Pensacola Dam, dam in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States of America
Pensacola Dam is a dam and hydroelectric power station on the Grand River in Mayes County, Oklahoma. It holds back the river to form Grand Lake o' the Cherokees, one of the largest reservoirs in the state.
The dam was completed in 1940, at a time when Oklahoma was actively developing its water and power infrastructure. Its construction reshaped the Grand River and permanently changed the landscape of northeastern Oklahoma.
The dam is visible from the road that crosses it, making it easy to stop and get a look at the structure and the lake behind it. Since it is an operating facility, access is limited in some areas, so it is best to stay on public roads and designated viewpoints.
Pensacola Dam is one of the longest multiple-arch dams in the world, stretching nearly 1.2 miles (about 1.9 km) from one bank to the other. This type of design, where a series of arches carries the water load, was relatively uncommon and required specialized engineering for its time.
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