California Hoover Dam. The Hoover Dam in the United States is a man-made miracle of Arizona. Construction of Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam (USA) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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Not far from the famous American city of Las Vegas there is an interesting landmark - one of the largest dams in the world - the Hoover Dam. To be more precise, it is located on the border of Nevada and Arizona in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River. By its name this unique object obliged to Herbert Hoover - the 31st President of America. It was largely thanks to this man that the Hoover Dam was built.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Americans decided to curb the unruly Colorado River, since it often caused great inconvenience to local residents. When the snow melted in the mountains, the river flooded the surrounding lands downstream. The construction of the reservoir was supposed to solve this problem. In addition, the dam could uninterruptedly supply water to Los Angeles and other areas of California. However, the designers and everyone involved in the creation of the future Hoover Dam faced one problem. It was necessary to resolve the issue of water distribution between states in order to avoid litigation with all dissatisfied consumers. The fact is that at that time in American courts there was a huge number trials related precisely to the use of water resources. To ensure that everyone was satisfied after the completion of the dam, a special commission was created. Its members signed an agreement that clearly stated how the life-giving moisture would be spent.

Construction of the Hoover Dam began in 1931. Herbert Hoover had already become the president of the country at that time and allocated budget money for this grandiose construction. The dam was built at a difficult time for Americans - the country was in the midst of the Great Depression. Thousands of people, desperate to find any kind of work, flocked to the dam construction site. The working conditions for these workers were extremely difficult. Many construction workers have died or become disabled due to carbon monoxide poisoning. A total of 96 people died here. The first to die was topographer J. Tierney, who drowned in the river. The last person to die at the construction of the Hoover Dam was his son Patrick. He crashed after falling from one of the spillway towers.

Especially for workers, it was decided to establish a small city, Boulder City, near the future dam. However, they did not manage to build housing on time, and at first people had to live in a hastily built camp. Conditions there were so harsh that in the summer of 1931 workers went on strike. However, their rally was brutally suppressed. The builders moved into more or less normal houses only after six months. In total, more than five thousand people built the Hoover Dam. Interestingly, gambling, prostitution and alcoholic beverages were prohibited in Boulder City. By the way, there are no gambling establishments here these days.

In addition, engineers have developed a unique concrete cooling system. The fact is that the Hoover Dam could not be built as a monolithic structure, since then the concrete would take as long as 125 years to cool. It was decided to build a dam from columns in the form of trapezoids to reduce the cooling time of the concrete. For an even greater effect, special metal pipes were made into which cooled water from the river flowed. By the way, in total, 3.33 million cubic meters of concrete and about 729 million USD in modern terms were spent on the construction of the dam.

This dam is considered the largest man-made structure built since the Egyptian pyramids.

Already in 1935, ahead of schedule, the Hoover Dam was inaugurated. Of course, many of the works were not yet completed, and they were fully completed only a year later. Already in 1937, the dam became a popular tourist attraction. Today, 9 million tourists come to see this attraction every year. The main task was completed - the Colorado stopped flooding the lands downstream. However, many species of animals and plants are on the verge of extinction due to such global human interventions. Lake Mead, formed by the dam, became the largest reservoir in the United States.

The image of the Hoover Dam has been used in many works of art. For example, the dam is mentioned in the book by Ilf and Petrov “ One-story America", in the films "Transformers" and "Universal Soldier" and the cartoon "Beavis and Butt-Head Make America."

Near colorful Las Vegas, between the states of Arizona and Nevada, in the Colorado River Valley, lies the largest reservoir in America - the Hoover Dam. It received its name in honor of one of the US presidents, Herbert Hoover. It is now one of the most picturesque American attractions.

History of construction

At the dawn of the 20th century local authorities decided to build a huge dam on the Colorado River. Since recently it began to cause more and more problems for the residents of the valley - melted snow flowing from the mountains overflowed the river, and it flooded part of the surrounding lands. The construction of a dam could save a lot of inconvenience - tame Colorado and improve water supply in California. While developing the dam project, engineers faced a difficult task. The dam had to be placed in a place that would be beneficial to everyone. So that God forbid we leave some area without water. Construction began in 1931. At this time, the Great Depression broke out in the United States. Unemployment forced people to leave their homes and take on any job. Building the dam was hard and dangerous work. Before the concrete arch could be erected, it was necessary to strengthen the canyon walls. Accidents were not uncommon. Many died - some drowned, others were poisoned by carbon monoxide. It was decided to build a small working town, Boulder City, near the construction site. At first, people huddled in tents and patiently waited for comfortable housing. The city was built only six months after the construction of the dam began. The celebratory opening of the reservoir took place in 1935. And a couple of years later it became one of the most popular tourist destinations. Every year crowds of tourists come here to enjoy this grandiose man-made creation.

