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When farmers began to settle the dry, arid land in the west at the turn of the 20th century, they attempted to build canals to divert water from the Colorado River to farm land (History, 2018). This caused massive flooding and in 1922, the vision for the dam was first born as a way to control the Colorado River, provide water for farming, and generate hydroelectric power in order to recoup its costs (History, 2018).

Construction finally began in 1931 and over the course of the next four years, 21,000 people (on average 3,500 each day) helped to build the dam (History, 2018). It was painstaking and treacherous work and the official death toll is 96 workers (History, 2018).

In total, 4.3 million cubic yards of concrete were poured -- that's enough concrete to pave a 16-foot-wide, 8-inch-thick road from San Francisco to New York City (History, 2018).

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History. (2020, September 29). Hoover Dam. https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/hoover-dam

History. (2018, September 1). 7 Things You Might Not Know About the Hoover Dam. https://www.history.com/news/7-things-you-might-not-know-about-the-hoover-dam

The Living New Deal. (n.d.) Hoover Dam, Colorado River AZ. https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/hoover-dam-colorado-river-az/#:~:text=The%20Boulder%20Canyon%20Project%20Act,Public%20Works%20Administration%20in%201935.

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The impact of the Hoover Dam on the western United States is huge. Las Vegas wouldn't be what it is today if not for the electricity and water the Dam supplies to the area.

It is because of the Hoover Dam that western cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Las Vegas were able to develop. Without the water and power provided by the dam, these western cities likely wouldn't be the major metropolises they are today (History, 2020).

The Dam's 17 turbines generate enough electricity to power 1.3 million homes (History, 2020).

It is also because of the Hoover Dam that the community of Boulder City exists (History, 2018). It was created as a company town to house the workers on the site and the federal government finally gave up control in 1960 (History, 2018). Today, it is a suburban community outside of Las Vegas.

Additionally, Hoover Dam created the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the country's largest reservoir (History, 2018). The 248 square mile lake provides numerous recreational opportunities such as boating, swimming, and fishing to approximately 10 million visitors annually (History, 2018; History, 2020). It also provides enough water to irrigate 2 million acres of land that is supplied to farms, businesses, and people in Nevada, California, Arizona, and Mexico (History, 2018).

It's still a huge tourist attraction to this day, receiving about 7 million annual visitors (History, 2020). I have fond memories of my childhood spent boating and swimming at Lake Mead.

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The Hoover Dam created thousands of jobs - 21,000 over the course of the building (History, 2018). People seeking work moved to Las Vegas and camped out, waiting for the opportunity to be hired (History, 2018).

When the Hoover Dam opened in 1935 to a crowd of 20,000 onlookers, it was the tallest dam in the world at 726.4 feet (History,2018). It immediately was able to control the waters of the Colorado River through the creation of a reservoir - Lake Mead - and provide power to millions.

Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985 and was made one of America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders in 1994 (History, 2020).

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To provide water and hydroelectric power to the southwestern states (History, 2020).

To control and prevent flooding from the Colorado River (History, 2020).

To increase the population of the west by providing water to dry areas (The Living New Deal, n.d.).

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The Hoover Dam is located on the Nevada-Arizona border, approximately 30 miles from my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada. The town of Boulder City, located just 6 miles away, was created and run by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to house the 5,000 workers who built the dam. (History, 2018).

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The Hoover Dam was built by the Public Works Administration. Congress authorized the construction of the dam in 1928 with the passage of the Boulder Canyon Project Act and construction began the following year with funds from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation established by President Herbert Hoover.(The Living New Deal, n.d.).

The dam was completed using funds from the Public Works Administration in 1935. (The Living New Deal, n.d.)