Hoover Dam | Bureau of Reclamation Frequently Asked Questions and Answers The Dam Where is Hoover Dam? In Black Canyon spanning the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. How tall is Hoover Dam? It is 726.4 feet from foundation rock to the roadway on the crest of the dam. The towers and ornaments on the parapet rise 40 feet above the crest. How much does Hoover Dam weigh? More than 6,600,000 tons. What type of dam is Hoover? A concrete arch-gravity type, in which the water load is carried by both gravity action and horizontal arch action. What is the maximum water pressure at the base of the dam? 45,000 pounds per square foot. How much concrete is in the dam? Three and one-quarter million cubic yards. There are 4,360,000 cubic yards of concrete in the dam, powerplant and appurtenant works.

This much concrete would build a monument 100 feet square and 2-1/2 miles high; would rise higher than the 1,250-foot-tall Empire State Building if placed on an ordinary city block; or would pave a standard highway 16 feet wide, from San Francisco to New York City. The first concrete for the dam was placed on June 6, 1933, and the last on May 29, 1935. Approximately 160,000 cubic yards of concrete were placed in the dam per month. Peak placements were 10,462 cubic yards in one day (including some concrete placed in the intake towers and powerplant), and slightly over 275,000 cubic yards in one month. How much cement was required? More than 5,000,000 barrels. The daily demand during construction of the dam was from 7,500 to 10,800 barrels. Reclamation had used only 5,862,000 barrels in its 27 years of construction activity preceding June 30, 1932.

How was chemical heat caused by setting concrete in the dam dissipated? 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. Cooling was completed in March 1935. What was an unusual feature of Hoover Dam's construction? The dam was built in vertical columns of blocks that varied in size from about 60 feet square at the upstream face of the dam to about 25 feet square at the downstream face. An estimated 215 blocks make up the dam. Adjacent columns were locked together by a system of vertical keys on the radial joints and horizontal keys on the circumferential joints (think "giant Lego set"). Concrete placement in any one block was limited to five feet in 72 hours. After the concrete was cooled, a cement and water mixture called grout was forced into the spaces created between the columns by the contraction of the cooled concrete to form a monolithic (one-piece) structure. What were the principal items of work?

More than 5,500,000 cubic yards of material were excavated, and another 1,000,000 cubic yards of earth and rock fill placed. By feature, this included: Excavation: for the diversion tunnels, 1,500,000 cubic yards; for the foundation of the dam, powerplant, and cofferdams 1,760,000 cubic yards; for the spillways and inclined tunnels, 750,000 cubic yards; for the valve houses and intake towers, 410,000 cubic yards; earth and rock fill for the cofferdams, 1,000,000 cubic yards. In addition, 4,400,000 cubic yards of concrete were placed, 410,000 linear feet of grout and drainage holes were drilled, and 422,000 cubic feet of grout were placed under pressure. What were the quantities of principal materials used in the dam?

The principal materials, all of which were purchased by the federal government, were: reinforcement steel, 45,000,000 pounds; gates and valves, 21,670,000 pounds; plate steel and outlet pipes, 88,000,000 pounds; pipe and fittings, 6,700,000 pounds or 840 miles; structural steel, 18,000,000 pounds; miscellaneous metal work 5,300,000 pounds. What are the geologic conditions at the dam site? The foundation and abutments are rock of volcanic origin geologically called "andesite breccia." The rock is hard and very durable. What were the excavation depths from the river's low-water surface to foundation rock? In the upstream cutoff trench, it was 139 feet. The remaining excavation depths average 110 to 130 feet. How long did it take to build the dam, powerplant, and appurtenant works? Five years.

