Hoover Dam

Seven Wonders of the Industrial World

Hoover Dam rises 221 metres above bedrock in Black Canyon, an arch-gravity structure of concrete that tamed the Colorado River and created Lake Mead, one of the largest reservoirs in the United States. Construction began in 1931 during the Great Depression and was completed in 1936, ahead of schedule, under the leadership of the engineer Frank Crowe and a consortium of contractors called Six Companies. Thousands of workers laboured in blistering desert heat, diverting the river through tunnels, scaling the canyon walls and pouring the dam’s concrete in blocks cooled by embedded pipes so it would not crack. Dozens of workers died during the project. A purpose-built town, Boulder City, housed many of them. The dam provides hydroelectric power to the southwest and water for irrigation and cities, and it is a Bureau of Reclamation facility; low water in Lake Mead in recent years has shown how much the region depends on the river. Its Art Deco details, including the intake towers and the sculpted figures at the Nevada side, are as striking as its scale. Visitors can walk across the crest, see the generator hall on a guided tour, explore the visitor centre and view the dam from the Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, completed in 2010, which carries a pedestrian walkway high above the canyon. Security screening is part of the experience, so allow time, and note that some tours sell out early in the day.