Lake Powell

Today we will be visiting Lake Powell the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States on the Arizona/Utah border. Lake Powell before its creation was part of the Navajo Nation and upon discovery of surveying the land in 1959 we learned more about the area and the Navajo people who lived there. IN 1959 they made the discovery of the Anasazi ruins. These ruins were from 12th and 13th century Ancient Puebloans who were building their homes on cliffsides over the sides of the Glen Canyon area. Though Native Americans have lived in this area for quite sometime it wasn't until the dam began its building in 1960 and was finished in 1963 that we saw a gain in the population here. The dam when completed created hydroelectric power for the Colorado river and also was the creation of a new city called Page, Arizona. Page, Arizona has a population of 6,809 people. 67% White, 4% African, 5% Hispanic, and 27% Native American. Lake Powell is a major recreational area for over 1.9 million visitors annually from around the world. As we see in this area, one of the major concerns is the changes we are seeing in Lake Powell is with its water levels and the Colorado River. In this image from 1992 you can see the water levels. In 2006 they saw the largest drought along the Colorado River in existence. As the water levels rose in 2009 and 11 things seemed to be back to normal. Today we are seeing some of the lowest levels along the Colorado river which are challenging Lake Powell as a recreational area for boating, jet-skiing, and many other activities. This water drought system is a major issue that is effecting us from Colorado all the way to Southern California. that is continually changing the communities and cultural dynamics of the region.