Hoover Dam

In brief

In a canyon, on the border between Nevada and Arizona, the Hoover Dam is one of the most famous dams in the world. It was built in the 1930s, during a hard time for the United States (the "Great Depression"). This big public project put thousands of people to work and created a major piece of infrastructure for the American West.

How does it work?

It is an arch-gravity dam: it is curved like an arch and also very heavy.

• Its curve sends the push of the Colorado River toward the canyon walls, and its base, 200 meters thick, makes it heavy and stable.
• It created Lake Mead, one of the largest artificial lakes in the United States. This lake is an important water reserve for the Colorado River basin, and the dam's electricity supplies several states in the region.
• Its style is Art Deco, with sculpted towers.

Key facts

• Height: 221 m. Length: 379 m.
• Power: 2,080 MW.
• Inaugurated in 1935; the work was finished more than 2 years ahead of the contract.

Words to know

• Canyon: a very narrow, deep valley carved by a river.
• Art Deco: a decoration style that was very fashionable in the 1920s and 1930s.

Did you know? Near the dam, two big bronze statues 9 meters tall watch over the site. Their toes have turned shiny, because visitors touch them for good luck!

Going further

When Lake Mead drops during a drought, two things go down at the same time: the water reserve, and the height of the drop. And the higher the water falls from, the more energy it gives the turbines. With a lower lake, the plant therefore produces less electricity from the same amount of water.