Hoover Dam

engineering · Colorado River · Arizona-Nevada · power generation

Built during hard times. Construction began in 1931, right in the middle of the Great Depression when many people were out of work. The massive project gave thousands of workers jobs and took five years to complete.

Made of concrete. The dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam, meaning it uses its enormous weight and curved shape to hold back water. It's one of the biggest concrete structures ever built.

Holds back Lake Mead. When the dam was completed, water backed up behind it to create Lake Mead, a massive artificial reservoir that supplies drinking water and irrigation to millions of people in the Southwest.

Generates electricity. The falling water behind the dam powers turbines that generate electricity for Nevada, Arizona, and California, making it both a water supplier and a power plant.

A dangerous project. Building the dam was extremely dangerous, and sadly over 100 workers lost their lives during construction, making it one of the deadliest construction projects of its time.