Why Was The Marble Canyon Dam Not Built

Each time i d drive over the bridge i would look down below the dam at the canyon downstream.

Why was the marble canyon dam not built.

Litton boats down the colorado river below glen canyon dam in arizona. The dam would serve mainly for hydropower production in conjunction with several others further upstream including marble canyon dam on the colorado green and other rivers. Bureau of reclamation field crew is there to discover but one thing is certain. Marble canyon is a section along the canyon of the colorado river from the glen canyon dam at lake powell page arizona to the confluence of the little colorado river.

The grand canyon officially begins below this confluence. A 240 feet tall upper dam would be sited about 3 000 feet higher in elevation than the 140 feet tall lower dam. The marble canyon dam also known as the redwall dam was a proposed dam on the colorado river in arizona the dam was intended to impound a relatively small reservoir in the central portion of marble canyon to develop hydroelectric power. It was a tough place to get into in order to find out.

That s marble canyon s proposed damsite on the mighty colorado upriver just a few miles from the grand canvon. That s what the u. As part of his pacific southwest water plan dominy included a dam in marble. Plans centered on two sites between miles 30 and 40 in the canyon.

He holds the record as the oldest man ever to row the grand canyon which he did at age 87. Photograph by jim richardson. Kayaking marble canyon glen canyon dam to lee s ferry we have hiked all around page and lee s ferry. Marble canyon is an incredibly beautiful spot with crystal clear water and steep sandstone cliffs that rise up to 1 000 feet.

The key location in marble canyon is lee s ferry where river runners launch their boats for excursions on the. It may be just the place for a dam and then it may not. Both dams would enclose reservoirs one of which would stretch 2 miles up the little. Due to its enormous potential for environmental destruction and the dwindling flows of the colorado river the project stalled in 1968 after years of public opposition.

Po box 6128 marble canyon az 86036 phone. In the late 1950s the u s.