- The Dam is 650 feet thick at the base and is 65 feet thick across the top.
- Hoover stands 726 feet tall, stretches across the canyon at 1,244 feet long.
- Boulder Dam construction started in 1931 and completed five years later in 1936.
- The dam type is called an “Arch-Gravity Dam.”
- It took 4,400,000 cubic yards of concrete to build the Dam. That’s 4.36 million cubic tons!
- The yearly energy production average is 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours, serving electrical requirements of approximately 8 million people.
- Hoover Dam was initially Named Boulder Dam After the Bolder canyon project, and On February 14, 1931, By a Congressional Act, the name was changed to Herbert Hoover Dam in Honer of our 31st president
- Concrete is still curing to this day.
- Hoover Dam created the largest reservoir in the United States.
- During World War II, The Hoover Dam was a German Target, with plots that were in the works to bomb the Dam.
Hoover Dam
We’ll go over Hoover Dam Facts and History, as well as taking a look at what’s going on with the Dam today. There will be fun facts, and there will be some facts that are not so fun, even tragic. So goes the way of anything historical!
The Tourist Destination that is Hoover Dam
The Hoover Dam receives about 7 million visitors each year. Tourists come from everywhere to take a stroll across the Dam’s top, to view the art deco structures placed along the surface of the Dam, and to take in the view of the Black Canyon. Others come to inspect an engineering marvel, produced by complicated means and dangerous conditions.
Located on the east side of the Dam itself, is a visitor center that is packed with information about the construction of the Dam, displays, interactive presentations, and films.
Hoover’s Observation Deck
Constructed on top of the Visitor Center is the observation deck. While you’re standing there taking in the breathtaking view, you’ll be filled with information about the Dam, Lake Mead, the Colorado River, and so on, via a recorded message. Certainly, a place where you’ll be happy to take a camera.
Tours
There are two significant tours to take advantage of. The first is an external tour of the Dam itself. The second is a tour of the internal workings, visiting the power generation areas of the Dam, and many of its inner chambers. Both include access to the visitor center.
Surrounding Attractions
Nearby the Dam is a recreational area for people to take a stroll, have a picnic, or check out the local wildlife. Then again, there’s always Lake Mead, which offers several different activities to take advantage of as well.
With Las Vegas about 30 miles away and Boulder only 8 miles from the Dam, there are plenty of things to do not far from the Dam. Also, there are places like Death Valley and national parks within the Grand Canyon area to explore.
Lake Mead Cruises
If you want to see Hoover dam from lake Level, why not jump on a three-tiered paddlewheel boat called the Desert Princess? The first two decks are climate-controlled to get you out of the weather, and the third deck is open for the best viewing experience.
The Desert Princess tours around Lake Mead and takes a swing by Hoover Dam. If you’re interested in checking this out, look into the owner of the Desert Princess called Lake Mead Cruises.
Hoover Dam Construction Deaths
Ninety-six people died through industrial-based accidents, and 112 died in total. Most of the deaths caused by pneumonia and were not work-related.
Pneumonia or Carbon Monoxide?
Here is where things get a little slimy. Some of the deaths associated with building the Dam were reportedly due to pneumonia. However, aside from the construction crew, there were no reports of pneumonia anywhere else in the area. Not from any nearby hospitals or towns.
It turns out that Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is becoming a more durable case for these reported cases of pneumonia. The first question someone may ask is, “Why wouldn’t the powers that be decide to be honest about the reasoning behind these deaths?” The answer is money.
They would have to cover all of the expenses, as well as payout compensation to any families involved. Then they’d be forced to have to talk about the 140 degree, poorly ventilated chambers within the Dam, where gas-powered equipment continuously ran. Calling it pneumonia severs any tie to work involved, and removes the businesses from any liabilities or responsibilities.
Are people buried in Hoover Dam’s concrete walls?
There is no one buried in Hoover Dam, and nobody could fall into the concrete and sink. The massive size blocks never rose above 6” while being poured.
But this reasoning assumes a lot. The assumption would be that the concrete beneath has already dried. It stands to reason that the amount poured would vary from one degree to another, doesn’t it? None of this means that it happened, but it certainly weakens the idea that it couldn’t.
However, the official story seems to run crosswise with several accounts that come straight from the mouths of the workers that built the Dam. Nobody personally witnessed anyone being “purposefully buried” within the walls of the Hoover Dam, according to a series of interviews conducted in the early ‘80s by Todd King from the University of Nevada. But what exactly would one mean by saying, “purposefully buried?” What about accidentally? What about missing people? It seems that this researcher was deliberate in his wording.
