Out here in the desert there is not a lot of naturally flowing water. Water is necessary for life but its power must be controlled. In 1922, representatives for each of the 7 states along the Colorado River met to discuss the future of the river. They understood that they all needed access to the life-giving water and wanted to find ways to protect those living along the river's banks. Together they developed the Colorado River Compact which later paved the way for Congress to pass the Boulder Canyon Project Act. This act was the first step in creating what we now know as the Hoover Dam.
During our tour today we learned that it took 5 years to build the Hoover Dam and power plant. In the middle of the Great Depression, hundreds of men worked around the clock earning about $4 a day. We were laughing today because our tour guide told us that it took 5 years to complete the dam project but it took about 7 or 8 years to build the new interstate bridge above the Colorado River just beyond the dam. Modern engineering....not quite as efficient it seems.
The tour and movie were quite informative and very interesting. It was neat to go way below ground and see the humongous pipes where the powerful water roars through. Our tour actually took us down in a tunnel that was used to divert the river water during the construction of the dam. The tunnel is now sealed with large amounts of concrete to prevent the water for taking that detour again.
After the tour we made our way outside and took pictures of the river, the extremely tall wall (726 feet from bedrock to top), and man-made Lake Mead. One of the things that I find funny and sad at the same time is the very distinct line on the canyon walls showing how high the lake used to be. It looks like a toilet bowl ring but is an obvious reminder of how low the water level is. Many, many years ago the water was really high. Our tour guide said that the overflow tunnels had only been used twice in their existence. Once right after the dam was built they purposefully allowed the lake to fill above capacity to test the tubes and once in the 80's the lake flooded and the lake came within feet of the road level.
Overall, our trip to Hoover Dam was informative and very interesting. This was not our first trip to the dam but I feel like I definitely got more out of it this time around. Hoover Dam is definitely an engineering marvel!!
Lake Mead
Half of the 17 enormous turbines. The flag is hanging from an orginal crane used in the construction of the dam.
Hoover Dam!!
New bridge connecting Nevada and Arizona.
Lake Mead, a bit lower now then in the past.
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