	Refs
Morelos Dam	AZ  BC	IBWC	Irrigation	1950	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	[1]
Laguna Diversion Dam	AZ  CA	USBR	Diversion	1905	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	[2]
Imperial Dam	AZ  CA	USBR	Irrigation	1938	Imperial Reservoir	7005160000000000000♠160,000 acre.ft (197,400 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[n 1][3]
Palo Verde Dam	AZ  CA	USBR	Diversion	1958	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	[4]
Headgate Rock Dam	AZ  CA	BIA	Irrigation	1941	Moovalya Lake	N/A	7001195000000000000♠19.5	?	[5][6]
Parker Dam	AZ  CA	USBR	Hydropower Irrigation Municipal	1938	Lake Havasu	7005646200000000000♠646,200 acre.ft (797,100 dam3)	7002120000000000000♠120	7005456944000000000♠456,944	[7]
Davis Dam	AZ  NV	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1951	Lake Mohave	7006181830000000000♠1,818,300 acre.ft (2,242,800 dam3)	7002255000000000000♠255	7006114767300000000♠1,147,673	[8][9]
Hoover Dam	AZ  NV	USBR	Flood control Hydropower Irrigation Municipal Regulation	1936	Lake Mead	7007289450000000000♠28,945,000 acre.ft (35,702,400 dam3)	7003207900000000000♠2,079	7006380693500000000♠3,806,935	[10][11]
Glen Canyon Dam	AZ	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1966	Lake Powell	7007262149000000000♠26,214,900 acre.ft (32,334,900 dam3)	7003129600000000000♠1,296	7006345484700000000♠3,454,847	[12][13]
Price-Stubb Dam	CO	PCID[n 2] MCID[n 3]	Irrigation	1911	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	[n 4][14]
Grand Valley Diversion Dam	CO	USBR	Irrigation	1916	N/A	N/A	7000300000000000000♠3	7004193500000000000♠19,350	[15]
Windy Gap Dam	CO	Northern Water	Irrigation Municipal	1970	Windy Gap Reservoir	7002445000000000000♠445 acre.ft (549 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[16]
Granby Dam	CO	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1950	Lake Granby	7005539800000000000♠539,800 acre.ft (665,800 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[17]
Shadow Mountain Dam	CO	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1946	Shadow Mountain Lake	7004184000000000000♠18,400 acre.ft (22,700 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[18]
Total						7007583430450000000♠58,343,045 acre.ft (71,963,595 dam3)	7003377250000000000♠3,772.5	7006888574900000000♠8,885,749

Upper Basin

Blue Mesa Dam (CO)  Fontenelle Dam (WY)  Green Mountain Dam (CO)  McPhee Dam (CO)  Navajo Dam (NM)