Dam tour

The Hoover Dam is one of America's most extraordinary landmarks. It reaches a height of 221 meters. There are 17 powerful electric generators operating here. This is the brainchild of the famous American architect Gordon Kaufman. Externally, it resembles a huge thick wall, decorated with patterned stairs, terraces and balconies in the neo-Gothic style. Along the edges rise the original water-bearing towers, made in the art deco style. There is a huge round clock on the powerful water tower. Not far from the dam there is a spacious Observation deck. From here you have a wonderful view of the quiet expanse of Lake Mead and the surrounding natural landscapes. It was formed after the appearance of the reservoir. Currently, it is one of the largest artificial lakes in America. In 2001, the first highway was built here. A terrorist attack this year has forced local authorities to increase police patrols. Thorough searches slowed down traffic. As a result, the Callaghan Bridge was built across the dam in 2010. New car lanes were opened.

The Hoover Dam is located in an incredible picturesque place. The diversity of natural landscapes fascinates and delights. There are high mountain ranges and amazingly deep ravines and canyons, bizarre hills and steep cliffs. Tourists have the opportunity to go on boat trips. The excursion takes you past fabulous waterfalls, hot springs, picturesque hills and mountain ranges.

Having climbed the dam, the guides first of all draw the attention of tourists to the clocks decorating the water towers. Some show the time zone of Arizona, others show the time zone of Nevada.

During the strengthening of the canyon walls, heavy stone boulders often rolled down. The workers needed protection; for the first time during construction, they began to use metal helmets.

The Hoover Dam is the only major US dam built not by slaves, but by ordinary workers. Within Boulder City, during the construction of the dam, an unusual law was passed prohibiting prostitution, gambling and the sale of alcoholic beverages. It is interesting that to this day there is not a single gambling establishment in the city. Although nearby is Las Vegas, sparkling with the lights of numerous casinos.

Hoover Reservoir can be seen in the following films - the documentary "Life After People", the films "Soldier University" and "Transformers", in the animated series "Beavis and Butt-head".

Every year, the dam's turbines generate up to 2 thousand megawatts of electricity.

Airwolfhound / flickr.com Airwolfhound / flickr.com Airwolfhound / flickr.com View from Hoover Dam (Alexander Russy / flickr.com) Ron Reiring / flickr.com Ron Reiring / flickr.com Lauri Väin / flickr.com David Herrera / flickr. com Viator.com / flickr.com Construction of the O'Callaghan Bridge (Alan Stark / flickr.com) Henner Zeller / flickr.com Hoover Dam Towers (Joseph Francis / flickr.com) Joseph Francis / flickr.com Hoover Dam Clock Tower (Ian Lee / flickr.com) Joseph Francis / flickr.com Omshivaprakash H L / flickr.com Xiquinho Silva / flickr.com Hoover Dam Electric Generators (Dennis Redfield / flickr.com) Joseph Francis / flickr.com Joseph Francis / flickr.com Electric Generators Hoover Dam (Joseph Francis / flickr.com)

In the lower delta of the Colorado River is located one of the most famous attractions of the United States and Las Vegas - the Hoover Dam. The hydroelectric power station, which is a huge hydraulic structure more than 200 meters high, was built in the 30s of the last century.

Black Canyon - the place where this structure is located, is located near the states of Arizona and Nevada. Hoover Dam was named after one of the American presidents, namely Herbert Hoover. The 31st head of a huge state took an active part in the organization and progress of the construction of the dam, which gave him the honor of giving his name to such a grandiose construction project.

The Colorado River has repeatedly created many problems for the population living on its banks. Most often, farmland located downstream suffered: with the melting of snow, river waters overflowed their banks and covered everything that was within their reach.

