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The Hoover Dam
A miracle of engineering and an icon of modernism…the Hoover Dam, set amidst dramatic desert canyons is stunning. The dam is as tall as a 70-story building, and the base is as thick as two football fields.
When Was It Built?
Built during the Depression, thousands of men and their families came to Black Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It took less than 5 years to build the largest, most significant hydroelectric projects in its time and now, more than 60 years later, the Hoover Dam still stands as a world-renowned structure. The dam is a National Historic Landmark and has been rated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders.
The Wild Colorado River
Long before the Hoover Dam, the Colorado River flowed uninterrupted along its 1,450-mile course from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California. For 12 million years the Colorado relentlessly carved out the Grand Canyon, Marble Canyon and other places along its path. As it cut its way through deserts, canyons and mountainous plateaus, the Colorado carried with it tons of silt to the lower Colorado and eventually the Gulf of California. Spanish settlers noted the reddish colour of the river’s silt and gave it the name we know it by now, the Colorado River.
The Rivers Cycle
Every spring the Colorado River flooded low-lying areas along its route. The volume of water could be huge, as the Colorado basin drains an area of over 242,000 square miles. In the hot southwestern summers, the flow of the Colorado River slowed to a trickle. The silt that it carried created a huge delta in the Gulf of California. For millions of years this was the natural cycle of the river.
Why the Dam Was Built
In the nineteenth century, when the area along the lower Colorado began to be settled, the inconsistent nature of the river made it an unreliable source for irrigation. The wanton destruction caused when the river flooded in the spring had a deep impact on the farmlands near its banks. In fact, the damage caused so much attention that by the 1920's, it had become necessary and politically expedient to try and do something to control the damage caused by flooding, along the path of the lower Colorado.
Why Is It Called the Hoover Dam?
Because of Herbert Hoover’s long involvement in the project, from his days as Secretary of Commerce to his tenure as 31st president, no other politician is more responsible for the successful completion of the Hoover Dam.
What’s It Used For?
Currently the lower Colorado River provides water to irrigate over 1,000,000 acres in the United States and 500,000 acres in Mexico. Hoover Dam is the keystone to a delivery system, which provides water to over 18,000,000 people in Arizona, California and Nevada.
A Successful Project
The Hoover Dam is without doubt one of the most successful projects ever carried out by this or any other nation. The electrical power provided by the Hoover Dam goes to Southern California, 56%, Arizona, 19%, and Nevada, which gets 25% of the allocation.
Further Information
30 miles southeast of Las Vegas via US 93, Boulder City. Guided tours daily 8:30 am-5:15 pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Dec 25. Admission is $10. (Discount for seniors and children.) Ages 6 and under, free. Hardhat tour (minimum age 7), $25. Free parking on Arizona side; Nevada side, $3 per vehicle. Call ahead to check on tour availability and security restrictions.
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