List of dams in the Colorado River system

This is a list of dams on the Colorado River system of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The Colorado runs 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 , store more than , 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

NameStateOwnerPurposeYearcompletedReservoirReservoircapacityCapacity(MW)Annualgeneration(MWh)RefsMorelos Dam IBWCIrrigation1950N/AN/AN/AN/ALaguna Diversion DamUSBRDiversion1905Mittry LakeN/AN/AN/AImperial DamUSBRIrrigation1938Imperial Reservoir acre.ft(197,400 dam3)N/AN/APalo Verde DamUSBRDiversion1958N/AN/AN/AN/AHeadgate Rock DamBIAIrrigation1941Moovalya LakeN/A?Parker DamUSBRHydropowerIrrigationMunicipal1938Lake Havasu acre.ft(797,100 dam3)Davis DamUSBRHydropowerRegulation1951Lake Mohave acre.ft(2,242,800 dam3)Hoover DamUSBRFlood controlHydropowerIrrigationMunicipalRegulation1936Lake Mead acre.ft(35,702,400 dam3)Glen Canyon DamUSBRHydropowerRegulation1966Lake Powell acre.ft(32,334,900 dam3)Price-Stubb DamPCIDMCIDIrrigation1911N/AN/AN/AN/AGrand Valley Diversion DamUSBRIrrigation1916N/AN/AWindy Gap DamNorthern WaterIrrigationMunicipal1970Windy Gap Reservoir acre.ft(549 dam3)N/AN/AGranby DamUSBRIrrigationMunicipal1950Lake Granby acre.ft(665,800 dam3)N/AN/AShadow Mountain DamUSBRIrrigationMunicipal1946Shadow Mountain Lake acre.ft(22,700 dam3)N/AN/ATotal acre.ft(71,963,595 dam3)

Upper Basin

NameStateStreamOwnerPurposeYearcompletedReservoirReservoircapacityCapacity(MW)Annualgeneration(MWh)RefsBlue Mesa DamGunnisonUSBRFlood controlHydropowerRegulation1966Blue Mesa Reservoir acre.ft(1,160,300 dam3)Dillon DamBlueDenver WaterIrrigationMunicipal1963Dillon Reservoir acre.ft(317,373 dam3)?Flaming Gorge DamGreenUSBRFlood controlHydropowerRegulation1964Flaming Gorge Reservoir acre.ft(4,673,200 dam3)Fontenelle DamGreenUSBRFlood controlIrrigation1964Fontenelle Reservoir acre.ft(426,990 dam3)Green Mountain DamBlueUSBRHydropowerRegulation1943Green Mountain Reservoir acre.ft(189,507 dam3)Joes Valley DamSeely Cr.USBRIrrigationMunicipal1966Joes Valley Reservoir acre.ft(67,740 dam3)N/AN/AMcPhee DamDoloresUSBRFlood controlIrrigation1984McPhee Reservoir acre.ft(470,187 dam3)Morrow Point DamGunnisonUSBRHydropower1968Morrow Point Reservoir acre.ft(144,550 dam3)Navajo DamSan JuanUSBRFlood controlIrrigationMunicipalRegulation1962Navajo Lake acre.ft(2,107,500 dam3)Ridges Basin DamOffstreamUSBRIrrigation2007Lake Nighthorse acre.ft(148,000 dam3)N/AN/ARidgway DamUncompahgreUSBRFlood controlIrrigation1987Ridgway Reservoir acre.ft(104,120 dam3)N/AN/ARuedi DamFryingpanUSBRIrrigationMunicipal1968Ruedi Reservoir acre.ft(125,800 dam3)N/AN/AScofield DamPriceUSBRIrrigationMunicipal1946Scofield Reservoir acre.ft(90,780 dam3)N/AN/ASoldier Creek DamStrawberryUSBRIrrigationMunicipal1974Strawberry Reservoir acre.ft(1,390,860 dam3)N/AN/AStarvation DamStrawberryUSBRIrrigation1970Starvation Reservoir acre.ft(206,400 dam3)N/AN/ATaylor Park DamTaylorUSBRIrrigation1937Taylor Park Reservoir acre.ft(130,990 dam3)N/AN/AVallecito DamLos Pinos RiverUSBRIrrigation1941Vallecito Reservoir acre.ft(160,000 dam3)N/AN/AVega DamPlateau CreekUSBRIrrigation1959Vega Reservoir acre.ft(41,691 dam3)N/AN/AWilliams Fork DamWilliams ForkDenver WaterIrrigationMunicipal1959Williams Fork Reservoir acre.ft(119,426 dam3)?Wolford Mountain DamMuddy Cr.CRWCDIrrigationMunicipal1996Wolford Mountain Reservoir acre.ft(81,400 dam3)N/AN/ATotal acre.ft(12,114,080 dam3)

Lower Basin

NameStateStreamOwnerPurposeYearcompletedReservoirReservoircapacityCapacity(MW)Annualgeneration(MWh)RefsAlamo DamBill WilliamsUSACEFlood control1968Alamo Lake acre.ft(1,286,500 dam3)N/AN/ABartlett DamVerdeUSBRFlood controlIrrigation1939Bartlett Lake acre.ft(217,318 dam3)N/AN/ACoolidge DamGilaBIAFlood controlIrrigation1930San Carlos Lake acre.ft(1,122,400 dam3)N/AN/AHorse Mesa DamSaltUSBRHydropowerRegulation1927Apache Lake acre.ft(302,367 dam3)Horseshoe DamVerdeUSBRFlood controlRegulation1946Horseshoe Lake acre.ft(162,200 dam3)N/AN/AMormon Flat DamSaltUSBRHydropowerRegulation1925Canyon Lake acre.ft(71,358 dam3)New Waddell DamAgua FriaUSBRIrrigationMunicipal1994Lake Pleasant acre.ft(1,367,409 dam3)?Painted Rock DamGilaUSACEFlood control1960Painted Rock Reservoir acre.ft(3,073,400 dam3)N/AN/ASand Hollow DamOffstreamWCWCDIrrigationMunicipal2002Sand Hollow Reservoir acre.ft(63,350 dam3)N/AN/AStewart Mountain DamSaltUSBRHydropowerRegulation1930Saguaro Lake acre.ft(86,052 dam3)Theodore Roosevelt DamSaltUSBRFlood controlHydropowerIrrigationMunicipal1911Theodore Roosevelt Lake acre.ft(3,589,600 dam3)Total acre.ft(11,342,000 dam3)

Notes

References