BGuthrie Photos: NV -- Lake Mead NRA -- Hoover Dam (Exterior)

NV -- Lake Mead NRA -- Hoover Dam (Exterior):

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. HOOVER_160712_051.JPG: Discover Hoover Dam The Dam That Shaped the Southwest The Bureau of Reclamation welcomes you to Hoover Dam, one of the exceptional engineering achievements of the 20th Century. Hoover Dam and Lake Mead have provided a reliable supply of water and affordable electricity to the people of the Southwest since the 1930s. The growth of great American cities like Los Angeles would not have been possible without the dam. Nor would the irrigated farmlands of the region -- which supply 80% of America's winter fruits and vegetables -- have been able to produce such bounty. We hope you enjoy your visit to one of America's truly special places. See How It Works: When you purchase a tour ticket, you not only get to see the inner workings of the dam, you can also explore Hoover Dam's exhibit galleries, and enjoy dramatic views from the Observation Deck. In the Mood to Take a Drive? There are a number of museums and attractions within easy driving distance of Hoover Dam, and Lakeshore Road in Lake Mead National Recreation Area offers some of the finest scenery in the Mojave Desert. You can even take a train ride in Boulder City. Who Pays the Bills? No tax dollars are used to operate Hoover Dam. Operating costs are paid with revenues from the sale of electricity, as well as tour and parking fees.
2. HOOVER_160712_075.JPG: Form Follows Function Engineers allow the shapes of things to be determined by what they do. The original design of Hoover Dam was based almost exclusively on engineering considerations, but architect Gordon B. Kaufmann revised it to modernize the dam's appearance. Streamlining the spillways was one of the changes he made -- making them more pleasing to the eye and more efficient. Two bridges at Hoover Dam, built more than eighty years apart, use a virtually identical arch-and-pillar design. Good engineering is timeless.
3. HOOVER_160712_080.JPG: Two bridges at Hoover Dam, built more than eighty years apart, use a virtually identical arch-and-pillar design. Good engineering is timeless. Completed in 2010. Completed in 1934.
4. HOOVER_160712_083.JPG: The spillways allow high water to flow around the dam rather than over it. The intake towers channel water through pipes called penstocks to the powerplant turbines.
5. HOOVER_160712_097.JPG: Excessive Heat Warning Temperatures are forecast to reach very dangerous levels.
6. HOOVER_160712_100.JPG: If You See Water Flowing in this Spillway... ... you are witnessing an historic event. The last time the waters of the Colorado River flowed through this spillway was in 1983. Ronald Reagan was president and gasoline cost $.93/gallon. When Lake Mead is full, water flows through this spillway around the dam. The water travels through one of the massive tunnels that were built to divert the Colorado River prior to construction of the dam, and is released back into the river downstream. The waters of the Colorado River are divided among the Republic of Mexico and the seven states that signed the Colorado River Compact. The allocation is governed by a set of legal documents known as the "Law of the River." Most of the water that enters Lake Mead is snowmelt from the mountains of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Lake Mead is the largest man-made lake in the United States. When full, it contains enough water to cover the entire state of Pennsylvania to a depth of one foot (30 cm). Between 1998 and 2015, prolonged drought caused the lake level to drop 150 feet (46 meters). Each of the two spillways at Hoover Dam can handle the flow of Niagara Falls (above). The only time this spillway has been needed was in 1983.
7. HOOVER_160712_103.JPG: The waters of the Colorado River are divided among the Republic of Mexico and the seven states that signed the Colorado River Compact. The allocation is governed by a set of legal documents known as the "Law of the River."
8. HOOVER_160712_105.JPG: When Lake Mead is full, water flows through this spillway around the dam. The water travels through one of the massive tunnels that were built to divert the Colorado River prior to construction of the dam, and is released back into the river downstream. Most of the water that enters Lake Mead is snowmelt from the mountains of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Lake Mead is the largest man-made lake in the United States. When full, it contains enough water to cover the entire state of Pennsylvania to a depth of one foot (30 cm). Between 1998 and 2015, prolonged drought caused the lake level to drop 150 feet (46 meters).
