Hoover Dam.
This “tallest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere” was top of the list for things to see on our recent road trip.
Does my admiration with BIG engineering projects and concrete come from growing up in New York City? Or does it come from seeing ancient Roman structures still standing strong in cities throughout Europe?
I don’t know . . . probably both.
What I do know is that Hoover Dam is one of those places that make you wonder aloud, “How DID they do that?” And the Hoover Dam Tour answers that question in terms and visuals even non-techies can understand.
No engineering degree required.
Exactly how is a Hoover Dam Tour “engineering made easy?”
With the combination of guided tours, interactive displays at the Visitor’s Center, and a trip to the observation deck. In short, you hear, read, and see how this dam, and dams in general, work.
And from that observation deck, you can see a lot.
Hoover Dam, Depression Era Baby
Construction on the Hoover Dam ~ named for the president in office at the time, Herbert Hoover ~ began in 1931. Its completion in 1935 allowed the creation of Lake Mead ~ that spot of blue water in the featured image above ~ a 247-square mile wide recreational center.
The waters of Lake Mead running through turbines in Hoover Dam’s power plant generate electricity for millions in Arizona, Nevada, and California.
And where did the water in Lake Mead come from?
From the Colorado River. That’s the blue stuff you see when you look down from Hoover’s Dam’s observation deck:
The Hoover Dam straddles Black Canyon on Nevada/Arizona border, with Lake Mead on one side and the Colorado River on the other.
All that you’ve heard on your tour about the Hoover Dam being an “arch-gravity dam” makes sense when you look at where the base of the dam meets the Colorado River.
While Lake Mead pushes the dam against the canyon walls, the dam’s own weight ~ nearly 7 million TONS! ~ glues it to the floor of the canyon.
And what a drop!
The Hoover Dam is 726 feet high, with enough concrete to build a 4-foot wide sidewalk around the equator.
That’s a long way to fall.
A few dam workers did die on the job from falling, others in rock slides or by being electrocuted ~ a total of 96 construction-related deaths in all.
While understanding how Hoover Dam works is engineering made easy for us, the work itself was anything but easy for the men who built it.
Jobs on Hoover Dam came with lots of risks but it was steady work in the Great Depression and over 20,000 men were happy to get them.
The Hoover Dam controls flooding in the lower portion of the once wild and murky Colorado River. Rivers from several southwestern states, including New Mexico, are tributaries to the Colorado River.
One look at the constantly surging Colorado River itself from the observation deck helps you imagine the dangers its constant flooding caused before they built the Hoover Dam.
The Dam harnesses the power of the Colorado River to irrigate farmland in the U.S. and even Mexico. It also provides water to people in California, Arizona, and Nevada.
The Hoover Dam Bridge
The Hoover Dam Bridge spans 890 feet above the Colorado River, connecting Arizona and Nevada. Actually, they named the bridge in honor of two war veterans ~ a former Nevada governor and an Arizona football player. So it’s official name is the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.
Yeah . . . that’s why we’ll keep calling it the Hoover Dam Bridge.
The Hoover Dam Bridge (AKA Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge) spans the Colorado River, connecting Nevada and Arizona.
There you have it. Construction and hydro-electric engineering so simple a travel and food writer from Las Cruces can understand it. 
Great pictures, Melodie!
Does this mean you finished your California trip? or you’re still headed out West?
The ABSOLUTELY clear day made the pics easier to take, Steve. Though while taking those shots featuring the Colorado River I do remember keeping a tight hold on my camera . . . dropping a camera into a river is one story I hope never to have to write about! :O Oh, yes . . . more to come on CA, NV, and AZ!
Very cool! 4 ft wide sidewalk around the equator?…wow! And what would happen if 96 workers died on a project in today’s construction world? We’ve come a long way.
“Wow” it is, William.
As if the earth were wearing a heavy gray belt!
Interesting question you pose about what would happen if such high on-the-job casualties were to occur today. Hmmm . . . I imagine that after ALL the private lawsuits, union actions, and federal investigations begun as a result of the first dozen deaths, the builders would already be bankrupt or in jail. Or both!
We visited the Hoover Dam a couple of months ago. I find it amazing that it took longer to build the bridge in the 21st century than it did the dam in the 1930s. (Granted, part of it was because of a delay due to failed equipment, but still.)
Hi, Connie ~
Do you remember, from your visit to the Visitor Center, the film showing the dam going up in fast speed? Remarkable, right? Although the building of the dam didn’t go THAT fast, it IS amazing how fast it did go up. They completed it two years ahead of schedule!
Was amazed myself at this marvel of engineering. I visited Hoover Dam a few times over the years and each time I go I’m impressed by its grandeur. However, it’s sad that so many workers lost their life while building it.
More than a few people have told me stories of visiting Hoover Dam multiple times ~ as you have ~ since I first shared plans to visit myself. It is a singular place, a monument to the times and the men who built it.
Your article was quite interesting. I’ve been to Las Vegas but didn’t have the opportunity to visit Hoover Dam. I expect that I’d have to see it in person to really appreciate its scale and the effort that went into it. I know that was true whenever we went to the Panama Canal. Some engineering marvels need to be seen to be believed.
Believe you would appreciate the Hoover Dam, Linda. It’s a massive structure, still impressive decades after its dedication ~ much like the Panama Canal that continues to hold your interest.