Mormon Flat Dam, Hydroelectric power station in Maricopa County, Arizona, US.
Mormon Flat Dam is a concrete arch dam on the Salt River, 116 metres long and 68 metres high, with a crest at 509 metres above sea level. Its wall is 6 metres thick at the base and 2.4 metres at the crest, and a spillway on the left side of the valley can discharge up to 4,247 cubic metres per second. The powerhouse stands at the foot of the dam.
The Salt River Project built this dam between 1923 and 1925 to meet growing water and power demands for agriculture in the Salt River Valley. The project was part of a larger effort to develop Arizona's infrastructure during the early 1900s.
The name comes from Mormon Flat, where Latter-day Saints settlers from Utah camped on their way through the area. The dam and its powerhouse were built as part of a chain of Salt River dams below Theodore Roosevelt Dam, so the same water could be used several times for irrigation and power. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Visitors can explore the dam area, though access to certain sections may be restricted for safety and operational reasons. Bring sun protection and water when visiting, as the surrounding landscape offers little shade during hot months.
The dam's powerplant began operating in 1926 with a single 10 MW turbine; a 50 MW pump-turbine was added in 1971 and renewed in 2002 at 54 MW. The concrete arch wall is 6 m thick at its base and 2.4 m at the crest, holding back 71.36 million m³ of water.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,666 contributors worldwide.
