Hoover Dam - 3 of 3

Rising 726.4 feet from its foundation, construction began in 1931 and completed in 1936 with the diverted of the river around Black Canyon. A lot of work had to be done before construction started on the dam itself. The biggest task was diverting the Colorado River around the site so the dam could be built across the riverbed. Cross-canyon cableways moved heavy equipment into and out of the canyon. Workers drilled and blasted, boring tunnels through canyon walls around the dam site (remember what this took in 1931)! The diverted river flowed through four concrete-lined tunnels, each 50’ in diameter.

Hoover Dam captures the river's energy and turns it into electrical power for 6 states. The first commercial generator went online in 1936, electrifying Los Angeles and Boulder City. The last of the 17 commercial generators was installed. The final part of the project was to install generators to get Hoover Dam producing electricity. Once the dam was built, the project's last 500 workers finished construction of the powerhouse and installed penstocks and lateral pipes. Hoover Dam doesn't just hold back the Colorado River. It converts the potential energy stored in the water of Lake Mead to mechanical energy. As the water flows down through the dam's piping system, the flowing water spins the turbine at the bottom of the generator. The generator converts the turbine's mechanical energy into electricity that is sent to homes and businesses. The first commercial generator went online in 1936, electrifying Los Angeles and Boulder City and then the last of the 17 commercial generators was installed.Read more