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. How many men were employed during the dam's construction? A total of 21,000 men worked on the dam with an average of 3,500 and a maximum of 5,218 daily, which occurred in June 1934. The average monthly payroll was $500,000. What construction work was necessary before operations started at the dam site? Construction of Boulder City to house both government and contractor employees; construction of seven miles of 22-foot-wide, asphalt-surfaced highway from Boulder City to the dam site; construction of 22.7 miles of standard-gauge railroad from the Union Pacific main line in Las Vegas to Boulder City and an additional 10 miles from Boulder City to the dam site; and construction of a 222-mile-long power transmission line from San Bernardino, California, to the dam site to supply energy for construction.

Hoover Dam - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google At the turn of the 20th century, farmers sought to divert the Colorado River to budding Southwestern communities via a series of canals. When the Colorado broke through the canals in 1905, creating the inland Salton Sea, the job of controlling the raging river fell to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Bureau director Arthur Powell Davis in 1922 outlined a plan before Congress for a multipurpose dam in Black Canyon, located on the Arizona- Nevada border. Named the Boulder Canyon project, after the original proposed site, the dam would not only control flooding and irrigation, it would generate and sell hydroelectric power to recoup its costs. Still, the proposed $165 price tag concerned some lawmakers, while representatives of six of the seven states in the river drainage area—Colorado, Wyoming , Utah , New Mexico , Arizona and Nevada —worried that the water would primarily go to California . Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover brokered the 1922 Colorado River Compact to divide the water proportionally among the seven states, but the legal wrangling continued until outgoing President Calvin Coolidge authorized the Boulder Canyon Project in December 1928.

In honor of the new president’s contributions, Secretary of the Interior Ray L. Wilbur announced the structure would be called Hoover Dam at a 1930 dedication ceremony, though the name didn’t become official until 1947. As the Great Depression unfolded, hopeful laborers descended on Las Vegas and set up camp in the surrounding desert for the chance to work on the project. Those who were hired eventually moved to Boulder City, a community specifically built six miles from the work site to house its employees. Meanwhile, the U.S. government set about finding a contractor to build the proposed 60-story arch dam. The contract was awarded in March 1931 to Six Companies, a group of construction firms that had pooled its resources to meet the steep $5 million performance bond. The first difficult step of construction involved blasting the canyon walls to create four diversion tunnels for the water. Facing strict time deadlines, workers toiled in 140-degree tunnels choked with carbon monoxide and dust, conditions that prompted a six-day strike in August 1931.

When two of the tunnels were complete, the excavated rock was used to form a temporary coffer dam that successfully rechanneled the river’s path in November 1932. The second step of involved the clearing of the walls that would contain the dam. Suspended from heights of up to 800 feet above the canyon floor, high scalers wielded 44-pound jackhammers and metal poles to knock loose material, a treacherous task that resulted in casualties from falling workers, equipment and rocks. Meanwhile, the dried riverbed allowed for construction to begin on the powerplant, four intake towers and the dam itself. Cement was mixed onsite and hoisted across the canyon on one of five 20-ton cableways, a fresh bucket capable of reaching the crews below every 78 seconds. Offsetting the heat generated by cooling concrete, nearly 600 miles of pipe loops were embedded to circulate water through the poured blocks, with workers continually spraying the concrete to keep it moist. As the dam rose, block by block, from the canyon floor, the visual renderings of architect Gordon Kaufmann took form.

Electing to emphasize the imposing mass of the structure, Kaufmann kept the smooth, curved face free of adornment. The powerplant was given a futuristic touch with horizontal aluminum fins for windows, while its interior was designed to pay homage to Native American cultures. With the body of water that would become Lake Mead already beginning to swell behind the dam, the final block of concrete was poured and topped off at 726 feet above the canyon floor in 1935. On September 30, a crowd of 20,000 people watched President Franklin Roosevelt commemorate the magnificent structure’s completion. Approximately 5 million barrels of cement and 45 million pounds of reinforcement steel had gone into what was then the tallest dam in the world, its 6.6 million tons of concrete enough to pave a road from San Francisco to New York City. Altogether, some 21,000 workers contributed to its construction. 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.

