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 12 Mile River Raft & Hoover Dam Combo Tour with Prices, Deals & Reviews | Vegas.com 12 Mile River Raft & Hoover Dam Combo Tour photos river rafting tour Previous Next Description Enjoy a peaceful ride down the river, a picnic by the beach and a trip to the Hoover Dam all in the same day. Fun for the entire family, your journey begins with a 12-mile, rapid-free raft trip down the Colorado River to Willow Beach, Ariz. As you gently float down the Colorado River from the base of the Hoover Dam, enjoy a view and perspective of the dam available nowhere else. Along the way, expert guides point out soaring birds of prey, gravity-defying bighorn sheep, waterfalls and bubbling hot springs. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach. From here, you will board a luxury 4x4 or custom VIP Mini Coach and experience Hoover Dam's Discovery Tour, which takes you inside this manmade wonder. You will also have the opportunity to photograph and explore the amazing structure and its monuments as well as experience the visitor center and gift shop.

Before returning to Las Vegas, the tour makes a stop at a local park. Keep an eye out -- herds of bighorn sheep often come down from the surrounding mountains to graze on the grass. Black Canyon Raft Portion: This is not a whitewater rafting trip. The raft portion of this tour includes a slow water trip on a pontoon style raft. These are large comfortable rafts that have been carefully constructed with your safety in mind. They have multiple air chambers and are outfitted with all of the Coast Guard required and recommended safety equipment. All the rafts have plenty of room for passengers, so you will not be overcrowded. During this excursion, the experienced and knowledgeable guides share the history of this magnificent geological area. To ensure the most comfortable experience for the customer, this tour uses the following vehicles: SUVs for seven passengers or 14-passenger VIP Mini Coaches. View full description Child price qualifies for those 11 and younger. Guest Reviews Rated 4.7 out of 5 by 20 reviewers. Rated 5 out of 5 by MGb1234 Great time We had a great time would recommend to others!

Jeff on the raft and Adam for the Hoover dam portion both were wonderful guides. October 12, 2016 Rated 5 out of 5 by LADYSIW Well worth it! My 15 year old step.son loved it. My 48 year old husband loved it. Great for everyone! July 30, 2016 Rated 4 out of 5 by IndependenceDay2016 Good As far as I could see fine print did not state that the tour was broken up into two different tour groups (1 for River Raft other for Hoover Dam). That's the reason for the "Fair" rating under Accuracy of description. Tour also did not describe that buckets of water and wet towels would be thrown at the passengers. Pilot was not considerate of people that may not want water or towels thrown on them and questioned why did people have electronics like a cellphone on them if they were going to get wet. People are prepared to get wet from the splashing of water but not buckets or drenched towels being thrown on them. Being on the river for a few hours was great but it did drain us and we really didn’t enjoy the Hoover Dam tour after.

We just felt exhausted and rushed through the tour so that we could get back to the vehicle so we could get back to our hotel and relax. Also, it’s unfortunate that the tour does not provide transportation to or near any hotels in the Henderson area where we were staying (30 min drive to strip at least). I noticed the shuttle passed a casino/hotel (Fiesta) in Henderson on the way to the lake which would have saved us time and driving distance. Overall the experience was good just some flaws that could be corrected! July 7, 2016 Rated 5 out of 5 by flutergork Recommended for a day away from the tables! When planning our Vegas trip (from NY) and looking for things to do (other than gambling), she saw the river rafting tour and asked me if it sounded like something I would want to try. Well, in our world (and perhaps yours, too), that means, "I want to do this." Since I speak "wife," I did some research and made the reservation. It was a Wednesday morning (4/27/16). We were picked up at the Aria at 8:20am.

The bus made three more stops and picked up another ten or so people. My wife and I are less than forty years old. The new passengers were all above sixty and were together in some kind of group. We started to think that maybe this wasn't going to be for us. We drove about a half hour out to an outpost somewhere in the vicinity of Lake Mead (I think). The outpost has a few things to buy, like hats and sunscreen, some souvenirs. But mainly it was - for us, at least - a bathroom stop. It is in this outpost that you show your ID and register that you are present so the drivers and tour guides know how many people are in their charge. There were about thirty other people already at the outpost who were going on the same tour as us, of all ages. We all piled into two buses and headed for the raft dock. During the trip the bus driver gave some interesting history and information about the road we were on. The drive down the canyon is interesting in its own right, as you descend hundreds of feet on twisting and turning roads with a long drop-off right outside your window. There are guardrails, but you can't help feeling that the bus could just topple right over them.

The drive tried to help, saying that there has never been a recorded event of a vehicle going over those rails. It didn't help. The two buses ended up at the dock, everyone was told which raft was theirs, and we piled on. Our raft had forty-one people, but the tour guide - who is also the raft pilot - said it was rated by the US Coast Guard for sixty. The River Tour She (I wish I remembered her name) piloted the raft away from the dock and headed in the direction of the dam. The tour starts as soon as the raft begins moving. She told us a lot of information about the dam's construction, the canyon itself, and what had to be accomplished before any cement could be poured. This all happens right in front of the dam. As the raft made its way down the river, the pilot told us about small caves and local plant and animal life. She pointed out old equipment along the river, still in place, like museum pieces, gave history on them. My wife and I didn't see any sheep (not that we were looking for sheep - I've seen sheep, they're not that interesting). Pretty soon we stopped for lunch at this tiny beach, tiny because the river was high that day.

