Overview
Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, spanning the Arizona-Nevada state line, are located in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River about 35 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a concrete thick-arch structure, 726.4 feet high and 1,244 feet long. The dam contains 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete; total concrete in the dam and appurtenant works is 4.4 million cubic yards.
Hoover Dam is a testimony to a country's ability to construct monolithic projects in the midst of adverse conditions. Built during the Depression; thousands of men and their families came to Black Canyon to tame the Colorado River. It took less than five years, in a harsh and barren land, to build the largest dam of its time. Now, years later, Hoover Dam still stands as a world-renowned structure. The Dam is a National Historic Landmark and has been rated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders.
General
Project | Boulder Canyon |
Dam Type | Concrete thick arch |
Location | 35 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada |
Longitude | -114.7372 |
Latitude | 36.0163 |
Watercourse | Colorado River |
Reservoir | Lake Mead |
Original Construction | 1931-1936 |
National ID Number | NV10122 |
Base Width | 660 ft |
Dimensions
Crest Elevation | 1232.0 ft |
Top Parapet (Elevation) | 1236.0 ft |
Structural Height | 726.4 ft |
Hydraulic Height (Normal Operating Depth at Dam) | 576 ft |
Crest Length | 1,244 ft |
Crest Width | 45 ft |
Top of Joint Use Pool (Elevation) | 1219.6 |
Top of Inactive Conservation Pool (Elevation) | 950 ft |
Volume of Dam Construction Materials | 4,400,000 cu-yds |
Spillway Crest Elevation | 1205.4 ft |
Streambed at Dam Axis | 640 ft |
Top of Dead Storage Pool (Elevation) | 895 ft |
Top of Exclusive Flood Control Pool (Elevation) | 1229 ft |
Hydraulics & Hydrology
Spillway Type | Concrete lined, side channel, gate controlled overflow weir |
Spillway Capacity at Elevation | 270,000 cfs at 1232 ft |
Outlet Works Capacity at Elevation | 52,200 cfs at 1219.6 ft |
Drainage Area | 167,800 sq mi |
Maximum Water Surface Elevation | 1232 ft |
Total Water Storage at Elevation | 28,945,000 acre-ft at 1221.4 |
Net Generation | 3,254,593,045 kWh |
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