Capable of irrigating 2 million acres, its 17 turbines generate enough electricity to power 1.3 million homes. The dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985 and one of America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders in 1994. It receives some 7 million visitors annually, while Lake Mead, the world’s largest reservoir, hosts another 10 million as a popular recreation area. Tags Hoover Dam - Hoover Dam Las Vegas - Vegas Attractions | Vegas.com Cash, Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover. Hoover Dam description Named one of the Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century, Hoover Dam continues to draw crowds 80 years after its creation. Attracting more than a million visitors a year, Hoover Dam is located in Black Canyon, just minutes outside of Las Vegas. On April 20, 1931, construction began on the Hoover Dam, the largest of its kind at the time. Despite the remote location and harsh working conditions, it was completed on March 1, 1936 in less than five years -- two years ahead of schedule -- and well under budget.

The dam is named after America's 31st president, Herbert Hoover, who played a large role in bringing the nearby states into agreement about water allocations, settling a 25-year controversy. The dam has been called Boulder Canyon Dam as well as Boulder Dam, but Hoover Dam was reinstated as the official name by Congress in 1947. A National Historic Landmark, Hoover Dam is the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, standing at more than 725 feet above the Colorado River. With 17 generators producing 4 billion kilowatts of electricity a year, it also is one of the country's largest hydroelectric power facilities. Operation and maintenance of the facility are solely supported by revenue from power sales. Completed in October 2010, the Mike O' Callaghan -- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge offers spectacular views that were once only available by helicopter. For those who never fully appreciated the dam, it's hard not to become a fan after this. Visitors have access to drive to this bridge and see the dam from a high vantage point. Located about 1,500 feet south of the Hoover Dam, the walkway on the bridge is approximately 900 feet above the Colorado River.

One neat fact is that visitors can go from Nevada to Arizona after crossing the 1,900-foot-long bridge. There are plenty of informative placards before and during the bridge walk. The construction of the bridge came to mind in the 1960s, but didn't actually happen until 40 years later. This bypass was created to not only reduce traffic, but also to protect Lake Mead and the Colorado River from hazardous spills and explosions. Two tours of the dam are available and well worth the time and money spent. For $11 per person (discounts available for children, seniors and active military) is the Hoover Dam Power Plant Tour. It is broken up into several components at numerous locations. The unique tour format allows guests to pick and choose which locations they want to see and the complete tour generally lasts about two hours. The Hoover Dam Power Plant Tour begins with a brief video show depicting the history of Hoover Dam and how it came to be. Afterwards, a guide will escort you to an elevator for a 500-foot descent to get an up-close look at the power plant generators housed at the base of the dam.

Guests will also see the original diversion tunnels and stand atop a giant, 30-foot pipe where they can feel the rumble of Colorado River water racing through it. Another interesting stop on the tour is an observation deck set above the dam affording panoramic views of the Colorado River and Lake Mead. The location also provides a bird's-eye view of the Hoover Dam facility, including an unobstructed look at the dam's mechanical components. The tour continues with several stops along the top of the dam, from the Winged Figures of the Republic to the Nevada Intake Tower. The second tour option is the new Dam Tour. For $30 per person visitors can enjoy all the options of the Power Plant Tour (including access to the visitor's center, observation deck and original Hoover Dam exhibit building), but they will also get to experience a unique and intimate tour of the dam itself. The tour continues with an unprecedented look inside the dam, entering through the inspection tunnels. Visitors will be able to see inspection markings written on the walls from decades past and then peek out of the vents down onto the river below. After the inspection tunnels, guests will get to go deeper into the dam and see the seepage gallery and a set of antique stairs.