We got off of the raft and climbed a bit up the rocks of the canyon wall, sat down and had the lunch provided by the tour - half of a turkey wrap, an apple, a package of two oatmeal raisin cookies, a bag of Sunchips, and a bottle of water. We stayed on the beach for about twenty minutes, then got back to business ... which wasn't much. The front half of the tour was full of interesting information and stories, but the back half was pretty empty. There wasn't a lot going on, just scenery. It's beautiful scenery, but the only reason the ride is twelve miles is because that's where the nearest dock is. PRO TIPS Wear the following: sunglasses - the glare off the water can be blinding, and a lot of what there is to see is above you; sunscreen - the sky was overcast when we went, but we still got badly burned; a hat - this would have protected much of our faces, and for guys with thinning hair, your scalp WILL burn; a light jacket - there was a bit of wind when we went, and after lunch, when the action died down and now we're just riding on a raft, it got a bit chilly.

The front of the raft is where the pontoons curve upward. If you sit in this area, you WILL get wet. The back of the raft is where the engines are and where the pilot sits/stands. This will be the driest place to sit, but you will still feel the water. We sat there and were getting sprayed. The problem with this spot on the raft is the smell of the exhaust from the engines. If that odor bothers you, don't sit there. The Dam Tour With our river raft package came a tour of the Hoover Dam. The driver picked us (and three other people) up at the dock and drove us to the dam. During this ride he gave us information on the dam and the river, some of which we had just heard, but a lot we hadn't. We arrived at the dam. Our driver got us our tickets and shepherded us into the security area. Just so you know (if you're still reading), since 9/11 the Hoover Dam has airport-level security. You will have to take off your belt, empty your pockets, the whole nine yards. Anyway, our driver went away and said he would meet us a couple of hours later at the dam's exit.

The tour started with about eighty people filling a small movie theater where they showed us a film on the idea, design, construction, and workings of the dam. It is UN-believable how the dam came to be. I was slack-jawed through the entire film. It only lasted about ten minutes, and then we were ushered out of the theater, split into two groups, and sent into two elevators, eventually meeting at the bottom. The tour continued here with the guide bringing us into one of the tunnels that feeds the generators. There, he explained how the dam was built, how the tunnels work, and how everything feeds the generators. Then we went back into the elevators and up to the next floor, where we got a good look at the generators themselves. The guide gave us all of the information about the hydroelectric capacities of the dam, its dimensions, etc. It was amazing. (Incidentally, this is where my wife checked out; this is not her thing.) After this part of the tour, we were brought back up to the main area and the guide then told us that the remainder of the tour would be self-guided.

Translation: "I'm done." This part of the tour is, more or less, a museum, chronicling everything we had just heard throughout the day. There were displays and articles, games to teach about electrical generation, and there was even a full size generator that you could walk into and see exactly how it all works. There is an observation deck, from which you can see the entire dam and Lake Mead in one direction, then turn around and see the Colorado River stretching away fro you. There is, of course, the obligatory souvenir photo to be purchased, but no one hounding you to do so. When you exit, you can go left up the hill and back to the parking area. But, you can also go to the right, where there is a monument to the dam and to the people who lost their lives during its construction. The whole thing is ... awe inspiring. PRO TIPS None, just go and enjoy it. Conclusion The river raft tour and the Hoover Dam tour are both great. It was exactly what we needed to recharge after four days of shows and gambling and ... stuff. We definitely recommend it to anyone that needs a break. Oh, and just so you know, it really is for anyone.

Generally, my wife and I don't do this kind of thing. But we loved it. May 1, 2016 Rated 5 out of 5 by Dshofner 12 Mile River Raft Trip with Jody Jody was a fantastic captain and tour guide! The wealth of information taken away from this trip along with the majesty of the scenic beauty of the land, river, and sky was immense. Far better than being on the concrete jungle in downtown Vegas that's for certain! Kudos to Jody for being an amazing personality and captain for our journey. Certainly a trip of a lifetime. October 25, 2015 Rated 5 out of 5 by ChadBrenda Overall great tour with variety from different areas. The 12 mile trip down the Colorado river was excellent. The tour guide on the boat was very knowledgeable and sociable. The return tour to the Hoover Dam was also excellent and the two tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. Only down side of the trip was the initial pick up was incorrect from Adventure Tours and we were picked up 45 minutes late. The van was definitely not comfortable and the driver/ tour guide was not very personable.

October 14, 2015 Rated 5 out of 5 by elf13 Great experience!! This is a fantastic trip that should be taken by everyone who visits the Las Vegas area. Great scenery, fun, knowledgable guides made this an experience to remember!! August 7, 2015 Rated 2 out of 5 by sadme So disappointed. The ride there in a van with bad shocks ,stuffed in like sardines ! The van that picked us up was in need of shocks, so many bumps and we were stuffed in like sardines. Horrible start! ! The rafting part was awesome. When we arrived in willow beach the ride was there, but insisted on a voucher. HUH? What was he talking about? We were in the middle of our adventure how was I supposed to know it was a whole other tour. ..I had our id, we just got off the raft, but the new tour guide insisted on something I was told Nothing about. He threatened to leave us. I was mortified! ! He had our names and he had our Confirmation number, what more could he need. He did not even want our ID's.