Name	State	Stream	Owner	Purpose	Year completed	Reservoir	Reservoir capacity	Capacity (MW)	Annual generation (MWh)	Refs
Blue Mesa Dam	CO	Gunnison	USBR	Flood control Hydropower Regulation	1966	Blue Mesa Reservoir	7005940700000000000♠940,700 acre.ft (1,160,300 dam3)	7001864000000000000♠86.4	7005203412000000000♠203,412	[19]
Dillon Dam	CO	Blue	Denver Water	Irrigation Municipal	1963	Dillon Reservoir	7005257304000000000♠257,304 acre.ft (317,373 dam3)	7000180000000000000♠1.8	?	[20][21]
Flaming Gorge Dam	UT	Green	USBR	Flood control Hydropower Regulation	1964	Flaming Gorge Reservoir	7006378870000000000♠3,788,700 acre.ft (4,673,200 dam3)	7002153000000000000♠153	7005344369000000000♠344,369	[22]
Fontenelle Dam	WY	Green	USBR	Flood control Irrigation	1964	Fontenelle Reservoir	7005345360000000000♠345,360 acre.ft (426,990 dam3)	7001100000000000000♠10	7004670430000000000♠67,043	[23]
Green Mountain Dam	CO	Blue	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1943	Green Mountain Reservoir	7005153639000000000♠153,639 acre.ft (189,507 dam3)	7001216000000000000♠21.6	7004602280000000000♠60,228	[24][25]
Joes Valley Dam	UT	Seely Cr.	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1966	Joes Valley Reservoir	7004549200000000000♠54,920 acre.ft (67,740 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[26]
McPhee Dam	CO	Dolores	USBR	Flood control Irrigation	1984	McPhee Reservoir	7005381195000000000♠381,195 acre.ft (470,187 dam3)	7000128300000099999♠1.283	7003533500000000000♠5,335	[27][28]
Morrow Point Dam	CO	Gunnison	USBR	Hydropower	1968	Morrow Point Reservoir	7005117190000000000♠117,190 acre.ft (144,550 dam3)	7002173334000000000♠173.334	7005292887000000000♠292,887	[29][30]
Navajo Dam	NM	San Juan	USBR	Flood control Irrigation Municipal Regulation	1962	Navajo Lake	7006170860000000000♠1,708,600 acre.ft (2,107,500 dam3)	7001320000000000000♠32	7005215000000000000♠215,000	[n 5][31][32]
Ridges Basin Dam	CO	Offstream	USBR	Irrigation	2007	Lake Nighthorse	7005120000000000000♠120,000 acre.ft (148,000 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[33]
Ridgway Dam	CO	Uncompahgre	USBR	Flood control Irrigation	1987	Ridgway Reservoir	7004844100000000000♠84,410 acre.ft (104,120 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[34]
Ruedi Dam	CO	Fryingpan	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1968	Ruedi Reservoir	7005102000000000000♠102,000 acre.ft (125,800 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[35]
Scofield Dam	UT	Price	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1946	Scofield Reservoir	7004736000000000000♠73,600 acre.ft (90,780 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[36]
Soldier Creek Dam	UT	Strawberry	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1974	Strawberry Reservoir	7006112761000000000♠1,127,610 acre.ft (1,390,860 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[37]
Starvation Dam	UT	Strawberry	USBR	Irrigation	1970	Starvation Reservoir	7005167300000000000♠167,300 acre.ft (206,400 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[38]
Taylor Park Dam	CO	Taylor	USBR	Irrigation	1937	Taylor Park Reservoir	7005106200000000000♠106,200 acre.ft (130,990 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[39]
Vallecito Dam	CO	Los Pinos River	USBR	Irrigation	1941	Vallecito Reservoir	7005129700000000000♠129,700 acre.ft (160,000 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[40]
Vega Dam	CO	Plateau Creek	USBR	Irrigation	1959	Vega Reservoir	7004338000000000000♠33,800 acre.ft (41,691 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[41]
Williams Fork Dam	CO	Williams Fork	Denver Water	Irrigation Municipal	1959	Williams Fork Reservoir	7004968220000000000♠96,822 acre.ft (119,426 dam3)	7000315800000000000♠3.158	?	[42]
Wolford Mountain Dam	CO	Muddy Cr.	CRWCD[n 6]	Irrigation Municipal	1996	Wolford Mountain Reservoir	7004660000000000000♠66,000 acre.ft (81,400 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[43]
Total							7006982125000000000♠9,821,250 acre.ft (12,114,080 dam3)	7002482575000000000♠482.575	7006118827400000000♠1,188,274

Lower Basin

Bartlett Dam (AZ)  Mormon Flat Dam (AZ)  New Waddell Dam (AZ)  Painted Rock Dam (AZ)  Theodore Roosevelt Dam (AZ)