9. HOOVER_160712_111.JPG: Each of the two spillways at Hoover Dam can handle the flow of Niagara Falls (above). The only time this spillway has been needed was in 1983.
10. HOOVER_160712_114.JPG: Discover Hoover Dam An Engineering Marvel, An Historic Milestone The Bureau of Reclamation welcomes you to Hoover Dam, one of the exceptional engineering achievements of the 20th Century. Hoover Dam and Lake Mead have provided a reliable supply of water and affordable electricity to the people of the Southwest since the 1930s. The growth of great American cities like Los Angeles would not have been possible without the dam. Nor would the irrigated farmlands of the region -- which supply 80% of America's winter fruits and vegetables -- have been able to produce such bounty. We hope you enjoy your visit to one of America's truly special places. While You Are Here... A walking tour of Hoover Dam will give you the opportunity to see everything from mind-boggling engineering feats to mysterious start charts, historic monuments, wildlife, and more. See How It Works: To buy a Hoover Dam tour ticket, walk across the dam and follow the "Tours" signs. Your ticket includes a tour of the inner workings of the dam. You can also explore exhibit galleries and enjoy dramatic views from the Observation Deck. Did You Know? Hoover Dam generates about 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. That is enough to meet the power requirements of more than 400,000 typical American households.
11. HOOVER_160712_124.JPG: See How It Works: To buy a Hoover Dam tour ticket, walk across the dam and follow the "Tours" signs. Your ticket includes a tour of the inner workings of the dam. You can also explore exhibit galleries and enjoy dramatic views from the Observation Deck.
12. HOOVER_160712_156.JPG: A modern civil engineering wonder of the United States one of seven selected by the American Society of Civil Engineers 1955 <-- Nevada | Arizona -->
13. HOOVER_160712_166.JPG: Flood Control
14. HOOVER_160712_168.JPG: Navigation
15. HOOVER_160712_170.JPG: Irrigation
16. HOOVER_160712_172.JPG: Water Storage
17. HOOVER_160712_175.JPG: Power
18. HOOVER_160712_210.JPG: Message for the Ages "Hoover Dam belongs to the sages of the daring." -- Oskar J.W. Hansen Oskar J.W. Hansen created the Winged Figures of the Republic and inlaid terrazzo surface which you see here. He believed that the orientation of many ancient buildings included messages from their builders to people of the future. He designed the art on Monument Plaza with that in mind. Best known for his sculptures, Hansen was also a poet and military man. His work epitomizes the heroic, Art Deco style frequently used to enhance public buildings during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The terrazzo surface of Monument Plaza includes a star chart. It is a view of the heavens on September 30, 1935, the day the damn was dedicated. The chart will allow people (or aliens) from thousands of years in the future to calculate the date of the dedication using astronomical mathematics. The symbols of the seven states that are signatories to the Colorado River Compact (New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, California, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada) appear with the Great Seal of the United States. To position the black diorite cubes without marring their finishes, they were set on blocks of ice and guided into place by hand as the ice melted.
19. HOOVER_160712_215.JPG: Best known for his sculptures, Hansen was also a poet and military man. His work epitomizes the heroic, Art Deco style frequently used to enhance public buildings during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
20. HOOVER_160712_218.JPG: The terrazzo surface of Monument Plaza includes a star chart. It is a view of the heavens on September 30, 1935, the day the damn was dedicated. The chart will allow people (or aliens) from thousands of years in the future to calculate the date of the dedication using astronomical mathematics.
21. HOOVER_160712_219.JPG: Message for the Ages "Hoover Dam belongs to the sages of the daring." -- Oskar J.W. Hansen Oskar J.W. Hansen created the Winged Figures of the Republic and inlaid terrazzo surface which you see here. He believed that the orientation of many ancient buildings included messages from their builders to people of the future. He designed the art on Monument Plaza with that in mind.
22. HOOVER_160712_222.JPG: To position the black diorite cubes without marring their finishes, they were set on blocks of ice and guided into place by hand as the ice melted.
