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Canyon Lake (Arizona)
Encyclopedia
Canyon Lake is one of four reservoirs that were formed by the dam
ming of the Salt River
in the U.S. state
of Arizona
.
The lake was formed by the Mormon Flat Dam
, which was completed in 1925 after two years of construction. Canyon Lake, with a surface area of 950 acres (384.5 ha), is the third and smallest of four lakes created along the Salt River
. Two others, Apache Lake
and Roosevelt Lake
are upstream. The fourth, Saguaro Lake, is downstream.
Canyon Lake lies approximately 15 miles (24 km) up the Apache Trail
from Apache Junction, Arizona
and 51 miles (82 km) east of Phoenix
. It is within the Superstition Wilderness of Tonto National Forest
and is a popular recreation area for the Phoenix metropolitan area
. Recreation amenities include hiking trails, camping, and boating, all managed by the United States Forest Service
. Canyon Lake is a popular stop on the way to Theodore Roosevelt Dam
and Tortilla Flat, Arizona
.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
ming of the Salt River
Salt River (Arizona)
The Salt River is a stream in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the largest tributary of the Gila River. The river is about long. Its drainage basin is about large. The longest of the Salt River's many tributaries is the Verde River...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
The lake was formed by the Mormon Flat Dam
Mormon Flat Dam
The Mormon Flat Dam is a dam on the Salt River located Northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. The dam is 380 feet long, 224 feet high and was built between 1923-25. The Dam is named after nearby Mormon Flat, a place where LDS settlers from Utah stopped to camp. There are two hydroelectric generating units...
, which was completed in 1925 after two years of construction. Canyon Lake, with a surface area of 950 acres (384.5 ha), is the third and smallest of four lakes created along the Salt River
Salt River (Arizona)
The Salt River is a stream in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the largest tributary of the Gila River. The river is about long. Its drainage basin is about large. The longest of the Salt River's many tributaries is the Verde River...
. Two others, Apache Lake
Apache Lake (Arizona)
Apache Lake is one of four artificial reservoirs created along the Salt River in central Arizona as part of the Salt River Project. The lake is located near the Apache Trail about 65 miles northeast of Phoenix. Apache Lake was formed by Horse Mesa Dam which was completed in 1927...
and Roosevelt Lake
Theodore Roosevelt Lake
Theodore Roosevelt Lake is a large reservoir formed by Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River in Arizona as part of the Salt River Project...
are upstream. The fourth, Saguaro Lake, is downstream.
Canyon Lake lies approximately 15 miles (24 km) up the Apache Trail
Apache Trail
The Apache Trail in Arizona was a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountains. It was named the Apache Trail after the Apache Indians who originally used this trail to move through the Superstition Mountains....
from Apache Junction, Arizona
Apache Junction, Arizona
Apache Junction is a city in Maricopa and Pinal counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city was 35,840, most of whom lived in Pinal County....
and 51 miles (82 km) east of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. It is within the Superstition Wilderness of Tonto National Forest
Tonto National Forest
The Tonto National Forest, encompassing 2,873,200 acres , is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the fifth largest national forest in the United States. The Tonto National Forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet in the Sonoran Desert to 7,400 feet...
and is a popular recreation area for the Phoenix metropolitan area
Phoenix Metropolitan Area
The Phoenix metropolitan area, often referred to as The Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area, centered on the city of Phoenix, that includes much of the central part of the US state of Arizona...
. Recreation amenities include hiking trails, camping, and boating, all managed by the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. Canyon Lake is a popular stop on the way to Theodore Roosevelt Dam
Theodore Roosevelt Dam
Theodore Roosevelt Dam is a dam on the Salt River located northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. The dam is high and forms Theodore Roosevelt Lake as it impounds the Salt River. Originally built between 1905 and 1911, the dam was renovated and expanded in 1989-1996. The dam is named after then-President...
and Tortilla Flat, Arizona
Tortilla Flat, Arizona
Tortilla Flat is a small unincorporated community in far eastern Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the central part of the state, northeast of Apache Junction. It is the last surviving stagecoach stop along the Apache Trail. According to the Gross Management Department of...
.
Fish species
- Rainbow TroutRainbow troutThe rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
- Largemouth BassLargemouth bassThe largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
- Smallmouth BassSmallmouth bassThe smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
- Yellow BassYellow bassThe yellow bass or barfish, Morone mississippiensis, is a freshwater fish native to the south and midwestern United States. Though sometimes confused with white bass or striped bass, it is distinguished by its yellow belly and the broken pattern in its lowermost stripes...
- CrappieCrappieCrappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
- SunfishCentrarchidaeThe sunfishes are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus . The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies...
- Catfish (Channel)Channel catfishChannel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
- WalleyeWalleyeWalleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
- CarpCarpCarp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...