The main reason behind the decisive step in constructing the dam was the designers' assumption that this was the only way to eradicate the Colorado's annual flood problems. In addition, hopes were pinned on the emerging new reservoir for the development of agriculture in the surrounding areas and the supply of drinking water to several regions of the state of California.

Signing of the Treaty – Colorado River Convention

For quite a long time, the main obstacle to the construction of the dam was disagreements between the leaders of neighboring administrative divisions. Most of them insisted that Colorado's resources should be distributed evenly among all likely consumers.

This fact contributed to the creation of a special committee, which included representatives of all those interested in the proceedings, including the main persons of the Neighboring States and the American government. All of them were afraid of the intentions of the California authorities, who were claiming the right to dispose of the main volume of water reserves.

The result of the activities of the above commission was the signing of a multilateral agreement - the Colorado River Convention, which legally established a mechanism for distributing the river reserve between interested parties.

Preparation of the project and investment resources

The Hoover Dam, according to its construction project, needed a significant infusion of funds, the source of which was the state budget. But approval from the US authorities for the construction of such a large-scale hydraulic structure was received only after some time.

Despite the decision signed by Coolidge in 1928, the first investments were received only two years later. It was then that Hoover occupied the post of head of state. Construction work on the Hoover Dam was originally planned to be carried out in Boulder Canyon, as a result of which the construction project was later called the Boulder Canyon Project, despite the fact that the Hoover Dam was built in the Black Canyon.

Difficult working conditions

Leading US companies were appointed as construction contractors. The number of workers involved in the process of creating a hydroelectric power station was simply incredible: the most large number workers was recorded in 1934 - more than 5,200 people.

View of Hoover Dam (Joseph Francis / flickr.com)

A feature of the contract agreement was a ban on hiring Asians, and a limit on hiring Africans - only about 30 black people were allowed to take on the lowest paid jobs.

During construction, a special settlement for workers and construction workers was to be built next to the Hoover Dam. However, plans were changed as the work schedule was revised in order to increase the number of available labor vacancies. All these factors influenced the progress of building the town, which was not completed when the main number of mercenaries arrived. Construction workers had to live in temporary barracks near the Hoover Dam.

It is worth noting the terrible working conditions. Lack of normal living work time and the dangers that await workers at every step due to neglect of safety regulations became the reasons for the strike that took place in 1931, which was not successful - the police were ordered to disperse the strikers using force. After these events, the state authorities decided to speed up the pace of construction, and a year later the mercenaries were settled in permanent homes in the adjacent completed city.

Joseph Francis / flickr.com

Until the end construction work Prostitution, the sale of any alcoholic beverages, and gambling were strictly prohibited in Boulder City. Moreover, in fact, the ban lasted another forty years, and gambling has not been lifted to this day, which makes this city the only one in Nevada where such a taboo exists.

The Hoover Dam was born under difficult, inhumane conditions. People working in deep tunnels, were suffocating from carbon monoxide, but the management flatly refused to take responsibility for the illnesses and deaths of their subordinates.

The Hoover Dam and the history of its creation are distinguished by the fact that it was here that workers first used helmets to protect their heads from impacts. However, a total of 96 people became victims of the negligence of project managers who neglected to comply with technical safety rules.

Construction works

The Black Canyon, in which the Hoover Dam was to be built, was quite narrow and played a dividing role between Nevada and Arizona. It was planned to divert water in the opposite direction from the construction point using 4 tunnels, the total length of which is almost 5 km.

Hoover Dam, Arizona/Nevada, USA (Ron Reiring / flickr.com)

Hoover Dam has a concrete foundation that was poured in 1933. For this purpose, nearby non-metallic deposits were specially opened and factories for the production of concrete were built.

Faced with the problems of cooling the concrete mixture during the construction of such a giant dam, the builders had to make adjustments to the original plan, and then the Hoover Dam was built from many individual trapezoidal columns interconnected. This construction methodology made it possible to significantly speed up the concrete hardening process.

The pit for the hydroelectric power station was supposed to be dug simultaneously with the main pit of the reservoir. All excavation work was completed by 1933.

Hoover Dam power generators (Joseph Francis / flickr.com)

Three years later, the first electric generators were installed and the first electricity. Today, Hoover Dam houses 17 electrical generators that reach a capacity of up to 2,074 MW.

They balance electricity consumption between households and manufacturing in the western United States. 25 years ago, the power management system at Hoover Dam was modernized and equipped with modern computers.

