Hoover Dam is a large concrete dam on the Colorado River in the southwestern United States, completed in 1936 and named after US President Herbert Hoover. It forms the Lake Mead reservoir and produces electricity from hydroelectric generators. The dam is a major tourist attraction and the surrounding area is a National Recreation Area. The dam’s construction was completed two years ahead of schedule by Six Companies, Inc. The Mike O’ Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge was built downstream from the dam in 2010 to bypass US Highway 93.
Hoover Dam is a large concrete dam on the Colorado River in the southwestern United States on the Arizona-Nevada border near Las Vegas. The project was begun in 1931 and by the time it was finished in 1936, it was the largest concrete structure in the world. It forms the reservoir known as Lake Mead, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Previously named Boulder Dam, it was renamed in honor of US President Herbert Hoover. It produces millions of megawatts of electricity from its hydroelectric generators and is a major tourist attraction.
The Colorado River is one of the major rivers in the Western United States. For many years in the early 20th century, engineers studied the area known as Black Canyon as a possible site for a hydroelectric dam that would create a reservoir and provide flood control for the mighty Colorado River. After the site was selected, the contract to build the Hoover Dam was awarded to a conglomerate of six major construction companies, called Six Companies, Inc. This new company completed the massive structure two years ahead of schedule despite numerous obstacles, such as inhospitable desert working conditions and an almost complete absence of infrastructure in the region. Hoover Dam was dedicated by President Franklin Roosevelt in the 20th.
Lake Mead, the large reservoir behind the dam, supplies many regions of the Southwestern United States with fresh water, as well as providing the mechanical power used to turn turbines within the dam that generate megawatts of electricity. Lake Mead is a favorite destination for boaters and fishermen in the region, and the entire surrounding area is designated a National Recreation Area by the US government. For tourists who want to see the Hoover Dam, there is a visitor center and guided tours.
The art deco style of the 1930s can be seen in some elements of the dam’s construction. Four concrete towers on the side of the reservoir as well as spillways and power plants are still considered elegant examples of this architectural style, albeit on a grand scale. US Highway 93 once ran along the top of Hoover Dam, but as traffic flow increased, an alternative was sought, and a bypass project was completed in 2010 that routed the highway over the Western Hemisphere’s longest concrete span, the Mike O’ Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, located approximately 1,600 feet (490 m) downstream from the dam.
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