23. HOOVER_160712_224.JPG: The Deco is in the Details There are hidden treasures all around the Hoover Dam site. Hoover Dam is an icon of modernism, the design movement that emerged in the first half of the 20th Century. Its look reflects the "streamlining" that appeared in cars, trains, buildings, and furniture. Most of the dam's architectural details are considered "Art Deco," a school of modernism that integrates geometric shapes and flowing curves into its designs. Los Angeles architect Gordon B. Kaufmann modernized the first Reclamation design for the dam (above). The original featured gigantic eagle sculptures and an overhanging balcony. Oskar J.W. Hansen repeated the astronomical theme of the star chart in the zodiac design just behind this sign. Did he intend it to be another guidepost for future visitors from another world? Note the cactus design on the "finial" on top of the post shown to the right. Can you find another finial, designed with a turtle motif, on top of the dam? Sculptor Oskar J.W. Hansen, the creator of the Winged Figures of the Republic, also created the two bas-relief sculptures on the elevator towers. The Union Pacific's "Train of Tomorrow" is an example of streamlining. The passenger train was driven to the lower concrete batch plant at Hoover Dam, over track solely intended for freight, in a 1934 publicity stunt. Art Deco motifs also appear in Las Vegas High School (above left) which was built at the same time as Hoover Dam. The designers of Las Vegas' Smith Center (above right), which opened in 2012, consciously mimicked many of the dam's design elements.
24. HOOVER_160712_227.JPG: Los Angeles architect Gordon B. Kaufmann modernized the first Reclamation design for the dam (above). The original featured gigantic eagle sculptures and an overhanging balcony. Oskar J.W. Hansen repeated the astronomical theme of the star chart in the zodiac design just behind this sign. Did he intend it to be another guidepost for future visitors from another world?
25. HOOVER_160712_233.JPG: The Deco is in the Details There are hidden treasures all around the Hoover Dam site. Hoover Dam is an icon of modernism, the design movement that emerged in the first half of the 20th Century. Its look reflects the "streamlining" that appeared in cars, trains, buildings, and furniture. Most of the dam's architectural details are considered "Art Deco," a school of modernism that integrates geometric shapes and flowing curves into its designs. Note the cactus design on the "finial" on top of the post shown to the right. Can you find another finial, designed with a turtle motif, on top of the dam? Sculptor Oskar J.W. Hansen, the creator of the Winged Figures of the Republic, also created the two bas-relief sculptures on the elevator towers.
26. HOOVER_160712_237.JPG: The Union Pacific's "Train of Tomorrow" is an example of streamlining. The passenger train was driven to the lower concrete batch plant at Hoover Dam, over track solely intended for freight, in a 1934 publicity stunt. Art Deco motifs also appear in Las Vegas High School (above left) which was built at the same time as Hoover Dam. The designers of Las Vegas' Smith Center (above right), which opened in 2012, consciously mimicked many of the dam's design elements.
27. HOOVER_160712_239.JPG: Dr. Elwood Mead Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior, 1924-1936, whose life-time work culminated in construction of the Boulder Canyon Project creating Lake Mead, named in his honor.
28. HOOVER_160712_243.JPG: Dr. Elwood Mead Namesake of Lake Mead Born in 1858, Dr. Elwood Mead became a world-renowned water and irrigation engineer. He wrote Wyoming's first water code, the basis for codes throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. He wrote the Carey Act, led water conservation and irrigation efforts in Victoria, Australia, and Palestine, created the Rural Institutions Program for the University of California, and led the first federal irrigation studies. He was the Bureau of Reclamation's first commissioner, serving from 1924 until his death in 1936. His last great project was Hoover Dam. Placed this 3rd day of November, 2007 By the Queho Posse Chapter #1919 of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus And the Bureau of Reclamation.
29. HOOVER_160712_245.JPG: They laboured that millions might see a brighter day In memory of our fellowmen who lost their lives in the construction of this dam. Dedicated by the Boulder City Central Labor Council May, 1935
30. HOOVER_160712_247.JPG: They died to make the desert bloom. The United States of America will continue to remember that many who toiled here found their final rest while engaged in the building of this dam. The United States of America will continue to remember the services of all who labored to clothe with substance the plans of those who first visioned the building of this dam.