Architectural appearance of the dam

The exterior of the Hoover Dam was supposed to look like an ordinary wall, decorated with a neo-Gothic balustrade. The creators did not intend to take the issue of the architecture of the hydroelectric power station seriously at all, since the primary task was to complete construction as quickly as possible. At the same time, this decision caused a whole wave of critical discussions, and in the end, it was decided to work out the architectural appearance of the Hoover Dam.

Invited architect from Los Angeles, Gordon Kaufman, achieved dramatic changes by approving new project, related to the Art Deco style. In addition to the towers on the top of the dam, his idea was to place clocks on the spillway towers.

Legal name: Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam did not always have its legal name. The fact is that in addition to the original “Boulder Dam” associated with the site of the dam’s construction, there were other factors that prevented the legendary structure from bearing the name it deserved.

Some time later, after the dam was officially named in honor of President Herbert Hoover, he lost the election, giving way to Franklin Roosevelt. The US Congress again proposed returning the name to its original version. And only after the death of President Roosevelt, the project to return the structure named after Hoover was signed by the next American leader.

New O'Callaghan Bridge

Until 2010, the highway connecting Arizona with the Mexican border passed through the Hoover Dam. The part of the road adjacent to the dam did not meet the requirements of the highway and the number of traffic Vehicle.

Construction of O'Callaghan Bridge (Alan Stark / flickr.com)

Also the winding, dangerous two-lane road had several difficult sharp turns and bottlenecks with low visibility.

The 2001 terrorist attack in New York left its mark on the vehicle access system. To avoid repeated terrorist attacks, more thorough inspections of vehicles were organized, which slowed down the passage of vehicles and increased traffic jams at the entrance.

But the O'Callaghan Bridge, opened 6 years ago, not far from the Hoover Dam, has significantly reduced the flow of cars passing through the dam.

The significance of Hoover Dam today

The construction of the Hoover Dam significantly affected the water regime of the Colorado River and its ecological system. Similar negative impacts inherent in all artificial hydraulic structures, however, the benefits of the dam are significant: the river canyon was freed from frequent floods.

Before the dam was built, the Colorado River often showed its turbulent temperament, often flooding downstream farmland when the snow melted in the Rocky Mountains. The dam's designers planned that its construction would help smooth out fluctuations in river levels. In addition, it was expected that the reservoir would give impetus to the development of irrigated agriculture, as well as become a source of water supply for Los Angeles and other areas of Southern California.

At the same time, one of the obstacles to the implementation of the project was the doubts of the states lying in the Colorado River basin about the fair distribution of water resources between consumers. There were fears that California, with its influence, financial resources and lack of water, would lay claim to most of the reservoir's water resources.

As a result, in 1922, a commission was created that included one representative from each of the interested states and one from the federal government (Herbert Hoover, then Secretary of Commerce in the government of President Warren Harding). The result of the activities of this commission was the Colorado River Convention, signed on November 24, 1922, which established methods for dividing water resources. The signing of this document, called the “Hoover Compromise,” paved the way for the construction of the dam.

The construction of such a large-scale hydraulic structure required attracting significant funds from the state budget. The funding bill did not immediately receive approval from the US Senate and the White House. It was not until December 21, 1928 that President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill approving the project. The initial funds for the construction of the dam were allocated only in July 1930, when Herbert Hoover was already president.

The original plan called for a dam in Boulder Canyon. Boulder Canyon). Therefore, despite the fact that it was finally decided to build a dam in the Black Canyon, the project was called the Boulder Canyon Project

The construction of the dam was planned in a narrow canyon on the border between Nevada and Arizona. To divert water from the Colorado River away from the construction site, four tunnels with a diameter of 17.1 m were drilled into the rock walls of the Black Canyon. The total length of the tunnels was 4.9 km. Construction of the tunnels began in May 1931. The lining of the tunnels was made of concrete 0.9 m thick; as a result, the useful diameter of the water conduits was 15.2 m. After construction was completed, the tunnels were partially blocked with concrete “plugs”, and partially used to supply water to turbines and discharge of excess water. The fact that the spillway is carried out not through the body of the dam (as at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station, built later on the same principle as the Hoover Dam), but through tunnels located in the surrounding rocks, gives stability to the dam.