This is the ultimate tour for those interested in the Hoover Dam. The view from the dam also offers a breathtaking look at Lake Mead, the country's largest man-made reservoir. Although water levels have been low recently, Lake Mead can store up to 9.2 trillion gallons of water, equal to two years of the river's annual flow. It also has become a popular recreation area, sought out by more than 9 million visitors each year. Note: At the Mike O' Callaghan -- Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, there is limited parking reserved for visiting guests only. Those taking ground transportation tours to the Grand Canyon will be able to cross bridge, but not stop. Depending on the tour vehicle height, guests may not get a view of the Hoover Dam on the way back from the Grand Canyon. View full description 81 Hoover Dam Access Rd, Boulder City, NV 89005 View the map Hoover Dam | TravelNevada Discover Hoover Dam All the way back at the turn of the 20th century, engineers had suspected that the Black Canyon and nearby Boulder Canyon had some serious potential to support a dam that could produce hydroelectric power and water for irrigation, and the Colorado River was the ideal water source.

It was the perfect storm for such a grand project, and in 1928, this proposal became a reality, and by 1936 the Hoover Dam was completed in its entirety…an impressive two years ahead of schedule. History While that description makes it sound like this was an easy accomplishment, this project remains to be one finest examples of American engineering and should definitely be included on the list of modern marvels. To start, Congress needed to approve the Boulder Canyon design project and bidders, which included six valid companies. The city of Las Vegas had seriously lobbies to be the headquarters for the dam construction and even went to extreme measures by closing many local speakeasies. Instead, the Secretary of the Interior announced that a model city would be constructed in the desert near the proposed dam site. Before long, the town of Boulder City popped up and the project drew in thousands of ambitious, yet unemployed able bodied men from all of the United States. At the time, Las Vegas had the modest population of 5,000, but soon saw an influx of workers in the 10,000-20,000 range descend upon the area.

A job as a worker on the Hoover Dam was a good one, but in the most extreme work conditions imaginable with temperatures soaring well above 100 degrees on an average day. So, now they had the approval for the project, an immense work force, and a new town to support it. The river was diverted for the construction of the Dam, two cofferdams were constructed to protect the construction site from the Colorado River and construction for this marvel began. After a surprisingly short two years, the concrete work was finished and the dam dedicated. Impressively, a total of 3,250,000 cubic yards of concrete was used in the dam, and an additional 1,100,000 cubic yards were used in the power plant and other nearby structures. While the official name of this project was “The Boulder Dam,” it was renamed to the Hoover Dam after President Hoover in 1947 after being referred to as “the great engineer whose vision and persistence has done so much to make the dam possible.” An Innovative Design When engineers had assumed that the Hoover Dam would someday be open for public tours, they brought in a Los Angeles-based architect to redesign some of the interior and exterior elements.

Impressively, he single-handedly streamlined the design, which still remains to a stunning Art Deco masterpiece. He redesigned the Dam face, clock faces, and even color-coded the pipes and machinery, but perhaps most importantly brought in a Denver artist to design the immaculate walls and terrazo flooring on the interior of the Dam. Second to the amazing hydoelecticial operation that’s happening at the Hoover Dam, the Art Deco facets are fascinating and a prime example of the era, especially the “Winged Figures of the Republic,” or bronze angel sculptures. Be sure to rub the angel’s toes for alleged good luck at the casinos! Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge While there are more than enough things to see and enjoy at the Hoover Dam, visitors can also marvel at the newly-completed Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. As the world’s tallest concrete arch bridge, it is the first concrete-steel arch composite bridge in the United States and towers 880 feet over the Hoover Dam.

As the 1,905 foot-long manmade bridge connects Nevada and Arizona roadways, it’s fitting that it’s named the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, as it honors a hero from each state. With 30,000 cubic yards of concrete and 16 million pounds of steel, the massive engineered wonder is the first concrete-steel arch composite bridge in the United States and its twin-ribbed arch is the widest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. If you aren’t afraid of heights, visitors can even walk across the bridge for some great photo opportunities of the Hoover Dam and Black Canyon below. Touring the Hoover Dam Today Today, nearly a million people tour the Hoover Dam annually…so be sure and get this one on your itinerary for southern Nevada before tours fill up! Powerplant Tour Includes a 30-minute guided tour and admission to the Visitor Center & Powerplant Adults (ages 17-61) $15 U.S. Military in Uniform FREE Children FREE Includes a 1-hour guided tour, and admission to the Visitor Center, Powerplant & Dam Passageways Adults, Seniors, Juniors and U.S.

