Named after the explorer General John Wesley Powell, Lake Powell is the second largest artificial lake in the United States. Lake Powell, located at the junction of Utah and Arizona, is one of the largest artificial lakes in the world. The lake has an area of 65,000 hectares, 170 meters deep and 300 kilometers long, and has a coastline of 3,500 kilometers. Powell Lake is a branch of the western San Juan River. The San Juan River originates from a river in southern Colorado and flows approximately 579 kilometers (360 miles) into the Colorado River after passing through northwestern New Mexico and southeastern Utah.