To isolate the construction site and prevent possible flooding by river waters, two caisson dams were built. Construction of the upper dam began in September 1932, despite the fact that the diversion tunnels were not completed at that time.

In order to ensure the safety of the work, before the construction of the dam began, measures were taken to clear the canyon walls of loose stones and rocks: they were blown up with dynamite and thrown down.

The dam contract was awarded to Six Companies, Inc., a joint venture of the Morrison-Knudsen Companies of Boise, Idaho; Utah Construction Company (Ogden, Utah); Pacific Bridge Company (Portland, Oregon); Henry J. Kaiser & W. A. ​​Bechtel Company (Oakland, California); MacDonald & Kahn Ltd. (Los Angeles) and J.F. Shea Company (Portland, Oregon).

Many thousands of workers took part in the construction (the maximum number was 5,251 people in July 1934). According to the terms of the construction contract, the hiring of immigrants from China was not allowed, and the number of black workers during construction did not exceed thirty people employed in the lowest paid jobs. It was planned that an entire town would be built next to the dam for construction workers - Boulder City, but the construction schedule was adjusted in favor of speeding up and increasing the number of jobs (this was done to reduce the mass unemployment that resulted from the Great Depression). In this regard, when the first workers arrived, the city was not yet ready, and the dam builders spent the first summer in temporary camps. Delays in delivery of housing and dangerous working conditions led to a strike on August 8, 1931. The workers' protest was dispersed with guns and clubs, but the pace of construction of Boulder City was increased, and by the spring of 1932 the workers had moved into permanent housing. In Boulder City, prostitution, gambling and the sale of alcoholic beverages were prohibited during construction. The ban on the sale of alcohol in the city remained until 1969, and the ban on gambling remains to this day (this is the only such city in the state of Nevada).

The construction of the dam was carried out under difficult conditions. Some of the work was carried out in tunnels, where workers suffered from excess carbon monoxide (some workers became disabled or even died as a result). The employer announced that these diseases are the consequences of ordinary pneumonia, and he is not responsible for this. At the same time, the construction of the Hoover Dam became the first construction site where construction workers used safety helmets.

A total of 96 people died during construction. The first person to die while constructing the dam was surveyor J. Tierney, who drowned in Colorado in December 1922 while selecting best place for construction

The first concrete was poured into the base of the dam on June 6, 1933. To produce concrete, local deposits of non-metallic materials were discovered and special concrete plants were built.

Since work of this scale had never been carried out before, a number of technical solutions used during the construction process were unique. One of the problems that engineers encountered was cooling the concrete. Instead of a solid monolith, the dam was built as a series of interconnected columns in the shape of trapezoids - this allowed the excess heat released when the concrete mixture hardened to dissipate. Engineers estimate that if the dam were built as a monolith, it would take 125 years for the concrete to completely cool to ambient temperature. This could lead to cracks and dam failure. In addition, to speed up the cooling process of the concrete layers, each form into which the pour was carried out contained a cooling system of one-inch metal pipes into which river water flowed. The hardening process of the concrete from which the dam is built has not been completed to this day.

In total, 600 thousand tons of Portland cement and 3.44 million m³ of aggregate were mixed into the concrete required for the construction of the dam body. The Hoover Dam at the time of its completion became the most massive artificial structure on earth, exceeding the mass of the masonry of the Pyramids of Giza - the concrete used would be enough to build a 20-centimeter thick concrete road 5 meters wide from San Francisco to New York, that is, crossing all USA from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean

The dam was originally supposed to be built in Boulder Canyon, therefore, despite the fact that construction actually began in the Black Canyon, it was originally called “Boulder Dam” in official documents. But already at the official opening ceremony of construction, US Department of the Interior Secretary Ray Wilbur announced that the dam would be named Hoover in honor of the current US President. With this statement, Wilbur continued the established tradition of naming the largest dams in the United States after the presidents in power during the period of their construction (such as the Wilson Dam or the Coolidge Dam). On February 14, 1931, the US Congress approved the official name “Hoover Dam.”

In 1932, Hoover lost the election to Democratic candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Immediately after the new president took office, the US administration initiated the renaming of the dam to the “Boulder Dam”. No official decision has been made on this matter, but from all official documents, tourist guides of the time, Hoover's name disappeared.

