Straddling Nevada and Arizona, Hoover Dam (1931–36) tamed the Colorado River with a 221 m concrete arch‑gravity dam. The project enabled flood control and power while transforming the Southwest. Cooling pipes, block pours, and Art Deco detailing mark a landmark of engineering modernity and continual water‑policy debate.
The Boulder Canyon Project authorized an immense storage and hydroelectric scheme to regulate floods, support irrigation, and power urban growth. The Six Companies consortium delivered design–build execution under Bureau of Reclamation oversight.
To manage heat of hydration, the dam was poured in interlocking blocks with embedded cooling pipes circulating chilled water; grout later bonded the mass. Diversion tunnels rerouted the river while cofferdams allowed foundation excavation to bedrock.
Powerhouses flank the dam with fourteen generators; transmission lines seeded regional grids. Architect Gordon Kaufmann’s streamlined forms, terrazzo, and sculptural details (Oskar Hansen’s winged figures) fused engineering with civic art.
Lake Mead’s level variability, climate change, and allocation compacts drive ongoing policy. Structural monitoring, spillway maintenance, and visitor safety anchor operations while tours interpret a still‑working landmark.