Military $30 NO children under the age of 8 permitted. NOTE: this tour is NOT accessible for visitors with wheelchairs or crutches. Tours are NOT RECCOMENDED for anyone who suffers from claustrophobia, or has a pacemaker or defibrillator. Tours are conducted in confined spaces and in a power plant with generators emitting electromagnetic fields. Hours of Operation First Powerplant Tour departs at 9:25 a.m. Last Powerplant Tour departs at 3:55 p.m. First Dam Tour departs at 9:30 a.m. Last Dam Tour departs at 3:30 p.m. Dam Tours [limited to 20 people per tour] may sell-out a couple hours in advance of the last tour Last Visitor Center ticket is sold at 4:15 p.m. The Hoover Dam Visitor Center is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Parking Garage Open 8:00 a.m., Close 5:15 p.m. Parking fee $10 Getting There From Las Vegas, take US Highway 93 South and continue 30 miles to Boulder City.

In Boulder City, take a left at the second stoplight in town [there are only two of them.] Continue on US 93 for about 5 miles [just past the Hoover Dam Lodge] to the turnoff for Nevada State Route 172—The Hoover Dam access road. Take NV SR 172 for about 2 miles until reaching the Hoover Dam, which straddles the Nevada/Arizona state line. ***Please note that visitors who wish to continue travel into Arizona must re-enter Nevada and access Highway 93 to cross the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge; the roadway across Hoover Dam is no longer open to through-traffic.*** "The Greatest Dam in the World": Building Hoover Dam "The Greatest Dam in the World": Building Hoover Dam (Bureau of Reclamation; Andrew Pernick, photographer) H oover Dam is as tall as a 60-story building. It was the highest dam in the world when it was completed in 1935. Its base is as thick as two football fields are long. Each spillway, designed to let floodwaters pass without harming the dam itself, can handle the volume of water that flows over Niagara Falls.

The amount of concrete used in building it was enough to pave a road stretching from San Francisco to New York City. The dam had to be big. It held back what was then, and still is, the largest man-made lake in the United States. The amount of water in the lake, when full, could cover the whole state of Connecticut ten feet deep. Only a huge dam could stand up to the pressure of so much water. Building such a mammoth structure presented unprecedented challenges to the engineers of the Bureau of Reclamation. It stretched the abilities of its builders to the limits. It claimed the lives of 96 of the 21,000 men who worked on it. Construction began in 1931. Americans began coming to see the big dam long before it was completed four years later. Most had to travel many miles, at the end through a hostile desert, to reach this location on the border between Nevada and Arizona. The builders soon constructed an observation platform on the canyon rim to keep the tourists away from the construction site. Hoover Dam did, and continues to do, all the things its supporters hoped it would. It protects southern California and Arizona from the disastrous floods for which the Colorado had been famous.

It provides water to irrigate farm fields. It supplies water and power to Los Angeles and other rapidly growing cities in the Southwest. But the dam also had an entirely unexpected result, one that began while it was still under construction. For millions of people in the 1930s, including those who would never visit it, Hoover Dam came to symbolize what American industry and American workers could do, even in the depths of the Great Depression. In the early 21st century, almost a million people still come to visit the huge dam every year. TABLE OF CONTENTS Hoover Dam | dam, United States | Britannica.com dam, United States Colorado River Hoover Dam, formerly called Boulder Dam, dam in Black Canyon on the Colorado River , at the Arizona-Nevada border, U.S. Constructed between 1930 and 1936, it is the highest concrete arch dam in the United States. It impounds Lake Mead , which extends for 115 miles (185 km) upstream and is one of the largest manmade lakes in the world. The dam is used for flood and silt control, electric power, agricultural irrigation , and domestic water supply .