Finally I had retrieved an email and he agreed to take us. I was MORE than upset. What would we have done on a beach with no transportation, it was Ridiculous! !! The whole rest of the trip was Regrettable. I would not recommend this tour. July 4, 2015 2017-01-18 The 10 Best Hoover Dam Tours, Trips & Tickets - Las Vegas | Viator Las Vegas ATTRACTIONS See all Hoover Dam Hoover Dam (also known as Boulder Dam) is one of the largest in America. It was built between 1931 and 1936 across Black Canyon and above the mighty Colorado River. It's a national historical landmark with remarkable views of the Colorado River, Lake Mead, and the canyons and valleys surrounding it. Needless to say, Hoover Dam is a must-see attraction. The dam is named after Herbert Hoover, the U.S. president who agreed to have the dam built so that Nevada, California, and Arizona could increase irrigation waters and manage flood waters, and create hydroelectric-power.

It was built in just five years - an impressive feat, considering the dam is made of enough concrete to pave a road from New York to California. Hoover Dam stands 726 feet (220 m) above the Colorado River. The observation deck set above the dam provides scenic, 360-degree views of the Colorado River and nearby Lake Mead. Visitors can also tour through the inside of the dam, entering into the inspection tunnels. It is here that you’ll encounter inspection markings written on the walls over 70 years ago. Practical Info Hoover Dam is 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, on the border of Arizona and Nevada. More than 1 million people visit Hoover Dam each year. On summer weekends expect long lines and heavy traffic to/from the area. Tours & Tickets Hoover Dam | Bureau of Reclamation Hoover Dam The Story of Hoover Dam Hoover Dam is a testimony to a country's ability to construct monolithic projects in the midst of adverse conditions. Built during the Depression; thousands of men and their families came to Black Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It took less than five years, in a harsh and barren land, to build the largest dam of its time.

Now, years later, 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. Essays - This group of essays explains what Hoover Dam is, how it was built and its significance to the past, present and future. Many of these essays were written by Hoover Dam tour guides, some of the most knowledgeable people that you will find on the subject of Hoover Dam. Articles from the Past - Many articles have been written about Hoover Dam. Here we will try to assemble a few of the better ones to give you not only technical data about the dam, but an appreciation of how people have been impressed with it throughout its history. Water and Power Associates Water and Power Associates (1930)* - Black Canyon - The future site of Hoover Dam. Background Hoover Dam was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression. Its main purpose was to harness the Colorado River to prevent periodic catastrophic flooding, to allocate and distribute water, and to generate hydroelectricity for the Southwest. Even by today's standards Hoover Dam was a gigantic project.

At the time it was the world's largest project made with concrete, not to mention the largest public works project in US history. The dam's completion had a significant impact on Southern California and in particular Los Angeles, since the power generated by the dam contributed to more than 70% of the City's power needs at the time. (1925)^* - "The Party" about to embark for a trip through Boulder Canyon. They are assessing the potential sites for a dam on the Colorado River. Historical Notes Members of a water resources consulting committee (F. E. Bonner, A. J. Cleary, G. A. Elliot, B. A. Etcheverry, F. C. Herrmann, Louis C. Hill, W. L. Huber, A. Kempkey, J. B. Lippincott, William Mulholland, and C.S. Ridley) prepare to embark on a trip down the Colorado river, through Boulder Canyon, with representatives of the City of Los Angeles (William Mullholland, H. A. Van Norman, E. A. Bayley, H. C. Gardett, and S.

Parratt) and the State of California (Paul Bailey and Gerald Jones).^* More than 200 engineers worked to design the dam that would be constructed in Black Canyon. It would be the highest concrete arch dam in the United States, and the largest building project that the federal government had ever undertaken.*# Historical Notes Before a dam could be built, political work was necessary to resolve the competing claims on the river by different western states. As U.S. secretary of commerce, Herbert Hoover negotiated the Colorado River Compact, which divided the river basin into two regions, lower (Arizona, Nevada and California) and upper (Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado) that would make the building of the dam possible. In 1928, after years of lobbying to get a dam-building bill through Congress, the legislation was finally approved as the Boulder Canyon Project Act.

Hoover, who that same year was elected as the 31st president of the United States, signed the bill into law in 1929.*# Historical Notes Construction efforts consisted of re-routing the river through canyon walls, blasting immense amounts of rock and dredging efforts to build on a bedrock foundation, construction of two diversion coffer dams, and pouring 6.6 million tons of concrete. More than 8.5 million pounds of dynamite was used to blast the foundation for the dam and 8 miles of tunnels through the canyon walls. #* (ca. 1931)^^ - Workmen supported by lines from the top as they did high scaling on canyon walls during construction of the dam. Historical Notes “High Scalers” climbed down canyon walls on ropes to remove loose and weakened rocks along the canyon walls where the dam walls would join. Descending down the cliffs with the weight of tools, water and food, others would lower jackhammers to drill powder holes.

