Davis Dam
title: "Davis Dam" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["dams-on-the-colorado-river", "earth-filled-dams", "dams-in-arizona", "dams-in-nevada", "dams-of-the-lower-colorado-river-valley", "hydroelectric-power-plants-in-arizona", "dams-completed-in-1951", "united-states-bureau-of-reclamation-dams", "buildings-and-structures-in-clark-county,-nevada", "buildings-and-structures-in-mohave-county,-arizona", "mojave-desert", "landmarks-in-arizona", "landmarks-in-nevada", "historic-american-engineering-record-in-arizona", "1951-establishments-in-arizona", "1951-establishments-in-nevada"] topic_path: "engineering" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_Dam" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox dam"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Davis Dam |
| image | Davis Dam 2.jpg |
| image_caption | Davis Dam |
| name_official | Davis Dam |
| dam_crosses | Colorado River |
| res_name | Lake Mohave |
| location | Clark County, Nevada / Mohave County, Arizona, USA |
| operator | U.S. Bureau of Reclamation |
| dam_length | 1600 ft |
| dam_height | 200 ft |
| plant_hydraulic_head | 135 ft |
| opening | 1951 |
| res_surface | 26500 acre |
| plant_turbines | 5 Francis turbines |
| plant_capacity | 251 MW |
| plant_annual_gen | 1148 GWh |
| coordinates | |
| :: |
| name = Davis Dam | image = Davis Dam 2.jpg | image_caption = Davis Dam | name_official = Davis Dam | dam_crosses = Colorado River | res_name = Lake Mohave | location = Clark County, Nevada / Mohave County, Arizona, USA | operator = U.S. Bureau of Reclamation | dam_length = 1600 ft | dam_height = 200 ft | plant_hydraulic_head = 135 ft | dam_width_base = | construction_began = | opening = 1951 | demolished = | cost = | res_capacity_total = | res_catchment = | res_surface = 26500 acre | plant_turbines = 5 Francis turbines | plant_capacity = 251 MW | plant_annual_gen = 1148 GWh | coordinates = | extra = Davis Dam is a dam on the Colorado River about 70 mi downstream from Hoover Dam. 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 1923. The United States Bureau of Reclamation owns and operates the dam, which was completed in 1951.
Davis Dam impounds the Colorado River and forms Lake Mohave.
Description
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/DAVIS_DAM_ON_COLORADO_RIVER.LAKE_MOHAVE_FORMS_IN_BACKGROUND-NARA-_549074.jpg" caption="Aerial view of Davis Dam and [[Lake Mohave]]."] ::
;Davis Dam Davis Dam is a zoned earth-fill dam with a concrete spillway, 1600 ft in length at the crest, and 200 ft high. The earth fill dam begins on the Nevada side, but it does not extend to the Arizona side on the east. Instead, there is an inlet formed by earth and concrete, that includes the spillway. The hydroelectric power plant is beside the inlet.
The dam's purpose is to re-regulate releases from Hoover Dam upstream, and facilitate the delivery of Colorado River water to Mexico. Bullhead City, Arizona, and Laughlin, Nevada, are located just below the dam along the river. Davis Camp is also nearby, operated as a park by Mohave County. Bullhead City was originally a construction town for workers building the dam.
A road is located on the crest of the earth fill portion of the dam and a Forebay Bridge spans the Forebay. It was formerly part of Arizona State Route 68 to Nevada. In April 2004, the roadway was shut down to vehicle traffic. Pedestrian and bicycle traffic are permitted. The old roadway is now an extension of the Heritage Trail system. Barriers have been placed on the former road at each end of the earthen dam. The facility is heavily patrolled by security forces who strictly enforce parking regulations.
;Davis Dam Hydroelectric Power Plant The Davis Dam Power Plant is a hydroelectric power plant located on the Arizona side of the dam, beside the inlet. 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 ft.
References
References
- (October 2008). "Davis Dam". Library of Congress.
- US Bureau of Reclamation. (n.d.). "Davis Dam".
- US Bureau of Reclamation. (n.d.). "Davis Powerplant".
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::