31. HOOVER_160712_254.JPG: Water for the West Foundation thanks the following for their contributions to the US Bureau of Reclamation's Centennial Celebration on June 17, 2002
32. HOOVER_160712_256.JPG: 40th Anniversary Hydroelectric Power Generation Hoover Dam October 26, 1976
33. HOOVER_160712_258.JPG: Hoover Dam and Lake Mead Since 1935, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead have provided flood control, irrigation, drinking water, and power to communities in the desert. These resources have transformed the southwest into production farmland and thriving communities. The dam was originally built to protect farmland in southern California from flooding by the Colorado River. The Bureau of Reclamation planned the project and designed the dam. Engineering geologists played an important role by surveying the Colorado River for potential dam sites, conducting subsurface investigations, and mapping foundation conditions during construction. Hoover Dam has long been recognized nationally and internationally as one of the world's greatest engineering and construction achievements. Built of 3.23 million cubic yards of concrete, the dam is 726 feet high, 660 feet thick at the base, and 1,244 feet long at the crest. It was the highest dam in the world from 1935 to 1967 and the largest hydroelectric plant in the world from 1936 to 1949. Lake Mead continues to be the largest man-made reservoir in North America. Built during the Great Depression, over 5,000 workers from virtually every state in the nation joined forces to complete Hoover Dam in less than 5 years. It was a symbol of national pride. Water and power from Hoover Dam and Lake Mead have provided vital benefits to the southwest and the nation. Water from Lake Mead irrigates farmland in southern California and southwestern Arizona. Fruit and vegetables grown in this area are consumed across the country year round. Lake Mead supplies municipal water to Las Vegas, Phoenix, and 33 communities in the Los Angeles area. Hoover Dam generates 4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough for 1.3 million people. This power is renewable and does not produce air pollution or toxic water. Income from the sale of electricity pays all to operating costs of the dam. Lake Mead was established as the country's first national recreation area in 1964. It is the fifth most visited park in the National Park system. Nine million people a year come to Lake Mead for boating, fishing, swimming, camping, hiking, and picnicking. The lake covers 247 square mile and has 700 miles of shoreline. The recreation area covers 1.5 million acres and serves as a protected home for desert wildlife such as bighorn sheep, coyotes, jack rabbits, and desert tortoises. Environmental impacts from construction of Hoover Dam have become apparent over the years. The Federal government and states of Nevada, Arizona, and California have initiated an innovative, 50-year program to protect fish and wildlife and restore habitats along the river from Lake Mead to the U.S.-Mexico border. Two species of native fish now endangered in the Lower Colorado River Basin are being grown for release into Lake Mead and other lower Colorado River areas. Four national wildlife refuges and one national wildlife area provide habitat for fish and waterfowl on the lower Colorado River. For 70 years, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead have provided the benefits needed to make the desert southwest productive and livable. Without Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, major cities in Nevada, Arizona, and southern California could not exist as we know then today. This legendary project will continue to provide benefits will into the future as the southwest grows and prospers.
34. HOOVER_160712_279.JPG: It is fitting that the flag of our country should fly here in honor of those men who, inspired by a vision of lonely lands made fruitful, conceived this great work and of those others whose genius and labor made that vision a reality
35. HOOVER_160712_308.JPG: The Hoover Dam construction crew's mascot was found as a puppy by workers at the construction camp. This dog traveled to and from the damsite with them and spent his days visiting the many work sites. On February 21, 1941 the life of this devoted animal came to an end when a truck under which he was sleeping rolled over him. The grave below was completed by workers later that same day.
36. HOOVER_160712_318.JPG: The Dog Who Owned a Dam The Hoover Dam mascot only acted as if he owned the dam, but without a doubt he owned the hearts of its workers. The dog wandered freely around the jobsite: up ladders, over catwalks, and through tunnels. He even rode the open-air elevator (called a skiff), and would bark at the operator when he wanted to get off. The Hoover Dam dog was adored by the workers, who overfed him. To limit his eating, the commissary prepared him a single daily meal, which he carried to the job in a paper sack. This beloved dog died when he fell asleep under a truck and was run over by a driver who did not see him. Grown men wept as they jackhammered a tomb for him in the rock next to the temporary ranger station (above). The mascot often occupied himself chasing ringtail cats through the dam's tunnels. He was also known to challenge visitors' dogs, which were not allowed at the dam. The Hoover Dam mascot had an easier life than people living in Ragtown, a tent city that was home to many desperate jobseekers. Neither man nor beast rode the train to work; freight carried over the rails was a higher priority. Many workers commuted on a modified bus known as "Big Bertha." It had a capacity of 150 men... and one dog.
