Davis Dam
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The Davis Dam is a dam on the Colorado River, directly downstream from Hoover Dam, (ca. 45 mi). It stretches across the border between Arizona and Nevada. Originally called Bullhead Dam, Davis dam was renamed after Arthur Powell Davis, who was the Director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1914 to 1932. The Bureau of Reclamation owns and operates the dam, which was completed in 1951.
Davis Dam is a zoned earthfill dam with a concrete spillway, 1600 feet (490 meters) in length at the crest, and 200 feet (60 meters) high. The earthfill dam begins on the Arizona side, but it does not extend to the Nevada side. Instead, there is an inlet formed by earth and concrete. At the end of the inlet, there is the spillway. The power plant is on the side of the inlet, perpendicular to the dam. This is a very unusual design. The dam's purpose is to reregulate releases from Hoover Dam and facilitate the delivery of Colorado River water to Mexico. Bullhead City, Arizona and Laughlin, Nevada are located nearby, on opposite sides of the dam. Davis Camp is also close. Bullhead City was originally a construction town for workers building the dam.
A road is located on the crest of the earthfill portion of the dam and a bridge spans the inlet. It was formerly a stretch of Arizona Highway 68. The highway was rerouted in 2004, which allowed more lanes for the highway and increased security at the dam. Also, barriers have been placed on each side of the dam. The barriers are intended to stop vehicles, but pedestrians are prohibited on the dam as well. It is unlikely that vehicles without authorization will ever be allowed on the dam again. The rest of the road is open to traffic.
The Davis Dam Power Plant is located on the Arizona side of the dam. The hydroelectric plant generates between 1 and 2 terawatt-hours of electricity annually. The plant has a capacity of 251 MW and the tops of its five Francis turbines are visible from outside the plant. The plant's head is 136 feet (41 meters).