The High Scalers would fill the holes with dynamite and after hand maneuvering out of the way of explosives, they went to work with crowbars to remove loosened rock.*^* (1932)* - View from above the Colorado River looking upstream towards the site of Hoover Dam which is at the bend in the river. On the right we can see the lower portals of the Arizona water diversion tunnels. Historical Notes Before construction could begin, the river was diverted around the dam site through four 50-foot-diameter tunnels, two drilled through the canyon walls on each side of the river. The tunnels, with a total combined length of 15,946 feet, or about three miles, were excavated to 56 feet and lined with three feet (300,000 cubic yards) of concrete. They could carry over 200,000 cubic feet - more than 1.5 million gallons - of water per second. The river was first diverted through the two Arizona tunnels on November 14, 1932.*#^ Historical Notes The Jumbo Rig was designed to speed up the Hoover Dam's tunnel drilling process.

Built on the back of a 10-ton truck, 24 to 30 drills could be operated at once.^ These jumbos had two platforms for drillers to stand on, the third level of men working from the ground. It also had horizontal bars at the three levels, where the pneumatic drills hung by swivels. The process then became: Back the truck up to the solid rock wall, drill the holes, pack them with dynamite, tie them together and then pull the entire truck a safe distance away while the blowman detonated. Then clear away the debris and do it again.*#* (1932)**^ – View showing the interior of one of the tunnels through which the Colorado River will be diverted around the Hoover Dam site., April 18, 1932. (ca. 1933)^#^ - Government officials and politicians take a ride in one of the 30 ft. diameter pipe sections. Historical Notes Forty-four thousand tons of steel were formed and welded into 14,800 feet of pipe varying from 8 1/2 to 30 feet in diameter.

Each length of the largest pipe - 12 feet long, 30 feet in diameter, and 2 3/4 inches thick - was made from 3 steel plates, of such weight that only two plates could be shipped from the steel mill to the fabricating plant on one railroad car. Two such lengths of pipe welded together make one section weighing approximately 135 tons or, at intersections with the penstocks, as much as 186 tons.^*^ Workmen stand in completed spillway tunnel lining at Boulder Dam.* The spillway tunnel is 50 feet in diameter and 2,200 feet in length. Click HERE to view a detail diagram showing Boulder Dam's piping and penstock configuration. Historical Notes Each of the 4 diversion tunnels was holed out to 56-foot diameter—as high as a 4-story building—and lined with a 3-foot thickness of concrete. The total length of the tunnels was approximately 3 miles.**# (1934)* - Five workmen peer at the inside one of the four diversion tunnels. Behind them on the right is another tunnel. Historical Notes The four tunnels would have another important use besides diversion of the river.

After completion of the dam, they would serve to house the outlet works used in the regulation of the reservoir. The two outer tunnels would become outlets for the huge spillways. The two inner tunnels would guide the stored water from the intake towers in the reservoir to the power plant or past it to the outlet valves below the dam.**# (ca. 1933)^^ - Construction was a 24/7 operation. In this view we can see the base of the dam face on the far side of a pool of water, construction equipment and night lights. Historical Notes The first concrete was poured into the dam on June 6, 1933, 18 months ahead of schedule.^ (ca. 1933)* - Hoover Dam initial construction phase. Note the width and depth of the dam as it goes up. Historical Notes Since concrete heats and contracts as it cures, the potential for uneven cooling and contraction of the concrete posed a serious problem. Bureau of Reclamation engineers calculated that if the dam was built in a single continuous pour, the concrete would take 125 years to cool and the resulting stresses would cause the dam to crack and crumble.

Instead, the ground where the dam was to rise was marked with rectangles, and concrete blocks in columns were poured, some as large as 50 feet square and 5 feet high.^ Every state in the USA furnished supplies and materials for the construction of the dam. #* (ca. 1934)* - A closer look at the cement forms for the two power plants. Construction workers can be seen throughout. Historical Notes There were 112 deaths associated with the construction of the dam. Included in that total was J. G. Tierney, a surveyor who drowned on December 20, 1922, while looking for an ideal spot for the dam. He is generally counted as the first man to die in the construction of Hoover Dam. His son, Patrick W. Tierney, was the last man to die working on the dam's construction, 13 years to the day later. Ninety-six of the deaths occurred during construction at the site of the 112 fatalities^.... None were buried in the concrete. #* (1934)#* - View of three men standing by a Packard observing the near completed process of concrete pouring at the dam.

(1935)* - View of the Hoover Dam power plants near completion. The concrete pouring process appears to be complete. Historical Notes A total of 3,250,000 cubic yards of concrete was used in the dam before concrete pouring ceased on May 29, 1935. In addition, 1,110,000 cubic yards were used in the power plant and other works. More than 582 miles of cooling pipes were placed within the concrete. Overall, there is enough concrete in the dam to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York.^ (ca. 1935)* - View of the giant turbine runner before its installation at Hoover Dam power plant. The fin-like pieces of metal between the two circular flanges are the vanes. (September 30, 1935)* - Dedication of Hoover Dam by President F. D. Roosevelt. Ezra Scattergood can be seen in the lower right behind the chair with the hat. Historical Notes On September 30, 1935, less than 5 years after construction started, President Franklin D.