37. HOOVER_160712_322.JPG: The Hoover Dam dog was adored by the workers, who overfed him. To limit his eating, the commissary prepared him a single daily meal, which he carried to the job in a paper sack.
38. HOOVER_160712_323.JPG: This beloved dog died when he fell asleep under a truck and was run over by a driver who did not see him. Grown men wept as they jackhammered a tomb for him in the rock next to the temporary ranger station (above). The mascot often occupied himself chasing ringtail cats through the dam's tunnels. He was also known to challenge visitors' dogs, which were not allowed at the dam.
39. HOOVER_160712_326.JPG: The Hoover Dam mascot had an easier life than people living in Ragtown, a tent city that was home to many desperate jobseekers. Neither man nor beast rode the train to work; freight carried over the rails was a higher priority. Many workers commuted on a modified bus known as "Big Bertha." It had a capacity of 150 men... and one dog.
40. HOOVER_160712_329.JPG: On Your Way Back to Vegas... The bright lights of the Strip will still be burning if you spend a few extra hours seeing the sights between Hoover Dam and Las Vegas. The view of Hoover Dam from the Memorial Bridge Walkway is the highlight of many visitors' Hoover Dam experience. You can travel the Historic Railroad Trail in either direction. The eastern trailhead is located on the upper level of the dam's parking garage. The western trailhead is located just north of the Lake Mead Visitor Center. If a stop at the Lakeview Overlook leaves you wanting to experience more of the beauty of the Mojave Desert, take the "scenic route" back to Las Vegas via Lakeshore and Northshore Roads. You can view exhibits and get information about the recreation area at Lake Mead Visitor Center, only minutes from Hemenway Harbor and Boulder Beach. The Boulder City Museum, located in an historic hotel in the former company town, features exhibits about Hoover Dam and the people who built it.
41. HOOVER_160712_332.JPG: You can travel the Historic Railroad Trail in either direction. The eastern trailhead is located on the upper level of the dam's parking garage. The western trailhead is located just north of the Lake Mead Visitor Center.
42. HOOVER_160712_335.JPG: If a stop at the Lakeview Overlook leaves you wanting to experience more of the beauty of the Mojave Desert, take the "scenic route" back to Las Vegas via Lakeshore and Northshore Roads.
43. HOOVER_160712_339.JPG: The Boulder City Museum, located in an historic hotel in the former company town, features exhibits about Hoover Dam and the people who built it.
44. HOOVER_160712_420.JPG: Discover Hoover Dam An American Icon The Bureau of Reclamation welcomes you to Hoover Dam, one of the exceptional engineering achievements of the 20th Century. Hoover Dam and Lake Mead have provided a reliable supply of water and affordable electricity to the people of the Southwest since the 1930s. The growth of great American cities like Los Angeles would have not been possible without the dam. Nor would the region's irrigated farmlands -- which supply 80% of the nation's winter fruits and vegetables -- have been able to produce such bounty. We hope you enjoy your visit to one of America's truly special places. Off the Strip... Way Off: From quaint museums to remote canyons, the Hoover Dam region offers activities for every age, ability, and taste. We hope you will take some time to explore all that the region has to offer. Be Cool, Be Safe! Dozens of workers died from heat-related causes during the construction of Hoover Dam. Don't be a statistic! Drink plenty of water, wear a hat, and apply sunscreen. Call 911 in an emergency. Did You Know? Artist Allen Tupper True based the inlays in the floors inside the dam on designs created by Southwestern Indian tribes. Hoover Dam is one of the first industrial structures in the U.S. to be enhanced with Native American symbols. See How It Works: If you want to see something fascinating, purchase a tour ticket. You not only get to see the inner workings of the dam, you can also explore Hoover Dam's exhibit galleries, and enjoy dramatic views from the Observation Deck.
