Jun 29 2008
Hoover Dam by Las Vegas
I caught a show today on the History Channel that mentioned the Hoover Dam and it peaked my interest, so I thought I would do a little reseach. It’s been quite a few years since I have been out there, especially since they have been working on the Hoover Dam Bypass.
The Hoover Dam is located 30 miles southwest of Las Vegas on the Colorado River. It was completed in 1935 and is the world’s 24th largest hydroelectric generating station. Arizona, California and Nevada are allocated the largest portions of the energy generated by Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam was named after President Herbert Hoover. In 1985 Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark. Lake Mead and Lake Mojave were created by Hoover Dam and Davis Dam.
Lake Mead was named after Elwood Mead, who was the Bureau of Reclamation commissioner. To this day, Lake Mead is the largest man-made lake in the United States.
There are plenty of things to do at Hoover Dam. The Visitor Center is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. They offer tours of the dam, along with snacks and a gift shop. You can also launch a canoe, kayak or personal raft just below the dam. I would say it is absolutely worth a trip out there, pictures just can’t show you how amazing this dam really is.