Roosevelt said in dedication ceremonies at Hoover Dam: “This is an engineering victory of the first order – another great achievement of American resourcefulness, skill and determination. This is why I congratulate you who have created Boulder Dam and on behalf of the Nation say to you, ‘well done’.” ^## In 1920, Ezra Scattergood pushed for a bill authorizing the construction of the Boulder Canyon Project (Hoover Dam). Despite attempts to discredit the project, Scattergood helped convince Congress in 1928 to pass the legislation and allow construction of the dam and a hydroelectric power plant.^# (1936)**^ – A crowd is assembled in the power house of the Hoover Dam in Boulder City, Nev., during ceremonies in which U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt pressed a button in Washington, D.C., starting the 3,500 horsepower generator in the foreground, creating the first power from the dam in Boulder City, September 11, 1936. Historical Notes The City of Los Angeles would have to wait another 28 days (October 9th, 1936) before it would get its allotment of power from Hoover Dam.

(1930s)**^ – View showing the high-voltage switching yard at Boulder Dam, with the steel etched against a black desert sky. Power from the generators at the top of Boulder Dam left this station on the main line to Los Angeles at 287,500 volts. Historical Notes Sixteen high-voltage transmission lines connect Hoover Dam with its power market area. Two lines terminate at Los Angeles, a line a distance of 266 miles. A third line extends to Los Angeles via the McCullough Switching Station, where the energy is stepped up to 500,000 volts. One line extends to San Bernardino, California. Three lines extend to Las Vegas, Nevada. One of the latter connects with the Davis Dam transmission system. Other lines extend to Kingman, Arizona; Needles, California and nearby Boulder City.^^# In total, there are 2700 miles of transmission line cable sending electricity from Hoover Dam to Los Angeles. #* Click HERE to see more in Early Power Transmission.

(October 9, 1936) - Plaque reads: "On the above date Miss Elisabeth Scattergood pressed this key which lighted the electric arc in the Civic Center as the citizens of Los Angeles received their first electric power from the Hoover Dam Hydro Electric Plants of the Colorado River". Construction of Hoover Dam Video Click HERE to view video. Construction of Hoover Dam - Historical Timeline The following timeline takes us from the late 1890’s when the first attempt to control flooding from the Colorado River began to 1936 when the Hoover Dam was completed and electric power flowed to the City of Los Angeles: 1890’s – Initial attempt at diverting the Colorado River for irrigation purposes by the construction of the Alamo Canal by land speculator William Beatty. 1900 – Preliminary investigation and studies for building a dam at Black Canyon or Boulder Canyon with the purpose of controlling floods, providing irrigation water, and producing hydroelectric power. Repeated flooding of the Imperial Valley and other areas created the need to control the Colorado River through construction of a dam.

1902 – Edison Electric Company surveys the Colorado River with the idea of building a 40-foot rock dam which could generate 10,000 horsepower. At this time, however, the limit for transmission of electric power is only 88 miles and there are few customers within that limit. During that same year Edison allows its land options on the river to lapse, including an option for what became the site of Hoover Dam. 1902 - U.S. Congress passes the Reclamation Act to provide for a plan for the payment of construction costs for a reclamation project to control the Colorado River. 1905 – Heavy rainfall and snowmelt causes the Colorado River to swell and overrun a set of Alamo Canal head-gates. This results in a flood which diverts the entire volume of the Colorado River into the Salton Sink over a period of approximately two years before it can be controlled again. This catastrophic event also floods the entire Imperial Valley. The flood completely submerges the town of Salton, Southern Pacific Railroad siding, and Torres-Martinez Indian land.

The Salton Sea is created as a result of the diverted uncontrolled flow of the Colorado River over 50 miles into what was once an ancient dry lakebed in the desert for over two years without drainage. 1906-1907 – Southern Pacific Railroad spends $3 million to stabilize the waterway. 1922 – Reclamation Service (later the Bureau of Reclamation) presents a report calling for building a dam on the Colorado for flood control and power generation. The report concludes that this should become a federal project since the river’s basin covers several states and the river enters Mexico. 1922- Reclamation Service selects Black Canyon as the ideal spot for the dam not the original location of Boulder Canyon since that site is bisected by a fault-line. The name of the project remains ‘Boulder Canyon Project’ despite the site change (See above photo). 1922 – The Colorado River Compact is signed by seven states of the Colorado basin (California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, new Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. More than anything this serves to balance each of the affected state’s water rights. 1926 - William Mulholland gets involved with the Boulder Canyon Project even when funding wasn't clearly available.

He makes a commitment to Congress to buy even more power than needed by Los Angeles. The extra power would be used to pump water in a newly planned aqueduct that would bring Colorado River water to Southern California (Colorado Aqueduct, completed 1941). Los Angeles guarantees its power purchases against the federal government's costs for the dam. 1928 – Congress authorizes the project and President Coolidge signs the bill. $165 million is appropriated for the Hoover Dam, the Imperial Dam and the All-American Canal, both downstream. Legislation to authorize construction of the dam has taken years since representatives from other parts of the country found it to be too costly and beneficial to mostly California. Not until the 1927 Mississippi flood did Midwestern and Southern congressmen and senators become more sympathetic to the dam project. 1929 – Six of the seven states approve the compact which is the minimum required to proceed with the project. Arizona does not approve until 1944. 1931 – Start of Construction by a consortium of companies called Six Companies, Inc.