45. HOOVER_160712_424.JPG: Did You Know? Artist Allen Tupper True based the inlays in the floors inside the dam on designs created by Southwestern Indian tribes. Hoover Dam is one of the first industrial structures in the U.S. to be enhanced with Native American symbols.
46. HOOVER_160712_480.JPG: Hoover Dam named in honor of Herbert Clark Hoover 31st President of the United States
47. HOOVER_160712_522.JPG: To the Great Spirit from these Ranges And plains we now with them in peace
48. HOOVER_160712_527.JPG: Since primordial times American Indian tribes and nations lifted their hands
49. HOOVER_160712_529.JPG: Tribes and nations lifted their hands to the great spirit from these ranges
50. HOOVER_160712_532.JPG: To the great spirit from these ranges and plains we now with them in peace
51. HOOVER_160712_537.JPG: And plains we know with them in peace Buildeth again a nation
52. HOOVER_160712_542.JPG: Guideth again a nation
53. HOOVER_160712_568.JPG: Then and Now There have been a lot of changes since Hoover Dam was completed in 1935. Among those changes are a bridge that rivals the dam as an engineering achievement. But the old is as impressive as the new. Nearly a century after its builders met the daunting challenges of the dam's massive size and remote location, Hoover Dam is still delivering power and water just as its designers intended. Memorial Bridge: The highlight of many visitors' Hoover Dam experience is enjoying the view of the dam from the Bridge Walkway. Arizona Spillway: Hoover's Dam spillways direct water around the dam when Lake Mead exceeds it capacity. Visitor Center and Observation Deck: Your purchase of a tour ticket allows you to see the inner workings of the dam, explore exhibit galleries, and enjoy dramatic views from the Observation Deck. Monument Plaza: The work of sculptor Oskar J.W. Hansen includes a star chert, zodiac compass, and the famous Winged Features of the Republic. Original Exhibit Building: The railed-relief map in this building, completed by master exhibit craftsmen in the 1930s, took more than a year to build. Nevada Spillway: Each of the two spillways at Hoover Dam can handle the flow of Niagara Falls. Intake Towers: The intake towers channel water from Lake Mead through giant pipes -- called penstocks -- to the turbines that generate electricity.
54. HOOVER_160712_571.JPG: Memorial Bridge: The highlight of many visitors' Hoover Dam experience is enjoying the view of the dam from the Bridge Walkway. Arizona Spillway: Hoover's Dam spillways direct water around the dam when Lake Mead exceeds it capacity.
55. HOOVER_160712_573.JPG: Visitor Center and Observation Deck: Your purchase of a tour ticket allows you to see the inner workings of the dam, explore exhibit galleries, and enjoy dramatic views from the Observation Deck. Monument Plaza: The work of sculptor Oskar J.W. Hansen includes a star chert, zodiac compass, and the famous Winged Features of the Republic.
56. HOOVER_160712_576.JPG: Original Exhibit Building: The railed-relief map in this building, completed by master exhibit craftsmen in the 1930s, took more than a year to build.
57. HOOVER_160712_578.JPG: Intake Towers: The intake towers channel water from Lake Mead through giant pipes -- called penstocks -- to the turbines that generate electricity.
58. HOOVER_160712_580.JPG: Nevada Spillway: Each of the two spillways at Hoover Dam can handle the flow of Niagara Falls.
59. HOOVER_160712_581.JPG: High on a Lonely Hill The onset of World War II led to tightened security. Hoover Dam was considered critical to the war effort because of the electricity it generated and the water stored in Lake Mead. America's enemies knew how significant the dam was, too. As early as 1939, a plot to bomb the intake towers by foreign agents living in Las Vegas was uncovered and prevented. A few more minor incidents occurred during the war, but the dam was never seriously threatened. The pillbox on the hill above you was one of four camouflaged fortifications that were armed with machine guns and manned around the clock. Three of the original four pillboxes were dismantled. The remaining structure was stabilized and rehabilitated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Park Service in 2012. Gordon B. Kaufmann, who created the dam's architectural design (above), suggested stringing steel cables and armor plating across Black Canyon to protect the dam from bombs. Allen Tupper True, designer of the dam's floor inlays, proposed camouflaging the dam and building a "decoy dam" downstream. Neither idea was implemented. After the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, no private vehicles were allowed across the top of the dam without a military escort for the duration of the war. The City of Henderson grew up around the Basic Magnesium Plant that used one-quarter of the electricity generated at Hoover Dam during World War II. Magnesium was used to build airplanes and incendiary devices.
