Building+of+the+Hoover+Dam


 * //1930-1940:// //The Building of the Hoover Dam//** by Jerry Richards and Chris Czysz

In 1931, the construction on the Hoover Dam had begun. This project was so big that it took nearly 5 years to complete its construction. The Hoover Dam was never built for nothing though. The idea of using the Colorado River for something other than a water source came to the mind of the president Theodore Roosevelt. In 1902, he had signed the Reclamation Act which allowed Reclamation Service engineers to survey and make a long series of investigations to see what the Colorado River could possibly be used for and right then, a flood covering 150 square miles hit the area. 17 years later, a man by the name of Arthur Davis in 1922 then submitted a report to congress recommending that a high dam be built in or near the Boulder Canyon area. The government, because of the cost of the dam being extremely expensive, could repay its debts by selling the electricity it generates to the rapidly expanding Southern California area. 7 of the Colorado River Basin state representatives then signed bills to authorize the construction of a high dam. In 1928, The Boulder Canyon Project Act was passed by president Calvin Coolidge. President Herbert Hoover then took charge of the negotiations made once the Colorado River Basin Compact was created between the states California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming to allow for its (the dam's) construction.

Since the construction was done during the Great Depression, it gave many thousands of jobless men jobs for a long period of time and decent pay. The first part of the construction process included the building of dams around the worksite so that when they diverted the river, they wouldn't be flooded. Once these were up and secure, they had to divert the river so they could actually commence the building of the dam. This was done by creating four tunnels so that when they broke through to the other side, the water would flow away from the worksite into the Arizona Canyon. These four tunnels were a combined 16,000 feet in length, and each was about 56 feet in diameter. These tunnels were lined with steel framing and filled with concrete that was roughly three feet thick. When the river was finally diverted, it was necessary to "trim" the canyon so wrok could begin on the dam. Men known as "high-scalers" would climb up to the highest peaks which needed clearing of rocks, and blast the rock away with dynamite and jackhammers. The first concrete poured on the dam was in 1933. it was not poured all at the same time, due to the tremendous amount of time it would take to dry; 125 years. So, they poured the concrete in minimal amounts, allowing it to dry and cool. Completion of the dam was reached in 1936. In the end, a total of 112 people died, and it cost a grand total of $49 million.

__Pictures__ Before Construction Began

The Hoover Dam still Having Concrete Poured

Eight of the Sixteen Generators That Distribute Power to Surrounding States

Backside of the Dam before Lake Mead was Filled

Hoover Dam with Lake Mead in Background

__Important People__ Arthur P. Davis

Calvin Coolidge

Herbert Hoover

Here is National Geographic's video of the Hoover Dam: media type="custom" key="2050010" [|Click Here!]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_dam http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/hoover/timeline/index.html http://blingblingauctions.freeservers.com/DVD%20DVD/Hoover%20dam/hoover%20dam8.jpg http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/05/hoover_dam_400px.jpg