1933 - Ezra Scattergood obtains a $22,799,000 loan from the federal government to build a power transmission line from Hoover Dam to Los Angeles. Construction of the Boulder-LA transmission line begins as the dam itself is erected. 1934 - Congress authorizes a fifty-year contract that defines the how the Hoover Dam's electricity is to be allocated and sold, which would run from 1937 - 1987. The authorization also defines who is to operate the powerhouses within that time frame--both the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southern California Edison. In 1984 the allocation of power would be revised (see 'Current Milestones' below). Also, in 1987 the Bureau of Reclamation assumes control of the powerhouses. 1935 (September 30) – Hoover Dam is dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt. 1936 (March 1st) – The dam is turned over to the federal government from Six Companies, more than two years ahead of schedule. 1936 (October 9th) – Hoover Dam begins transmitting electricity to Los Angeles.

The DWP built transmission line spans 266 miles of mountains and desert and delivers over 70% of Los Angeles’ power (Hoover Dam delivers less than 6% of LA's power today). The transmission lines included pioneering technology in high-voltage transmission. They transmitted electricity at a higher voltage (287 kV) than any other long-distance transmission line in the world to date. The Naming Controversy: Boulder Dam or Hoover Dam? During the years of lobbying leading up to the passage of legislation authorizing the dam in 1928, the press generally referred to the dam as "Boulder Dam" or as "Boulder Canyon Dam", even though the proposed site had shifted to Black Canyon. The Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928 (BCPA) never mentions a proposed name or title for the dam. The BCPA merely allows the government to "construct, operate, and maintain a dam and incidental works in the main stream of the Colorado River at Black Canyon or Boulder Canyon".

When Secretary Wilbur spoke at the ceremony starting the building of the railway between Las Vegas and the dam site on September 17, 1930, he named the dam "Hoover Dam", citing a tradition of naming dams after Presidents, though none had been so honored during their terms of office. Wilbur justified his choice on the ground that Hoover was "the great engineer whose vision and persistence ... has done so much to make [the dam] possible". One writer complained in response that "the Great Engineer had quickly drained, ditched, and dammed the country". After Hoover's election defeat in 1932 and the accession of the Roosevelt administration, Secretary Ickes ordered on May 13, 1933 that the dam be referred to as "Boulder Dam". Ickes stated that Wilbur had been imprudent in naming the structure after a sitting president, that Congress had never ratified his choice, and that it had long been referred to as Boulder Dam. When Ickes spoke at the dedication ceremony on September 30, 1935, he was determined, as he recorded in his diary, "to try to nail down for good and all the name Boulder Dam".

At one point in the speech, he spoke the words "Boulder Dam" five times within thirty seconds. Further, he suggested that if the dam were to be named after any one person, it should be for California Senator Hiram Johnson, a lead sponsor of the authorizing legislation. Roosevelt also referred to the dam as Boulder Dam, and the Republican-leaning Los Angeles Times, which at the time of Ickes' name change had run an editorial cartoon showing Ickes ineffectively chipping away at an enormous sign "HOOVER DAM", reran it showing Roosevelt reinforcing Ickes, but having no greater success. In the following years, the name "Boulder Dam" failed to fully take hold, with many Americans using the two names interchangeably and mapmakers divided as to what name should be printed. Memories of the Great Depression faded, and Hoover to some extent rehabilitated himself through good works during and after World War II. In 1947, a bill passed both Houses of Congress unanimously restoring the name to "Hoover Dam".

Ickes, who was by then a private citizen, opposed the change, stating, "I didn't know Hoover was that small a man to take credit for something he had nothing to do with."^ More Recent Milestones 1984 - Congress passes a new statute which sets power allocations from the dam for the period 1987 to 2017. 1987 - The Bureau of Reclamation assumes control of running the powerhouses. Both DWP and SCE operated the powerhouses between 1936 and 1987. 2011 - President Obama signs legislation extending the power allocation contracts until 2067, after setting aside 5% of Hoover Dam's power for sale to Native American tribes, electric cooperatives, and other entities. The new arrangement is to take place in 2017.^ Boulder Dam-LA Transmission Line Click HERE for the Boulder Dam-LA Transmission Line Engineering Paper by E. F. Scattergood, presented to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers in 1935. Hoover Dam bridge is America's newest wonder - USATODAY.com Timelapse video of the new bridge under construction.

Hoover Dam bridge is America's newest wonder Updated By David Wallace, The Arizona Republic The Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge rises 890 feet above the Colorado River. By Sean Holstege The Arizona Republic It stands like a sentinel, watching in the wind over one of America's most treasured landmarks, the Hoover Dam. When the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge opens to traffic later this week, it is expected to become an instant tourist attraction while providing a quicker, safer drive between Phoenix and Las Vegas . The Hoover Dam bypass bridge is a study in superlatives: • The highest and longest arched concrete bridge in the Western Hemisphere. • The second-highest bridge of any kind in the United States and 14th in the world. • The world's tallest concrete columns of their kind. But what sets the bridge apart most of all is the setting. It is perched 890 feet above the turquoise Colorado River , wedged between rock cliffs that form Black Canyon, with commanding views of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead . The four-lane bridge near Boulder City, Nev ., was dedicated Thursday, just two weeks after the 75th anniversary of the dam's opening ceremony.