In 1947, two years after Roosevelt's death, California Congressman Jack Anderson introduced a draft resolution to return the dam to the Hoover Dam. On April 30, the corresponding bill, approved by the Senate, was signed by the president; Since then the dam has had its modern name.

Before and After

And now she looks like this.

Address: USA, 48 km from Las Vegas, Colorado River
Start of construction: 1931
Completion of construction: 1936
Height: 221 m
Coordinates: 36°00"58.0"N 114°44"15.5"W

Short description

Almost all tourists traveling to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon pass through the Hoover Dam or Hoover Dam.

Bird's eye view of Hoover Dam

This huge concrete dam, equal in height to a 70-story building, tamed the violent nature of the Colorado River. The Hoover Dam controls flood levels, supplies water and provides electricity to Arizona, California, and the “gambling capital of the United States” - Las Vegas (Nevada).

Historians believe that it was not gambling houses, but the construction of Hoover Dam that became the reason for the development of Las Vegas, which turned from a village into a prosperous city.

Construction of Hoover Dam

Construction of the Hoover Dam, begun in 1931 at the height of the Great Depression, helped create new jobs for unemployed Americans. The construction of the dam was carried out in difficult conditions - the air temperature in the summer rose to +50°C. The work of rock climbers was particularly dangerous, and workers drilling tunnels suffered from excess carbon monoxide. However, there were more than enough applicants for vacant positions. According to official data, 96 people died during the construction of Hoover Dam. In 2000, a monument to rock climbers was erected near the entrance to the dam: a worker with a flashlight and a safety helmet hangs on a rope harness over a cliff.

I wonder what The Hoover Dam was built around the same years as the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station (1932 - 1939). Moreover, in the construction of these hydraulic structures The same engineer from the General Electric company took part - the American C.G. Thomson, who was responsible for the installation of turbines and generators. In 1935 Soviet writers Ilf and Petrov visited the USA and visited a construction site.

They describe this “miracle of engineering” with admiration: “Imagine the stormy, mountainous Colorado River flowing along the bottom of a giant gorge, the walls of which are formed by high black and red rocks. And between these two walls created by nature, man created a third wall made of reinforced concrete, blocking the river flows.”

Hoover Dam - an engineering marvel

Construction of the Hoover Dam ended in 1936, two years earlier than planned. It was named after former US President Herbert Hoover. At one time, that is, in the mid-30s of the last century, Hoover Dam was a miracle of engineering. During its construction, many technical innovations were used: to divert river flows from the construction site, four channels were cut out in the walls of the Black Canyon, and the dam itself was built not as a solid monolith, but as a series of interconnected trapezoidal blocks - thanks to the smaller surface area, the concrete mixture cooled faster and hardened. Scientists have calculated that if the dam had been built in one piece, the concrete would have completely hardened in 125 years.

Hoover Dam Power Plant

Hoover Dam is the tallest dam in the Western Hemisphere and one of the largest power plants in the United States. Today, the station has 17 turbines with a total capacity of 2074 MW. According to experts, the equipment control automation system is so well adjusted that the power plant will be able to operate independently for two years without employee supervision, until the pipes become overgrown with algae.

Hoover Dam Bypass

At the top of Hoover Dam was Highway 93, connecting Arizona and the Mexican border. With the advent of the 21st century, frequent traffic jams led to the need to build a bridge across the Black Canyon, bypassing the dam. In October 2010, the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, better known as the Hoover Dam Bypass, was opened 500 meters from the dam. The bridge bears the names of Mike O'Callaghan, the former governor of Nevada, and Pat Tillman, an American football player from Arizona who left a successful career and joined the US Army after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to take revenge on the terrorists. The bridge is a grandiose arched structure 579 m long and 270 m high.

$240 million was spent on the construction of the Hoover Dam Bypass. The bridge accommodates 17 thousand cars daily, which made it possible to relieve congestion on neighboring highways. Activities at Hoover Dam It's been 75 years since the Hoover Dam opened, but this grand structure still attracts travelers. The Hoover Dam stands on the border of two states located in different time zones. There are clocks on the spillway towers, some of them show the time of the right bank of Nevada, others - the time of the left bank of Arizona. On one side of the dam, the defeated river flows calmly, on the other, the largest man-made lake in the United States, Lake Mead, stretches, which has become a popular recreation area. Here you can go boating, water skiing, fishing or sunbathing on the beach.