Hoover Dam

For the longest time the Colorado River flowed along its 1400 mile course from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the Gulf of California without any regard for the needs of the human beings who lived and farmed along its banks. Even in the 1800s and early 1900s, when the population was substantial, the river would often overflow its banks in spring, flooding farmland and communities. In the long, dry summer and early autumn (fall) the river would dry almost to a trickle that was useless for irrigation. Obviously, the river could not go on so flagrantly ignoring the desire of the humans for flood protection and a stable, year-round water supply. The humans would just have to take control of the river.

Before they could do that, the humans needed to take control of themselves. The river served seven states at that time (not counting Mexico, which wasn't important anyway). The seven states sent representatives to negotiate with the federal government and they created the Colorado River Compact in 1922. The agreement divided the Colorado River Basin into an upper and lower half, giving half the annual estimated flow to each (leaving nothing for Mexico until the Mexican Water Treaty 22 years later).

This compact allowed for the creation of several storage dams along the Colorado River and, in 1928, Congress passed the Boulder Canyon Project Act, which authorised construction of Hoover Dam.

The project was a public / private partnership (PPP) in which a private contractor borrowed money from the government to build the dam and proposed to repay the loan with revenue from production of hydroelectricity. Unlike the NSW toll road system this particular PPP actually worked extremely well. Construction began in 1931 and the last concrete was poured in 1935. Even with the remote location and difficult conditions, the contractor completed the project two years ahead of schedule and well under budget. Macquarie Bank take note! The sale of Hoover Dam power repaid, with interest, the Boulder Canyon Project’s original $165 million cost. Today all the costs of maintaining and operating the dam are covered by the sale of hydroelectricity.

Hoover Dam was the biggest and best dam of its day and remains world-famous even now. Although modern dams are often taller or generate more power, Hoover Dam has star appeal and attracts over 1 million visitors each year, including me. It’s also a very cool wonder to build if you’re playing Civilisation. From 1939 to 1949 Hoover Dam was the world’s largest hydroelectric installation. To this day Hoover Dam generates more than 4 billion kilowatt-hours a year, which is enough to serve 1.3 million people. Okay, so that’s a small proportion of the people living in this part of the world, but it’s still a lot for an elderly dam.

This is one of the big pipes that channels water from inside the dam’s reservoir, through the power plant, and out the other side of the wall.

The walkways inside the concrete dam wall feel a little spooky, and not just because of the bars and rough finish. This is an arch gravity dam, meaning it is held together by it’s own weight and curve. There isn't so much as a piece of used chewing gum holding up this room, and the big wall all around it, despite the massive pressure of the water.

These are the turbines. The lights on at the top indicate that they are currently generating power. Above them you can just see the crane unit with the flag hanging from it. They use this, and its twin to lift up the generators for maintenance.

Here is the famous curved wall. It’s kind of exciting to drive over, even if you have to submit to the possibility of being randomly selected to have your car searched for explosives before you cross.

This is view from the observation deck down to where the turbines do their thing. Power comes out through the giant cables and the water comes out through the bottom where you see that turbulence in the water.

Since September 11, 2001 it has no longer been possible for tourists to walk out across this walkway to the intake tower and see the historical exhibits that used to be housed there. The exhibits have been moved and a barrier erected to keep visitors out. It all looks too robust to be done in by a backpack bomb, but what do I know? Nothing, I guess, except that I wasn't allowed to walk out there, even though I didn't have a backpack, or a bomb.

No story of American triumph over nature would be complete without a cute animal. The Hoover Dam work crew adopted a puppy that they found at the construction site and made him their mascot. The puppy lived with them and hung out with them all day while they worked. When the dog was accidentally killed by one of the trucks, the workers interred him at the site and erected a modest monument.

Thus the mighty river and the loyal doggy were both tamed by the humans, and the doggy rests in peace by the still waters of Hoover Dam.