It is also a major sightseeing destination, with almost one million visitors per year going on tours through the dam. Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, Arizona-Nevada, U.S., seen from above on the upstream (reservoir) … Federal Highway Administration Hoover Dam and Lake Mead on the Colorado River, U.S. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Hoover Dam is 726 feet (221 metres) high and 1,244 feet (379 metres) long at the crest. It contains 4,400,000 cubic yards (3,360,000 cubic metres) of concrete. Four reinforced-concrete intake towers located above the dam divert water from the reservoir into huge steel pipes called penstocks. The water, after falling some 500 feet (150 metres) through the pipes to a hydroelectric power plant in the base of the dam, turns 17 Francis-type vertical hydraulic turbines , which rotate a series of electric generators that have a total power capacity of 2,080 megawatts.

More than half of the generated electric power goes to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the city of Los Angeles , and other destinations in southern California; the rest goes to Nevada and Arizona . The dam, power plant, and reservoir are owned and managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation. Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, Arizona–Nevada, U.S. © Scott Latham/Fotolia Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada, U.S. The light-coloured … © Marco Sampaolo Intake towers of Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada border, U.S. © Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Hydraulic turbines in the hydroelectric power plant at Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada border, U.S. © Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Similar Topics White House Hoover Dam is named in honour of Herbert Hoover , the U.S. president during whose administration (1929–33) construction began on the dam and whose work as commerce secretary in the 1920s secured agreements necessary for the project to proceed.

Although legislation passed by Congress in 1931 officially named the dam for Hoover, officials in the succeeding administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman referred to it as Boulder Dam, its name during the planning stages before construction. In 1947 Truman signed a congressional resolution restoring the structure’s formal name to official use. 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. As the dam and surrounding Lake Mead recreation area rose in popularity, traffic increased, and the problem became especially severe under security restrictions imposed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 . Construction began in January 2005 on a long-planned Hoover Dam Bypass Project, and in October 2010 a concrete arch bridge with a 1,060-foot (322-metre) span—the longest in North America for that type of bridge—opened for through traffic within view of Hoover Dam. The old road along the crest is reserved for use by visitors to the dam.

Intake towers and crest of Hoover Dam as seen from Lake Mead, Arizona-Nevada, U.S., prior to the … Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty Images Hoover Dam | Bureau of Reclamation The Story of Hoover Dam - Articles Herbert Hoover and the Colorado River Herbert Hoover - The Man Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States, was a man of many interests. He was an engineer, a conservationist, a fisherman, a humanitarian, and a politician, not always in the same order. The great dam which bears his name, spanning the Colorado River to link Nevada and Arizona, stands as an enduring testimony to all of these characteristics. His years of service, both as a public official and a private citizen, reflected his lifelong passion for the outdoors and the preservation of this nation's natural resources. Characteristically, this was often expressed whimsically in what Hoover called the democracy of fishing. "All men are created equal before fishes," he explained. Early in his public career he gained widespread recognition as a conservationist. In 1922, barely a year into his tenure as Warren G.

Harding's Secretary of Commerce, Hoover had already stirred environmental enthusiasm for harnessing rivers for flood control, increasing the production of fisheries, and cleaning up rivers and harbors. He spoke out before Congress in support of these and related natural resources protection issues which were then and are now -- major concerns of the Reclamation program. Hoover reiterated his support for vigorous action to safeguard the environment in a 1924 telegram to former U.S. Senator J.S. Frelinghusen of New Jersey. "I cannot state too strongly that pollution of waters under Federal control is destroying not only our fisheries, but is also destroying our beaches and endangering our harbors ..." he asserted. The Great Engineer Hoover's aggressive commitment to pollution-free streams, clean beaches, and unspoiled harbors also extended to flood control. When the Mississippi River roared over its banks in 1927, laying waste to thousands of acres of agricultural land, Hoover rushed to the scene to offer help. Known early in his career as "The Great Engineer," he was now popularized as "The Great Humanitarian." His relief efforts in America's stricken heartland foreshadowed a series of dams and locks built by the Federal government to avert similar disasters in the future.

