Without the compact and dam there wouldn't be a … Pipes where embedded into the concrete and water was pumped through the structure to carry away the heat. The Hoover Dam, is a concrete arch dam on the Colorado River close to Las Vegas in the southwest of the United States. The world’s largest refrigerator cooled all the concrete used for the Hoover Dam. A Hoover Dam tour is the perfect way to appreciate how mankind and nature interact The Hoover Dam's shy side There are few other places in the world where man-kind and nature meet in such an obvious way – which is one of the many reasons why the Hoover Dam is such a popular attraction. It is jointly named for Mike O'Callaghan, Governor of Nevada from 1971–1979, and Pat Tillman, an American football player who left his career with the Arizona … Hoover Dam generates enough hydroelectric power to serve 1.3 million people each year, provides municipal water for urban centers including Los Angeles, Phoenix and Tucson, holds back flood waters, provides storage during drought and takes more than a little credit for the unabashed growth of the desert Southwest. Built during the Great Depression, between 1931 and 1936, the Hoover Dam—then known as the Boulder Dam—was one of the biggest construction projects of the era. The Story of Hoover Dam - Articles. It was the perfect site for such a grand project, and in 1928, the dam proposal became a reality. Stop for a photo op en route to the Grand Canyon, or hop on a guided Hoover Dam tour. All of the logistics will be handled, including entrance fees, hotel pick up & drop off! Corrections? 0 1 2. Icon one is Lake Mead, America’s largest man-made reservoir (when full), which sits behind the Hoover Dam, a 1930s depression era architectural megaproject which was then the largest dam ever built. Intake towers of Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada border, U.S. On many of the best Hoover Dam tours you’ll see the structure from both Arizona and Nevada, you’ll get to explore the observation deck and more. Even when Black Canyon later was deemed a better location for the new structure, it continued to be referred to as the Boulder Dam. How Was the Hoover Dam Built; Concrete Cooling System. - See 9,234 traveler reviews, 11,131 candid photos, and great deals for Boulder City, NV, at Tripadvisor. Thank you for your understanding. The 1978 film ‘Superman’ uses its annihilation to demonstrate the destructive power of a disaster. Hoover Dam: Do you know why its there? Four reinforced-concrete intake towers located above the dam divert water from the reservoir into huge steel pipes called penstocks. Updates? At Hoover Dam, there’s a statistic everywhere. Over 700 feet tall, it has been standing here, on the Nevada-Arizona border, since 1935, having been completed just four short years after the award of the contract (and two years ahead of schedule). High Scalers. The canyon that this portion of the Colorado River once snaked through is as tough as it appears, and the juxtaposition of Lake Mead’s bright blue waters adds an interesting and scenic contrast. It is also a major sightseeing destination, with some seven million visitors a year, almost one million of whom go on tours through the dam. In addition, 850,000 m3 were used in the power plant and other works. Additionally, the same page has: "The principal materials, all of … Access will re-open on February 5. The Visitor Center Tours and Exhibits will remain closed at this time. More … The Story of Hoover Dam - Essays . For the Hoover Dam, however, it was calculated that, make it in a continuous pour, and it would take 125 years to cool and would crack and crumble! Surveyors originally recommended the dam be constructed at Boulder Canyon, leading the initiative to be called the Boulder Canyon Dam Project. When the Hoover or Three Gorges gets to be a menace … well, we’ll cross that dam when we get to it. Farmers received a dependable supply of water in Nevada, Arizona, and California. All Rights Reserved • Privacy Policy • Terms & Conditions. There is much about Hoover Dam that stands in contrast to modern politics’ simple, gleeful destruction of anything good. By that time there were at least three dam sites across the country that carried the name of a President, but Ickes must’ve forgotten that. As the dam and surrounding Lake Mead recreation area rose in popularity, traffic increased; traffic problems became especially severe under the security restrictions imposed after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Of course, there are a number of other costs such as maintenance and upkeep that figure into the equation, but the point remains -- Hoover Dam has become one of the greatest individual investments ever made by the U.S. government. In the film, an earthquake destroys the Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam is 726 feet (221 metres) high and 1,244 feet (379 metres) long at the crest. Hoover Dam lies at the intersection of the southeast corner of Nevada and the northwest corner of Arizona and impounds Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir by volume in the United States when it is full. According to the Hoover dam website, there's at least 582 miles of cooling pipe in the dam: "By embedding more than 582 miles of 1-inch steel pipe in the concrete and circulating ice water through it from a refrigeration plant could produce 1,000 tons of ice in 24 hours. It is sited in a near-desert region. Destruction. With a number of tour options available, the Hoover Dam is both educational and entertaining, making it the perfect excursion for your family’s Vegas adventure. Be the first to answer! There are few other places in the world where man-kind and nature meet in such an obvious way – which is one of the many reasons why the Hoover Dam is such a popular attraction. The towering 860-foot Vajont Dam in Italy was responsible for approximately 2,000 dead in a 1963 accident — but the structure itself suffered only minor damage. It paved the way for the future of mega dams, and although it’s true that there are some negative environmental impacts, but I think that in this situation, the pros outweigh the cons. The contractors were allowed seven years from April 20, 1931, but concrete placement in the dam was completed May 29, 1935, and all features were completed by March 1, 1936. In Boulder City, officers seized eight stills and arrested 72 people before Prohibition was repealed in early 1933. The old road along the crest is reserved for use by visitors to the dam. By that time there were at least three dam sites across the country that carried the name of a President, but Ickes must’ve forgotten that. Early last year when we were travelling from Las Vegas in Nevada to Grand Canyon in Arizona, it didn’t seem right not to stop at Hoover Dam. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 and today it provides power for various utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California. If you’ve had your fill of walking around Las Vegas and need a little change of scenery throughout your time visiting, make the easy journey out to this massive engineering marvel. Conversely, in the video game ‘Fallout: New Vegas’, the dam carries on generating power long after a nuclear apocalypse. My wife and I visited the Hoover Dam on a day trip while we were in Vegas and we are so glad we did. Hoover Dam, formerly called Boulder Dam, dam in Black Canyon on the Colorado River, at the Arizona - Nevada border, U.S. You just have to sit back and relax on the ride over. Many people may say this was the sole purpose of why the Hoover Dam was actually built, as the Colorado River was flooding out of control and making its way to the Gulf of California. It covered the history of the project, construction, a trip deep into the dam to view and learn about the power plant, great views of the bypass bridge and ended with us walking around on the dam. The health and safety of the … Learn more. January 25 through February 4 - due to scheduled maintenance, there will be limited access to the pedestrian walkway at Memorial Bridge and the Bridge Plaza with partial closures. The health and safety of the public and the people working at the Hoover Dam continues to be our number one priority. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Its main purpose is to staunch flooding, be a source of water for the arid deserts of Nevada, and provide a bit of hydroelectric power via a power station while it was at it. This bridge is an equally interesting feat of engineering and offers some of the absolute best views of the Hoover Dam, the Colorado River, and the surrounding area. Constructed between 1930 and 1936, it is the highest concrete arch dam in the United States. July 20, 2014 July 13, 2014 . Jan 31, 2021 - Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between Arizona and Nevada. The Visitor Center Tours and Exhibits will remain closed at this time. Not much use for a dam! In addition, the Hoover Dam was built to control seasonal flooding of the Colorado River, which made settlement in the arid Southwest possible. The grandeur of the Hoover Dam makes one speechless, as you look down at birds of prey hovering down below in the canyon. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hoover-Dam, Arrive at the Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada border where hydroelectric power is generated for the region. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. ... Hoover Dam (also known as Boulder Dam) is the famous dam named after president Hoover. Visiting the Hoover Dam makes for a perfect day, or even half-day, trip because it’s only 30 miles away from the Strip! The dam is used for flood and silt control, hydroelectric power, agricultural irrigation, and domestic water supply. OFFERING PRIVATE TOURS ONLY - PLEASE READ OUR HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES >, Southwest Road Trip Itineraries & Insurance, 5 Reasons Why You MUST Visit the Hoover Dam on a Trip to Las Vegas, Make Travel part of your New Year’s Resolution. Because of Hoover Dam, the Colorado River was controlled for the first time in history. So what happened is that it was poured in blocks up to 15 metres square and 1.5 metres high – all 2,480,000 m3 of it! Dog on a Catwalk. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decreased water level of the reservoir in the early 21st century. In addition, the Hoover Dam was built to control seasonal flooding of the Colorado River, which made settlement in the arid Southwest possible. If the more intricate details of how the Hoover Dam works don’t appeal to you, don’t be concerned! Opened in 2010, it was the key component of the Hoover Dam Bypass project, which rerouted US 93 from its previous routing along the top of Hoover Dam and removed several hairpin turns and blind curves from the route. The Hoover Dam is known worldwide and well worth seeing. So we made a quick detour to this dam that used to be celebrated for its height. There exist c ountless supernatural conspiracy theories far more mainstream – and far more convoluted and anti-Semitic – than what I propose about the Hoover Dam. Former President Hoover would get the last word however when the House Resolution 140 was introduced and then passed by the 80th Congress just over twelve years later. The hulking Hoover Dam has been holding back the Colorado River and generating power for nearly 80 years, but you may be surprised to … While gambling was legal, drinking was not. In popular culture, the Hoover Dam is shown as a monolith of human design that would stand the test of time. Updraft causes water to flow up and over mom as she pours it over the Hoover Dam. the Fall-Davis report presented by the Reclamation Service made the Colorado River a federal concern because of its basin covering several states before it ultimately entered Mexico Hoover Dam, formerly called Boulder Dam, dam in Black Canyon on the Colorado River, at the Arizona-Nevada border, U.S. It was opened in 1936, when it was the world’s largest hydro-electric power generating station. Hoover Dam fulfilled the goal of disseminating the one-wild Colorado River through the parched Southwest landscape, fueling the development of such major cities as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. DETOURS will only be offering private tours of close family and friends for the foreseeable future. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. What’s the Hoover Dam hiding? After all these years, it is still the world’s 38th-largest hydro-electric generating station. A bypass bridge (background) crosses Black Canyon just downstream, and four intake towers (foreground) divert reservoir water to a hydroelectric plant located in the base of the dam. There is also an area with photos and film clips from construction and displays on the workings of the … From the time of the dam’s construction, a federal highway traversed the dam’s crest, serving both visitors to the dam and travelers between Nevada and Arizona. 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