It's a bridge whose future seemed always to be in doubt. The first study recommending a bypass was written in 1968, and over the years, 27 more studies followed. Yet it wasn't until March 2001 that the Federal Highway Administration approved the plan. Full funding would materialize only after Arizona , Nevada and various federal agencies agreed to split the cost. The deal hinged on the states lending part of the money, knowing complete funding was years off. Victor Mendez took over as director of the Arizona Department of Transportation in 2001 and faced the difficult task of drumming up support for the state's contribution. "Clearly, in my mind, I felt we were going to build this project," said Mendez, who now runs the Federal Highway Administration. The terrorist attacks in September of that year quickly made it clear that Hoover Dam wasn't just a traffic bottleneck and safety hazard but also a target. Commercial traffic was immediately banned from U.S. 93 across Hoover Dam, forcing a 75-mile detour. The urgency to build the bridge accelerated. Work on the $114 million bridge started on Valentine's Day 2005. The bridge and the new stretches of U.S.

93 leading to it will open to traffic this week. Combined, the projects came in within the $240 million budget. Attending the dedication Thursday were Mendez and his boss, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood , along with members of the Tillman and O'Callaghan families. Congress had designated the name of the bridge in a 2004 transportation bill. It honors two people from the states that the bridge connects. Pat Tillman is the Arizona Cardinals linebacker who joined the U.S. Army after the Sept. 11, 2001 , attacks and was killed by friendly fire during combat in Afghanistan. Mike O'Callaghan was a two-term Nevada governor and decorated Korean War veteran. A public celebration was held Saturday. "The view is spectacular," said Mike Hoover, a 62-year-old from Phoenix whose father's name is Herbert Hoover. "The view is spectacular. People are really going to enjoy this." Denver resident Mike Capps, 64, has relatives in Kingman, Ariz., and visits them often. "We've been watching this bridge being built for the last eight years," he said. "We made the trip just for this.

Just to be a part of it." Views from cars crossing the dam will be partly obscured by a barrier. But pedestrians are allowed to cross on the upstream side. From there, they can look straight down through the railing at the rocks and river far below. They also get a new perspective on the dam. Studies from 2001 showed a motorist will save an average of 17 minutes when crossing from one side of the canyon to the other. On busy holiday weekends, the time savings could be more because the bridge eliminates tourist travel congestion and security checkpoints that have caused two-hour delays at the dam. For Mendez, the project is a model and an advertisement to lawmakers reluctant to spend more money on public works. "This bridge is a unique accomplishment for the nation," he said. "This is the kind of smarts and attitude we need to bring more of these projects in and put more people back to work." As the bridge rose, the 1,200 workers and 300 engineers on the project found inspiration a quarter-mile upstream. "If any one of us had a day when we felt tired or rundown or in doubt, working in the shadow of that dam really helped," project manager Dave Zanetell said.

"Hoover Dam was the greatest engineering accomplishment in our nation's history," he said. "We had an opportunity to be as great for our generation." Posted E-mail | Print | To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com . Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more . Hoover Dam | The Dam That Created Lake Mead Hoover Dam A Treasure of Arizona, Nevada & The World Construction began in 1931 and Hoover Dam was completed in 1936. It still stands tall as an engineering marvel high above the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada. Hoover Dam attracts over 7 million visitors from around the new world every year feeding vast tourism into the Las Vegas Nevada and Arizona economy. The building of Hoover Dam took the brilliance of over 200 engineers to pull-off what many deemed as almost impossible.

And it was the fortitude of over 7,000 dam workers that endured amazingly harsh conditions and extreme dangers to complete Hoover Dam almost two years ahead of schedule. Read more about “Men, Women and Children of Hoover Dam” . The mission of Hoover Dam was multi-purpose. Flooding along the Colorado River as it made its way to the Gulf of California had to be controlled. The water-flow had to be harnessed to provide much needed water to the fertile, yet arid agricultural areas of California and Arizona. And hydroelectric energy was to satisfy the requirements of millions and millions of people in adjacent regions. A scenic by-product of Hoover Dam is the gigantic reservoir of Lake Mead, a stunningly beautiful water recreation wonderland. This boating, sailing, fishing and house-boating paradise attracts over 10 million visitors a year. Lake Mead covers 550 miles of majestic shoreline and 247 square miles of area which is twice the size of Rhode Island. Its capacity of 1 1/4 trillion cubic feet of water would cover the entire state of Pennsylvania one foot deep. But, back to Hoover Dam itself which is 726 feet tall and 1,244 feet long.

At its base, Hoover Dam is 660 feet thick which is 60 feet longer than two football fields laid end-to-end. Combined with its top thickness of 45 feet, there is enough concrete (4.5 million cubic yards) in Hoover Dam to build a two-lane highway from Seattle Washington to Miami Florida. Or imagine a four-foot wide sidewalk around Earth at its equator. An often asked question is how Hoover Dam can withstand the massive pressure and weight of Lake Mead which is constantly trying to flow down river to the Gulf of California. It’s answered briefly this way. Hoover Dam curves against Lake Mead and is fortified against the massive rock walls of Black Canyon. When the water compresses against the curved walls of Hoover Dam, the canyon walls push-back counteracting the awesome power of Lake Mead. This massive, but unseen, action squeezes the concrete arch together creating the mind-boggling strength of Hoover Dam. Read more about the construction of Hoover Dam . Hoover Dam is only about 35 miles from Las Vegas Nevada making it a popular tourist destination of those visiting the casinos and nightlife that never sleeps. Over 20,000 vehicles a day cross Hoover Dam between Arizona and Nevada.