But the centerpiece of Hoover's campaign for flood control, river management, and generation of hydroelectric power was the Bureau of Reclamation's Boulder Canyon Project. Throughout recorded history, the Colorado River had caused devastation on a regular basis. Each spring the Rocky Mountains supplied a cascade of newly melted snow. Rushing to the Gulf of California unchecked, the torrent posed special dangers for the Imperial Valley of southeastern California. A particularly devastating flood hit the lower river in 1905 causing the Colorado to change course and flow uncontrolled into the Imperial Valley for more than a year. The result was the creation of the Salton Sea. The Visionary Statesman As a resident of California, Herbert Hoover had visited the Lower Colorado region often in the years before World War I. He was familiar with both its problems and its potential for development. So it came as no surprise that, upon becoming Secretary of Commerce in 1921, one of Hoover's earliest proposed initiatives was the construction of a high dam in Boulder Canyon. In addition to essential flood control, the dam would make possible the expansion of irrigated farming in the parched region. It would also provide a dependable supply of water for Los Angeles and other Southern California communities.

As envisioned by Secretary Hoover, the project would be self-supporting, financed entirely through the sale of hydroelectric power generated at the dam. A plan so ambitious carried built-in pitfalls aplenty. For many years, water rights had been a source of litigation involving the states that were within the Colorado River Basin, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Under Hoover's prodding, the Colorado River Commission was formed to reach an equitable resolution of these interstate claims. As chairman of this group, Hoover met in January 1922, with state governors and other representatives in hopes of speeding an agreement. Following a series of meetings throughout the seven-state region, commission members assembled in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They sat 10 hours a day for two weeks, deadlocked over the division of water rights and usage of the flows of the river. It was then that Secretary Hoover proposed to split the river basin into two regions: "Upper Basin States" and "Lower Basin States," with the water divided between them. This was the Hoover compromise. The division of water among the individual states of each basin would be left for future agreement.

The resulting agreement, signed on November 24, 1922, became known as the Colorado River Compact. Assuming approval of the pact by the legislatures of the involved states, Hoover's compromise would pave the way for construction of the great dam on the Colorado. Realization of a Dream In time, President Calvin Coolidge endorsed legislation authorizing construction of the dam. Before it could take effect, however, Coolidge made way for a new occupant of the Oval Office. On June 25, 1929, President Herbert Hoover signed a proclamation making the Colorado River Compact effective at last. In a press conference that same day, President Hoover hailed the long delayed breakthrough. The new compact, he said, represented "the final settlement of quarrels that have extended over 25 years ... the most extensive action ever taken by a group of states under the provisions of the Constitution permitting compacts between states." Hoover welcomed the agreement as evidence that Washington could play the role of umpire for a Federal team dominated by state governments.

On September 17, 1930 Secretary of the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur, following national custom, announced that the new dam on the Colorado River would be named Hoover Dam to honor the then President of the United States. Later, the names Boulder Dam and Boulder Canyon Dam would be used. The name Hoover Dam was restored by Congress in 1947. In November, 1932, while en route to Washington from California after his election loss to Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Hoover ordered a last-minute change in itinerary to make a brief stop at the dam construction site outside Boulder City, Nevada. After noting his many previous visits to the area, Hoover sounded almost lyrical in paying tribute to the dam's builders. "It is giving long held taking form in actual reality of stone and cement," he remarked with obvious emotion. "The waters of this great river, instead of being wasted in the sea, will now be brought into use by man. Civilization advances with the practical application of knowledge in such structures as the one being built here in the pathway of one on the great rivers of the continent.

