Lying beyond the Grand Canyon's east end is the immense Lake Powell. This view shows only a small portion of the lake, set off by a contrasting background of the Kaiparowitz Plateau, Gregory Butte, Navajo Mountain and Tower Butte. The lake was formed by a 2,700 high Glen Canyon Dam. After completion, the lake formed a shoreline longer than the west coast of the United States and is the second largest manmade body of water in America. The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area surrounds Lake Powell, offering a 1.2 million acre retreat for boating, fishing, water skiing, camping and hiking.
     The Glen Canyon Dam, dedicated by Ladybird Johnson in 1966, has the capacity to generate 1.3 million kilowatts of power as 15 million gallons of water pass through the penstocks each minute. This marvelous engineering accomplishment began with construction of the Glen Canyon Bridge, allowing construction worker easy access to both sides of the Colorado, saving a 200 miles drive. The dam, near Page, Arizona, is not without controversy, as it releases ice-cold water back into the river (having a negative impact on native fish) and limits springtime floodwaters that had once cleansed the Colorado River canyonlands of sand deposits and pollutants.