Hoover Dam

Building of the Hoover Dam
Construction of the Boulder Dam (now known as Hoover Dam) began on July 7, 1930.
The reason it was named the Boulder Dam was because it was adjacent to Boulder Canyon.
The project was also named the the Boulder Canyon Dam Project.

Continued
The dam now converts the flow of the river into 2.4 megawatts of energy.
Most of the energy is routed to southern California and Nevada.
At the time the dam cost 49$ million to construct.
The dam is 660 ft thick and is 1244 ft long.
The dam impounds the Colorado river.

Pictures of the Hoover Dam

About the Construction of the Hoover Dam
Geological specialists inspected the volcanic bedrock and found fault lines that were solid enough to support the structure.
Also they sent out surveying parties to make contour maps showing that the area would hold 31 million acre feet of water.

Continued
The office engineering staff was busy making system analyses, drawings, specifications, schedules, and cost estimates.
The work on the Dam was finished in the late 1930s which was six months ahead of the projected time.

Achievements of the Hoover Dam
At the time of its completion the Hoover Dam was the worlds largest concrete structure.
It held that until 1942 when the Grand Coulee Dam opened.
It was also, at the time, the largest public-works program in U.S. history.

Continued
The Hoover Dam help reclaim Californias flood-prone Imperial Valley, it improved water supply to the seven Colorado River-basin states, and generated electric power for Southern California.

Pictures of the Hoover Dam

Facts About the Hoover Dam
The Hoover Dam is a concrete gravity-arch dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River.
It is on the border between Arizona and Nevada.
The Dam is named after Herbert Hoover who played a big role in its construction, first Secretary of Commerce, and the President of the United

About the Reservoir
Lake Mead is the reservoir created behind the dam.
It was named after Elwood Mead, who oversaw the construction of the dam.
Before the construction, the Colorado River Basin periodically overflowed its banks when snow from the Rocky Mountains melted and drained into the river.
The floods endangered downstream farming communities.
The dam made it possible for the expansion of irrigated farming in the parched region.
It also provided a dependable supply of water for Los Angeles and Southern California communities.

Continued
The floods endangered downstream farming communities.
The dam made it possible for the expansion of irrigated farming in the parched region.
It also provided a dependable supply of water for Los Angeles and Southern California communities.

Reasons why I chose the Hoover Dam
I chose this because it was one of the biggest achievements of the decade.
Also I thought this was one of the most interesting topics out of the list.
Lastly I wanted to learn more about this topic.

Resources
http://aquafornia.com/archives/3399
http://www.iloho.com/landmarks/12-Hoover-Dam%20|%20Hoover-Dam/pictures/197
http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Hoover%20Dam
2011 Connor Hanson