The spread of its values in human happiness is beyond computation." Since Herbert Hoover last gazed upon the dam bearing his name, countless visitors have shared his awe at the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World. A credit to "The Great Engineer." Last Updated: 3/13/15 Colorado River Raft & Hoover Dam Tour from Las Vegas Colorado River Raft & Hoover Dam Tour from Las Vegas Colorado River Raft & Hoover Dam Tour from Las Vegas Product ID: 47604 Fetching... What You'll Do Launch from the very base of the Hoover Dam, affording a view and perspective of the dam available nowhere else Eat lunch on a romantic sandy beach along the river Board a 4x4s or custom VIP mini-coaches for a beautiful and scenic drive to Hoover Dam Overview This journey begins with a 12-mile, 3.5-hour "calm water" raft trip down the Colorado River to Willow Beach, Arizona. This adventure gently flows from the very base of the Hoover Dam, affording a view and perspective of the dam available nowhere else. What to Expect This journey begins with a 12-mile, 3.5-hour calm water raft trip down the Colorado River to Willow Beach, Arizona.

This soft adventure gently flows from the very base of the Hoover Dam, affording a view and perspective of the dam available nowhere else. Along the way, expert guides point out the soaring birds of prey, the gravity defying bighorn sheep and the unexpected waterfalls and bubbling hot springs. Lunch is served on a romantic sandy beach along the river. At Willow Beach, you will board a 4x4s or custom VIP mini-coaches for a beautiful and scenic drive to Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam tour includes the visitors' center and historical displays. Take a look from the interior base of the dam into the hydroelectric generator room, and watch the fascinating Hoover Dam movie with ample time for breathtaking views from the top of the dam. A stop at the eastern edge of the chasm in Arizona provides fabulous views of the dam and Lake Mead, the world's largest man-made lake. In addition, there are fabulous photo ops of the new Hoover Dam Bridge. Before returning to Las Vegas, you'll stop at a local park where herds of bighorn sheep often come down from the surrounding mountains to gather and graze on the sweet grass.

What's Included Snacks Meeting Point Adventure Photo Tours will pick up at any of more than 250 Las Vegas hotels. For exact pick-up time and location, please call Adventure Photo Tours at (702) 889-8687 with your hotel information after you check-in. Arrive at the designated pick-up location at least 15 minutes prior to departure. (Open in Google Maps) Know Before You Go Operates seven days a week, except for the winter months of December and January when this tour operates on Wednesday and Saturday only. Transportation in luxury 4x4, 12- or 14-passenger VIP mini-coach. Initial pick up in River Raft Coach. Gratuity not included. From $249 per person Hoover Dam | Video | C-SPAN.org Supreme Court May 10, 2016 Hoover Dam Rose Davis gave a tour of Hoover Dam, located on the border of Nevada and Arizona, and spoke about its history. The dam was built along the Colorado River… read more Hoover Dam Rose Davis gave a tour of Hoover Dam, located on the border of Nevada and Arizona, and spoke about its history.

The dam was built along the Colorado River during the Great Depression and provided not only flood control, crop irrigation, and hydroelectric power for the southwestern states, but also jobs for many in the city of Las Vegas. C-SPAN’s Local Content Vehicles (LCVs) made a stop in their “2016 LCV Cities Tour” in Las Vegas, Nevada, from May 7-13 to feature the history and literary life of the community. Working with the Cox Communication cable local affiliate, they visited literary and historic sites where local historians, authors, and civic leaders were interviewed. The history segments air on American History TV (AHTV) on C-SPAN3 and the literary events/non-fiction author segments air on Book TV on C-SPAN2. close Transcript type

Question: What river does the Hoover Dam dam?
Answer: Colorado River