Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam spans the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada. Completed in 1936 it was the largest dam of it’s kind, and currently ranks 38th. It supplies power to Arizona, Nevada, and a large portion of southern California, including Los Angeles. Without this dam it is very likely that these areas would not be inhabited, at least not to the extent they are today. That’s right all you party people, that means Las Vegas may never have been. Even so, the water level has been decreasing rapidly over the last few years and alternate plans for power generation and water consumption for the region need to be investigated and implemented quickly to maintain the regions’ way of life.

I definitely recommended adding this icon of engineering to your bucket list.  The enormity of the dam takes your breath away.  I didn’t take one of the guided tours inside the dam.  I’m a little claustrophobic and more importantly was pressed for time.  We did take the time to check out the Visitors Center which includes a self guided tour through the museum detailing the construction of the dam.  If you do have the time to take a more in depth tour, you have the option of touring just the power plant or the power plant and the dam passageways.  It is important to note that the tour that includes the dam passageways does not allow for those in wheelchairs, with crutches, or children under 8.  For more information on the tours, including pricing, go to this website:  http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/service/index.html.

To help ease the load of vehicle traffic on the dam, a bridge is being constructed nearby and is scheduled to open later this year.  When I visited in late 2008 the bridge was only just beginning to be constructed.  It’s shocking to see the latest progress made in such a relatively short period of time.  To see the progress yourself you can go to:  http://www.hooverdambypass.org/whats_new.htm.