History
This was originally authorized as the Bullshead Project by the Interior Department`s Appropriation Act of 1942. The name was changed to Davis Dam in honor of Reclamation`s first director, Arthur Powell Davis.
The Parker-Davis Project was formed by consolidating the Parker Dam Power Project and the Davis Dam Project under the terms of the Act of May 28, 1954 (68 Stat. 143). The Secretary of the Interior authorized the Davis Dam on April 26, 1941, under provisions of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (53 Stat. 1187).
The Colorado River Storage Project provides for the comprehensive development of the Upper Colorado River Basin. The project furnishes the long-term regulatory storage needed to permit States in the upper basin to meet their flow obligation at Lees Ferry, Arizona, as defined in the Colorado River Compact and still use their apportioned water.
Plan
The electrical integration and interconnection of Davis, Hoover, and Parker Powerplants provide maximum generation of power with efficient use of water resources. The highly developed agricultural base and the complex industrialization of the Pacific Southwest benefit greatly from Colorado River hydroelectric energy. Davis Dam is 200 feet above the lowest point of the foundation and about 140 feet above river level. Davis Dam is a zoned earthfill structure with a concrete spillway, intake structure, and powerplant. Crest of the dam is 1,600 feet in length and 50 feet wide at the top. The dam has more than 3.6 million cubic yards of earth and rockfill with 600 thousand cubic yards of concrete and 23 million pounds of reinforcing steel in the spillway, powerplant, and other structures. This was originally authorized as the Bullshead Project by the Interior Department`s Appropriation Act of 1942. The name was changed to Davis Dam in honor of Reclamation`s first director, Arthur Powell Davis. Power generated from the power plant is marketed by Western to preference customers in Arizona, Southern California, and Southern Nevada after priority use power obligations have been met. Four of the five generators have been rewound and uprated to 51,750 kW. Unit 3 will not be rewound as partial discharge analysis indicates the unit winding is in good condition. Davis generation is the direct result of downstream irrigation needs, not power generation. Lower irrigation and other water demands during October through April only require a maximum of three generators being operated at an optimum level rather than five units operated inefficiently. This allows for orderly, non-overtime maintenance to be performed. This is consistent with good industry maintenance practices by spreading maintenance work over low-demand periods and reducing the scheduled outage time. Western Electricity Coordinating Council Western Area Power Administration, Desert Southwest Region Conventional Above Ground Francis 225,000 kW 255,000 kW 1951 56 years 1,147,672,700 kWh 2007 136 ft
General
| NERC Region | Western Electricity Coordinating Council |
| PMA Service Area | Western Area Power Administration, Desert Southwest Region |
| Plant Type | Conventional |
| Powerhouse Type | Above Ground |
| Turbine Type | Francis |
| Original Nameplate Capacity | 225,000 kW |
| Installed Capacity | 255,000 kW |
| Year of Initial Operation | 1951 |
| Age | 56 years |
| (Fiscal Year) | 2007 |
| Rated Head | 136 ft |
| Plant Factor | 51.5 percent |
| Production Mode | Intermediate |
| Remotely Operated | Yes |
| River | Colorado River |
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