Lake Powell

Lake Powell is a reservoir that was formed in 1963 with the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam and the flooding of the Colorado River. While located mainly in Utah, it also stretches across parts of Arizona. The creation of Lake Powell was both lauded and controversial. Water recreationists celebrated access to what would become the second-largest reservoir in the nation, with over 2,000 miles of lake-front access while those more interested in hiking bemoaned the loss of red slot canyons and back country wilderness. However, there was little public debate concerning the drowning of Native American sites. Ancient Puebloan structures and other artifacts and traditional cultural properties, sacred sites, and landscapes were destroyed in the deluge that formed the reservoir.