Basic Information
The Hoover Dam is a massaive concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. Such a large concrete structure had never been built before, and some of the techniques were unproven. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over one hundred lives.
The winning bid to build the dam was submitted by a consortium called Six Companies, Inc., which began construction on the dam in early 1931. The torrid summer weather and lack of facilities near the site presented difficulties. Nevertheless, Six Companies turned over the dam to the federal government on March 1, 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule.
Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States by volume (when it is full). A municipality originally constructed for workers on the construction project created a boom town called Boulder City, located in Nevada, about 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The dam's generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Hoover Dam is a major tourist attraction; nearly a million people tour the dam each year. The heavily traveled U.S. Route 93 (US 93) ran along the dam's crest until October 2010, when the Hoover Dam Bypass opened.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- Some one is trying to destroy the damn, creating a massive flood, and major power outage
- A group has taken the road over the damn and will not let anyone pass until a toll is paid.
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Despite being the most famous dam in the US (and probably one of the most famous dams in the world) it is neither the biggest nor the most productive, even in America (although it does have the largest impounded lake).