The high dam that impounds Flaming Gorge Reservoir was constructed midway through Red Canyon. Construction of the dam began in 1958 and was completed in 1964. Flaming Gorge Dam rises 502 feet above bedrock beneath the impounded river. At capacity, the reservoir extends 91 miles to the north and can hold a volume of 3,788,900 acre-feet. It has a surface area of 42,020 acres (65 square miles). Congress established Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in 1968. The National Forest Service manages the reservoir and surrounding public land. The recreation area encompasses a total of 207,360 acres (324 square miles), which are almost equally divided between Utah and Wyoming.