List of dam removals in Arizona

Last updated

Fossil Creek Diversion Dam, partially removed in 2008 Old Fossil Creek Dam (November 13, 2017) (24580536188).jpg
Fossil Creek Diversion Dam, partially removed in 2008

This is a list of dams in Arizona that have been removed as physical impediments to free-flowing rivers or streams.

Contents

Removals by watershed

Verde River

Fossil Creek, a perennial desert tributary of the Verde River, had been diverted to power the Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Facilities since 1909. In 2005 the power plants were decommissioned and the full flow of water was returned to the stream, marking the first time a desert stream in the Southwestern United States was restored to its natural flow. In 2008, the top 6 ft (1.8 m) of the dam were removed, with the remainder left in place to reduce cost and to block upstream passage of invasive fish species. This was just the second time a US dam was decommissioned for environmental reasons alone, following the 1999 removal of the Edwards Dam in Maine. Unlike with Edwards Dam, the removal of the Fossil Creek Diversion Dam supported fish with little to no commercial or recreational value. [1]

Completed removals

Dam [2] HeightYear removedLocationWatercourseWatershed
Concrete Dam39 ft (12 m)1982
Bright Angel Creek Fish Weir2022 Coconino County
36°05′59″N112°05′41″W / 36.0998°N 112.0946°W / 36.0998; -112.0946 (Bright Angel Creek Fish Weir) 		Bright Angel Creek Colorado River
Golder Dam [3] 130 ft (40 m) [4] 1980 Pinal County
32°32′33″N110°50′59″W / 32.5425°N 110.8497°W / 32.5425; -110.8497 (Golder Dam) 		Cañada del Oro Santa Cruz River
Fossil Creek Diversion Dam [note 1] [1] 25 ft (7.6 m)2008 Gila County and Yavapai County
34°25′17″N111°34′34″W / 34.4213°N 111.576°W / 34.4213; -111.576 (Fossil Creek Diversion Dam) 		Fossil Creek Verde River
Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Notes

  1. ↑ Only the top 6 ft (1.8 m) of the dam were removed. The rest was left in place as a barrier to invasive fish.

References

  1. 1 2 Miller, Mark E. DeGiovanni (May 1, 2022). "A River Again: Fossil Creek, Desert Fishes, and Dam Removal in the American Southwest" (PDF). Pacific Historical Review. 91 (2): 249–287. doi:10.1525/phr.2022.91.2.249 . Retrieved September 2, 2025.
  2. ↑ Rivers, American (March 3, 2025). "American Rivers Dam Removal Database". Figshare . American Rivers. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.5234068.v12 . Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  3. ↑ Wiley, Rick (August 25, 2017). "Photos: Golder Lake and dam, 1963-1980". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  4. ↑ Wiley, Rick (August 31, 2021). "The life and death of Golder Lake north of Tucson". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.