In these tough economic times, an afternoon spent sightseeing at Hoover Dam might be one of the best travel bargains in America.
Adults pay just $1 (children 15 and under are free; seniors pay only 50 cents) for a 35-minute tour, which runs through the interior of the dam, into some of the original tunnels and through two massive chambers containing the dam`s intricate machinery. Also, there is a free 35-minute film and a free 15- minute presentation explaining how the dam has changed much of the topography and history of the Southwest. With a light lunch, an afternoon spent at the dam can cost less than $5.
About 30 miles from Las Vegas on the Nevada-Arizona border, Hoover Dam, containing 17 generators and providing as much as 2 million kilowatts of electricity to several Southwestern states, is not just an attraction only an electrician could love. It is a stunning engineering marvel, considered by many to be one of this country`s greatest achievements, and it is an important piece of American history.
Hoover Dam, formerly called Boulder Dam, was named after Herbert Hoover, the country`s 31st president. Since the dam opened in 1937, more than 27 million people have toured the 726-foot tall, 45-foot thick facility. Each year 700,000 visitors take the tour, conducted by the Department of Interior`s Bureau of Reclamation.
Flood led to dam
The Colorado River, which winds through the Southwest on a 1,400-mile course from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, always had been unpredictable and untamable, and it was a devastating flood in 1905 that led to the creation of Hoover Dam.
According to the Department of Interior, in 1905, the swollen river, fed by melting snow and heavy spring downpours, washed away small man-made earth dams that were built to divert water to California`s Imperial Valley. The river changed course and began flowing directly into the valley, destroying homes, highways, crops and railroads. The river wasn`t returned to its original course for 16 months.
In January 1922, Hoover, then secretary of Commerce, chaired a meeting of representatives of seven states-Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, California and Wyoming-to determine how to equitably divide the Colorado River`s waters. The negotiations led to the signing of the Colorado River Compact in November 1922, according to a brochure prepared by the Department of Interior.
In 1928, at a cost of $175 million, Congress authorized construction of Hoover Dam and the All-American Canal System as a part of the Boulder Canyon Project Act. Work started in 1931 and was completed in 1935, two years ahead of schedule.
Engineers first built tunnels diverting water from Lake Mead into the Colorado River. Then a work force that at one time numbered as many as 5,000 labored for 50 cents an hour removing hundreds of thousands of tons of mud and sludge before blasting 130 feet into the bedrock. After that they started pouring concrete in five-foot increments. In all, more than 3 million cubic yards of concrete were used-enough to build a four-lane highway from San Francisco to New York, said Chuck Lombardo, a tour guide.
96 men killed
Lombardo said 96 men were killed during construction of the dam, and there is a commemorative bronze plaque on a building that houses Hoover Dam memorabilia. After the dam was built, the electrical equipment was installed and the first generator went on-line in October 1936. The last generator began working in 1961.
It took until 1987 for the government to earn back its $175 million investment, plus pay the interest. Now, Lombardo said, all the money the dam earns goes into the U.S. Treasury. From 1936 to 1988, the dam has generated more than $636 million in electricity and water revenue.
Autumn is the best time of year to visit Hoover Dam. The temperature peaks in the low 80s and there is virtually no humidity.
Plan to wear comfortable shoes, because there is a lot of walking and two flights of 53 stairs each along the tour. The Bureau of Reclamation has wheelchairs available and offers assistance for the hearing-impaired.
Just before entering the elevator that takes visitors down 528 feet to the bottom of the dam, there is a sign that reads: ”The tour is not recommended for those persons suffering from claustrophobia.” That might be something of an exaggeration. While there are a few fairly narrow hallways, there is plenty of breathing room; even the old mining tunnel is cool, breezy and well-lighted.
The interior of the dam is almost like stepping back in time with its white and black tile floors, the ceiling, light fixtures and louvered aluminum office doors, all of which appear to be original.
After exiting the elevator there is a 50-yard walk into a huge warehouse- sized room that contains seven of the dam`s big, round water-powered generators. The generators are seven stories high and together crank out energy equivalent to 2 million horsepower, according to Lombardo.
There is a light on top of each generator that reads A1, A2, A3 and so on. The ”A” stands for generators on the Arizona side of the dam. The rest of the generators have N1, N2, N3 and so on. Those are on the Nevada side of the dam. If the light is on, Lombardo said, it means the generator is in operation. Most were running, and there was a faint humming noise coming from each.
After a peek at the generators, the tour-conducted in groups of about 50 people-moves outside, some 452 feet below the surface of Lake Mead, which is contained on the other side of the dam. Looking up at the length and width of the dam is a breathtaking sight.
Not only do you see a labyrinth of electrical wires that carry the electricity, but you come away with the realization that Hoover Dam is an amazing piece of architecture with its concrete blending into the bedrock.
At the end of a 50-yard tunnel carved of rock, there is an even more stunning sight: one of a series of pipes that runs through solid rock from Lake Mead to the Colorado River. It is 78 feet in diameter and through it can run 4 million cubic feet of water a second, said Lombardo. This pipe is used only to drain excess water from Lake Mead, but it has only been needed twice since 1941.
At the end of the tunnel Lombardo explained how water is routed from Lake Mead through the dam and where it goes from there. Then the tour ends. After ascending to the top of the dam, the next thing to do is take in the free movie that shows archival footage of the dam`s construction.
Then visit the building that contains the dam artifacts. On display are newspaper articles, various pieces of the machinery that were used in the construction of the dam, a dam worker`s paycheck stub and a model of the Colorado River that shows how the dam has tamed the river and made life along it more predictable.
There are also a gift shop and snack bar, where you`ll find sodas, hot dogs, ice cream and the usual postcards, T-shirts and souvenir items. Outside of the dam two large sidewalks on both sides of the road offer a spectacular view of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. There are dozens of free parking spaces along the perimeter of the dam.
BEAT THE TOUR BUSES
Tours: 8 a.m.-6:45 p.m. every day, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day; 9 a.m.-4:15 p.m. daily the remainder of the year. The least busy time to visit is the first two hours of operation, before the tour buses arrive from Las Vegas.
Cost: $1 adults, 50 cents seniors 62 or older, free children 15 and under.
More information: Visitors Services, Box 60400, Boulder City, Nev. 89006; 702-293-8367.