So, the truth is anyone’s guess. Everyone loves a good story despite its morbidity, and some workers could have made them up. On the other hand, it isn’t necessarily good “PR” to concede that there are dead men who reside in the walls of a national treasure.
Dumber things have been covered up over time for lesser reasons. But knowing about how these businesses covered up poisoning deaths with the pneumonia excuse, lying about people who’ve gotten lost in the walls isn’t a far stretch- but who knows?
Lake Mead- A Product of the Dam
Before there was a Lake Mead, the Colorado River rushed unhindered through the Black Canyon, carving through the rough terrain of the Grand Canyon. But with the construction of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead was born.
When water levels are at their highest, Lake Mead is 112 miles long, and 532 feet in its deepest areas. The surface area of the lake spreads across 247 square miles, and to date is the largest reservoir in the United States.
The newly formed lake created by the Dam was named after the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Elwood Mead, who held that office throughout the entirety of the Boulder Canyon Project. The “Boulder Canyon Project” is the project that consisted of the Hoover Dam as well as planning for the lake.
Upon completion of the Dam and the lake, the area was called Boulder Dam Recreation Area in 1936. The name of the area changed in 1947, to Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Community Displacement
Before the lake, several communities resided around the banks of the Colorado River. All of these communities had to be removed and relocated, as the entire area would eventually be deep underwater.
Ruins of some of these communities can still be seen during drought years, serving as a reminder of a time before the Dam.
Water Levels
Much of what dictates the water levels of Lake Mead comes from the snow melt off of the surrounding mountains, into the Colorado River Basin. Disturbingly, there has been a steady trend for the past several decades, with less snowfall or snow melting conditions that cause snow to vaporize rather than melt and flow.
Marina docks have been moved in toward the water to compensate; other marinas closed down completely. Several businesses that relied on the waters being at much higher levels have since shut down.
Since the 2000s, Lake mead has teetered on the brink of drought conditions, which, when a certain level below capacity is reached, water rationing for states that rely on this source for water are implemented. Nevada and Arizona are two states that heavily rely on the water from the Colorado River & Lake Mead.
Every time the consideration for water rationing is near, something has happened to bring the levels up a few feet to remove that concern.
Back in 2015-2016, the Hoover Dam got retrofitted with a different style turbine, which enabled it to produce energy at a lower water level. With the increasing demand for water and power through increasing populations that depend on them, the pressure is on to make sure that everything is managed efficiently and as reliably as possible. But both the water and power are at the mercy of the Colorado River Basin and the water available.
Ragtown – Desperate times for Workers and their Families
When the construction of Boulder Dam released, thousands of workers came from all over the country in search of employment. It so happens that the announcement of the Dam’s construction coincided with the onset of the great depression and the stock market crash of 1929.
The majority of these folks, along with their families, settled in tent cities in the Las Vegas township. In those days, Vegas wasn’t much more than a dusty town- nothing like it is today. Resources were scarce at best and proposed a problem for the residents as well as the influx of population.
Because of this, the construction of the Dam began six months ahead of schedule. Workers pulled up stakes from Las Vegas and relocated to what would become a place called “Ragtown.”
Ragtown was located on-site of the Dam’s construction area along the Colorado River, on the floor of Black Canyon. Whatever people could piece together for shelter was utilized- tents, boxes, scraps, you name it.
In time, Ragtown would burst at the seams with a population of over 5,000 people, which includes workers, their families, and others who didn’t make the cut but had nowhere else to go. These people had to navigate through 130-degree days, and nights that reached freezing temperatures.
Due to the harsh weather conditions, 25 people died in Ragtown through its first wave of summer months in 1931.
Providing Relief
The Federal Government had plans to construct adequate housing for workers and their families, but couldn’t get everything going fast enough to usurp the Ragtown situation. However, the development situated on federal land near the dam construction zone reached completion.
This development included housing by way of barracks (significant upgrade from a tent or box), churches, stores, schools, and other general places of human welfare. This place will one day become what we know today to be Boulder City.
The Hoover Dam Overflows with History
Nearly every step of the way is fascinating as it relates to the Hoover Dam. Not only the Dam itself but the people who were involved with its construction. Not to mention some of the heroes that spawned through the hard times.
Heroes, such as Merle Emery, opened a store in Ragtown as an effort to provide some relief to the workers. She sold things at prices people could afford, using the honor system in many cases. Many other fascinating stories remain relating to the Dam, the politics involved, the people, and the success of its completion. You’ll find many of these accounts at the visitor center and museums that reside in Boulder.