Thousands from around the world take the Hoover Dam tour and ride the elevator down into the inner-workings of the dam. Hoover Dam offers ample parking in strategically located scenic areas overlooking the spectacular views across Hoover Dam to Lake Mead and the Colorado River through Black Canyon. Food, refreshments and tour guides make the visit even more enjoyable. There is an abundance of fine hotels, budget motels and nearby casino hotels and resorts. Boat rentals and houseboat rentals area available at Lake Mead marinas and helicopter tours are an excellent way to experience the beauty of the entire area. And, be on the lookout for the rare Mountain Sheep that inhabit the mountainous canyons. Visit Hoover Dam. You’ll be amazed. Grand dam - Sunset Grand dam Kerrick James A magnificent sweep of concrete Hoover Dam stands 726 feet tall. Architectural wonder, canyon-country gateway No matter how many times you visit Hoover Dam, the first impression is the same: That is one big dam. Massive and white, Hoover hunkers down like a nose tackle on a goal-line stand, holding back the Colorado River and reducing its passage through Black Canyon to a steady, controlled flow.

Then there's the second impression: As brutally functional as the dam needs to be, there's beauty in the beast. Hoover's concrete face curves elegantly for more than 1,200 feet between the canyon's volcanic-rock walls. Bas-relief adorns the crest's art deco turrets, while four rocketlike intake towers have a kind of vintage futurism ― a dash of Flash Gordon. Advertisement Just before U.S. 93 crosses the dam from Nevada, the Winged Figures of the Republic, a pair of 30-foot-tall bronzes, preside over a terrazzo plaza that shows the celestial alignment the day the dam was dedicated 70 years ago. Another memorial salutes the sacrifice of those who died during construction, with a figure rising from the waters and the declaration, "They died to make the desert bloom." Hoover Dam is a shrine to the modern West and the can-do resolve of the Great Depression. Hoover Dam sits at the heart of the 1.5 million-acre Lake Mead National Recreation Area, which stretches for more than 100 miles across Nevada and Arizona.

While the dam is one of the country's most visited landmarks, few visitors explore Lake Mead's prime Southwest terrain: Water covers only 13 percent of the recreation area. In fact, the drought that began in 1999 has dramatically exposed more land as the lake has fallen. While early-winter rains and runoff will increase the lake level, they won't be enough to reverse the Southwest's worst drought in 500 years. But hopes are high for wildflowers and some of the best exploring in years. Hike the canyons Just as Hoover Dam can overwhelm with its size, so too does the recreation area's landscape. From the Grand Canyon to Laughlin, Nevada, this is vast, empty country. But if the dam's real beauty is in its details, the same is true of Lake Mead's desert. Outside Laughlin, Grapevine Canyon is tucked into a fold of the Newberry Mountains. The vegetation here is classic desert: creosote, barrel cactus, and Mojave yucca. But one pocket is verdant, with a tangle of native grapevines growing among granite boulders.

The springwater that keeps the vines alive also drew several Indian tribes centuries ago ― as evidenced by extensive petroglyphs, ranging from abstract swirls and grids to one panel showing desert bighorn sheep. While Grapevine Canyon's water only trickles, other Lake Mead canyons reveal the power of desert flash floods. A few miles south of the dam, White Rock Canyon winds through serpentine passageways deep within towering walls of volcanic rock. It was named for large white boulders that sit among the granite that floodwaters washed from surrounding mountains. The canyon serves as one of the few routes where you can easily reach the Colorado River. After shuffling through the wash's gravel and rounding bend after rocky bend, the canyon finally opens to the river. Hoover Dam controls the Colorado's flow, but the peaks and rock walls that enclose the river are reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. Plus there's another payoff: a side trail that leads to a hot springs.

(The downside of hot-potting here is that a long soak can fondue both your legs and ambition, turning the modest 3-mile return into a sandy slog.) Advertisement History revealed Although Lake Mead's Northshore Road is near Las Vegas, its volcanic buttes and sandstone formations are worlds from the Strip's artificiality. Short hikes lead to landscapes straight out of a dream ― look closely and you may even see bighorns melting into the terrain. As you walk through the expanses near North Callville Wash, it's hard to imagine that much awaits ahead. Then the route drops into Lovell Wash, and the walls close to form Lovell Wash Narrows. Here the tilting and winding layers of sandstone have a dizzying effect as you pass through the labyrinth that closes to an arm span across. Not all of Northshore Road's attractions are so hidden. The Redstone Picnic Area's Aztec sandstone outcrops sit alongside the drive. These formations, actually petrified sand dunes, reveal intricate layers of sediment, as well as wind-sculpted caverns, with surfaces as graceful and smooth as Pueblo pottery. This area marked the western reach of the Ancestral Puebloan culture.

Before Lake Mead filled, excavations saved artifacts from Lost City, a group of pueblos along the nearby Muddy and Virgin Rivers. The lake was an equal-opportunity inundator and also swamped early Mormon settlements, such as St. Thomas, a community founded in 1865. Now, as Lake Mead has receded, foundations and chimneys of St. Thomas have reappeared. Once an arm of the lake, the delta here is today choked with thick stands of invasive tamarisk. To see St. Thomas offers a glimpse of the past and, if the drought persists, serves as a harbinger of a drier future too. Hoover Dam may be big enough to tame the Colorado River, but some forces of nature remain far beyond our control. More from Sunset

Question: The Hoover Dam stands on which river?
Answer: Colorado