Dam in the Black Canyon on the
Colorado River between
Nevada and
Arizona, about 30
miles southeast of
Las Vegas. It took 5 years to
build, from 1931-1936. It is one of the
largest dams in the
world at 726 ft. (221 m)
high and 1,244 ft. (379 m)
long. It holds in the
water which makes up
Lake Mead. There are 4,360,000
cubic yards of
concrete in the dam, powerplant, and
appurtenant works, about 5 million
barrels of
cement. The
hydroelectric capacity of Hoover Dam is 1,345
Mw.
The original name of the dam was Boulder Dam, because it was going to be built in Boulder canyon. After the planners saw that the Black Canyon was more suitable, they decided to build it there, but the name Canyon Dam stuck with it. In 1930 when construction was beginning, Interior Secretary Ray Wilbur said he would name it Hoover Dam, after the president Herbert Hoover. Many people were upset at naming it this, and argued to keep it as Boulder Dam. In 1933, the new Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes, said it would be named Boulder Dam, as originally planned. This name lasted until 1947, when a joint resolution of Congress permanently named it the Hoover Dam.