Name	State	Stream	Owner	Purpose	Year completed	Reservoir	Reservoir capacity	Capacity (MW)	Annual generation (MWh)	Refs
Alamo Dam	AZ	Bill Williams	USACE	Flood control	1968	Alamo Lake	7006104300000000000♠1,043,000 acre.ft (1,286,500 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[44]
Bartlett Dam	AZ	Verde	USBR	Flood control Irrigation	1939	Bartlett Lake	7005176186000000000♠176,186 acre.ft (217,318 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[45]
Coolidge Dam	AZ	Gila	BIA	Flood control Irrigation	1930	San Carlos Lake	7005910000000000000♠910,000 acre.ft (1,122,400 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[46]
Horse Mesa Dam	AZ	Salt	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1927	Apache Lake	7005245138000000000♠245,138 acre.ft (302,367 dam3)	7002129000000000000♠129	7005126900000000000♠126,900	[n 7][48]
Horseshoe Dam	AZ	Verde	USBR	Flood control Regulation	1946	Horseshoe Lake	7005131500000000000♠131,500 acre.ft (162,200 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[49]
Mormon Flat Dam	AZ	Salt	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1925	Canyon Lake	7004578520000000000♠57,852 acre.ft (71,358 dam3)	7001600000000000000♠60	7004654000000000000♠65,400	[n 8][50]
New Waddell Dam	AZ	Agua Fria	USBR	Irrigation Municipal	1994	Lake Pleasant	7006110860000000000♠1,108,600 acre.ft (1,367,409 dam3)	7001450000000000000♠45	?	[51]
Painted Rock Dam	AZ	Gila	USACE	Flood control	1960	Painted Rock Reservoir	7006249170000000000♠2,491,700 acre.ft (3,073,400 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[52]
Sand Hollow Dam	UT	Offstream	WCWCD[n 9]	Irrigation Municipal	2002	Sand Hollow Reservoir	7004513600000000000♠51,360 acre.ft (63,350 dam3)	N/A	N/A	[52]
Stewart Mountain Dam	AZ	Salt	USBR	Hydropower Regulation	1930	Saguaro Lake	7004697650000000000♠69,765 acre.ft (86,052 dam3)	7001130000000000000♠13	7004577000000000000♠57,700	[n 10][53]
Theodore Roosevelt Dam	AZ	Salt	USBR	Flood control Hydropower Irrigation Municipal	1911	Theodore Roosevelt Lake	7006291020000000000♠2,910,200 acre.ft (3,589,600 dam3)	7001360000000000000♠36	7005123900000000000♠123,900	[n 11][54]
Total							7006919530100000000♠9,195,301 acre.ft (11,342,000 dam3)	7002283000000000000♠283	7005373900000000000♠373,900

Notes

References

Colorado River system
Jurisdictions	United States Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming Mexico Baja California Sonora
Canyons	Byers Canyon Gore Canyon Red Gorge Glenwood Canyon De Beque Canyon Horsethief Canyon Ruby Canyon Westwater Canyon Cataract Canyon Narrow Canyon Glen Canyon Grand Canyon Marble Canyon Granite Gorge Middle Granite Gorge Lower Granite Gorge Grand Wash Canyon Iceberg Canyon Virgin Canyon Boulder Canyon Black Canyon Pyramid Canyon Mohave Canyon
Natural features	River course Rocky Mountains Colorado River Basin Colorado Plateau Grand Lake Horseshoe Bend Sonoran Desert Mojave Desert Lower Colorado River Valley Mohave Valley Parker Valley Palo Verde Valley Colorado Desert Alamo River New River Salton Sea Imperial Valley Delta Montague Island Gulf of California/Sea of Cortez
Tributaries	Blue River Dirty Devil River Dolores River Escalante River Eagle River Fraser River Gila River Green River Gunnison River Kanab Creek Little Colorado River Paria River Roaring Fork River San Juan River Virgin River Las Vegas Wash Williams Fork Río Hardy
Engineering	Mainstem dams Shadow Mountain Granby Windy Gap Grand Valley Price-Stubb Glen Canyon Hoover Davis Parker Headgate Rock Palo Verde Imperial Laguna Morelos Major reservoirs Fontenelle Reservoir Flaming Gorge Reservoir Blue Mesa Reservoir Navajo Lake Lake Powell Lake Mead Lake Mohave Lake Havasu Imperial Reservoir Theodore Roosevelt Lake San Carlos Lake Aqueducts and canals Grand Ditch Colorado River Aqueduct San Diego Aqueduct Central Arizona Project All-American Canal Coachella Canal Water projects Boulder Canyon Project Colorado-Big Thompson Project Colorado River Storage Project Grand Valley AVA Yuma Project
Designated areas	Arches National Park Canyonlands National Park Colorado National Monument Dead Horse Point State Park Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park Lake Mead National Recreation Area Rocky Mountain National Park
Related topics	Arizona v. California Colorado River Board of California Colorado River Compact Floyd Dominy Lee's Ferry International Boundary and Water Commission Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Rapids and features U.S. Bureau of Reclamation William Mulholland