60. HOOVER_160712_595.JPG: The pillbox on the hill above you was one of four camouflaged fortifications that were armed with machine guns and manned around the clock. Three of the original four pillboxes were dismantled. The remaining structure was stabilized and rehabilitated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Park Service in 2012. Gordon B. Kaufmann, who created the dam's architectural design (above), suggested stringing steel cables and armor plating across Black Canyon to protect the dam from bombs. Allen Tupper True, designer of the dam's floor inlays, proposed camouflaging the dam and building a "decoy dam" downstream. Neither idea was implemented.
61. HOOVER_160712_596.JPG: The City of Henderson grew up around the Basic Magnesium Plant that used one-quarter of the electricity generated at Hoover Dam during World War II. Magnesium was used to build airplanes and incendiary devices.
62. HOOVER_160712_603.JPG: The First People The Native American cultures of the South west are as diverse as they are ancient: many of their unique traditions have been practiced for thousands of years. Most of the Indian tribes of the Southwest were displaced fro their homelands by Euro-American settlement. But the first people who lived here are still here, keeping their cultures alive in the modern world. Paiute Chief Tau-Cu and famous Western explorer John Wesley Powell, 1873. The Mojave People: The Mojave people were intimately connected to the Colorado River. They grew crops in the floodplain, fished, hunted small game, and gathered plants. They built semi-subterranean homes on terraces above the river, but lived most of the year in open-air ramadas. The Paiute People: The Southern Paiute were well-adapted to the diverse, challenging environments of the Colorado Plateau and Mojave Desert. They needed to be mobile, so they could hunt and gather wild plants in season. But most bands also had permanent camps near rivers and springs, where they grew corn, squash, beans, and melons. The domed shelters they built are known as "wikiups." The bas-relief of the Nevada Elevator Tower was created by Oskar J.W. Hansen, the artist who sculpted the Winged Figures of the Republic on Monument Plaza. Indian Motifs at Hoover Dam: Artist Allen Tupper True based the designs inlaid in the terrazzo floors of Hoover Dam on motifs of Southwest Indian tribes.
63. HOOVER_160712_606.JPG: The bas-relief of the Nevada Elevator Tower was created by Oskar J.W. Hansen, the artist who sculpted the Winged Figures of the Republic on Monument Plaza.
64. HOOVER_160712_608.JPG: Indian Motifs at Hoover Dam: Artist Allen Tupper True based the designs inlaid in the terrazzo floors of Hoover Dam on motifs of Southwest Indian tribes.
65. HOOVER_160712_609.JPG: Paiute Chief Tau-Cu and famous Western explorer John Wesley Powell, 1873
66. HOOVER_160712_612.JPG: The Paiute People: The Southern Paiute were well-adapted to the diverse, challenging environments of the Colorado Plateau and Mojave Desert. They needed to be mobile, so they could hunt and gather wild plants in season. But most bands also had permanent camps near rivers and springs, where they grew corn, squash, beans, and melons. The domed shelters they built are known as "wikiups."
67. HOOVER_160712_614.JPG: Tough Place to Make a Living Survival has never been easy for the plants and animals of the Mojave Desert.
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Wikipedia Description: Hoover Dam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hoover Dam, also known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. When completed in 1935, it was both the world's largest electric power producing facility and the world's largest concrete structure. It was surpassed in both respects by the Grand Coulee Dam in 1945. It is currently the world's 34th largest hydroelectric generating station.

The dam, located 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, is named after Herbert Hoover, who played an instrumental role in its construction, first as Secretary of Commerce and then later as President of the United States. Construction began in 1931 and was completed in 1935, more than two years ahead of schedule. The dam and the power plant are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.

Lake Mead is the reservoir created behind the dam, named after Elwood Mead, who oversaw the construction of the dam.
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