This is of the most fascinating human wonders I have ever seen. Hoover Dam, also known as Boulder Dam is a wonder of human engineering. It is located in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada.

I never forgot to visit its Souvenir Gift Shop to buy some memorabilias during our visit last May 2008. Its like a little Cyber Monday shopping I had in their souvenir shop. I bought a book about Hoover Dam, some postcards, magnets and keychain during our visit. Buying those stuffs already made my day. I wish to visit it again in the future.

Th Hoover Dam Bypass, also called as The Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge is a concrete steel arch bridge connecting the states of Colorado and Nevada. It runs accross Colorado River and was opened last October 19, 2010.

During our visit in Hoover Dam last May 2008, this bridge was still under construction. This is again another architecture in the United States considering that it is the first concrete-steel composite arch bridge built in this country.

an image taken by my sister during their recent visit. The bridge is already in used now.

The bridge provides a crossing of the Colorado River for U.S. Route 93, linking the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona 1,600 feet (490 m) downstream from the Hoover Dam. It is located approximately 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The bridge is the 2nd highest in the United States, behind Royal Gorge Bridge, at 840 feet (260 m) above the Colorado River. Built as part of the Hoover Dam Bypass Project, which successfully finished within budget at a cost of $240 million, the bridge portion cost $114 million (2010 USD) more here

The tamed Colorado River where the Hoover Dam Bypass crosses. It was still under construction during our visit last May 2008.

Its construction begun in 2003 and construction contract for the arch bridge was awarded in October 2004.
It is truly amazing how such high-tech engineering are happening nowadays. I believed the traffic in Hoover Dam is now very better with this new bridge.

Let's take a little tour in the Unites States. I am sharing some images of one of the major tourist attractions in Nevada. Hoover Dam, previously known as Boulder Dam is located in the Black Canyon of Colorado River on the border between Nevada and Colorado States. It was built from 1931 to 1935 as seen on the last image I have below.

It is considered to be a wonder of human engineering. During our visit last May 2008, there is a new bridge that is being built to make new way for the traffic. It is said that this so-called Hoover Bypass is opened sometime last October of this year.


Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead, and is located near Boulder City, Nevada, a municipality originally constructed for workers on the construction project, about 25 mi (40 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The dam's generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California.

It's been two years now since I visited United States and stayed most of the time in Las Vegas, Nevada. I also had the chance to visit Hoover Dam or Boulder Dam as it is called by others. Here are some images and information I took from this amazing architecture during our visit last June 2008.


Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. When completed in 1936, it was both the world's largest hydroelectric power generating station and the world's largest concrete structure. It was surpassed in both these respects by the Grand Coulee Dam in 1945. It is currently the world's 38th-largest hydroelectric generating station.

This dam, located 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is named after Herbert Hoover, who played an instrumental role in its construction, first as the Secretary of Commerce, and then later, as the President of the United States. Construction began in 1931 and the dam was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on September 30, 1935 but it was not fully completed until 1936, which was still more than two years ahead of schedule. The dam and the power plant are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.

Hoover Dam and its associated changes in water use had devastating impact on the Colorado River Delta at the mouth of the Colorado River. The construction of the dam has been credited as causing the decline of this estuarine ecosystem. For six years in the late 1930s, after the construction of the dam and while Lake Mead filled, virtually no flow of water reached the mouth of the river. The delta's estuary, which once had a freshwater-saltwater mixing zone stretching 65 kilometres (40 mi) south of the river's mouth, was turned into an inverse estuary where the level of salinity was actually higher closer to the river's mouth.

Environmental impact

The Colorado River had experienced natural flooding before the construction of the Hoover Dam. The dam eliminated the natural flooding, which imperiled many species adapted to the flooding, including both plants and animals.
The construction of the dam decimated the populations of native fish in the river downstream from the dam. Four species of fish native to the Colorado River, the Bonytail chub, Colorado pikeminnow, Humpback chub, and Razorback sucker, are currently listed as endangered by the U.S. federal government.
more infos here

Some years ago, I saw some pictures of a friend visiting one of the famous architecture in the world called Hoover Dam. I told myself, one day I will visit this place. It came true. Last May 2008, I finally had the chance to visit this incredible work of engineering. I can't tell so much how it is made but here are some information I can share about Hoover Dam.

Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. When completed in 1936, it was both the world's largest hydroelectric power generating station and the world's largest concrete structure. It was surpassed in both these respects by the Grand Coulee Dam in 1945. It is currently the world's 38th-largest hydroelectric generating station.

STATISTICS OF HOOVER DAM
* Construction period: April 20, 1931 – March 1, 1936
* Construction cost: $49 million ($736 million adjusted for inflation from 1936 to 2008
* Deaths attributed to construction: 112; 96 of them at the construction site
* Dam height: 726.4 ft (221.4 m), second highest dam in the United States. (Only the Oroville Dam is taller)
* Dam length: 1,244 ft (379 m)
* Dam thickness: 660 ft (200 m) at its base; 45 ft (14 m) thick at its crest.
* Average flow release: 22,000 cfs
* Concrete: 4,360,000 cu yd (3,330,000 m3)
* Maximum electric power produced by the water turbines: 2.08 gigawatts
* Approximate power output: 4,000,000,000 kW·h (1.4×1010 MJ) per year (i.e. $200 million at $0.05 per kWh)
* Traffic across the dam: 13,000 to 16,000 people each day, according to the Federal Highway Administration
* Lake Mead (full pool)
o area: 157,900 acres (63,900 ha), backing up 110 mi (180 km) behind the dam.
o volume: 28,537,000 acre feet (35.200 km³) at an elevation of 1,221.4 ft (372.3 m).
* With 8 to 10 million visitors each year, including visitors to Hoover Dam but not all traffic across the dam, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area is the fifth busiest National Park Service area. wikipedia

I already posted some pictures of Hoover Dam in Nevada sometime in this site. I am just sharing another photo that shows an evidence that I was in this great architecture. This dam is also known as the Boulder Dam and is located between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was completed in 1936 and during this time it was the both the world's largest electric-power generating station and the world's largest concrete structure. What an amazing work of engineering! here I am smiling happily as I saw this place.

One of the greatest human architecture is Hoover Dam,also called Boulder Dam. I can't believed that I was able to see this place. I was there last year and seeing such architecture is truly amazing! Here is the photo I took last year.
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. When completed in 1936, it was both the world's largest electric-power generating station and the world's largest concrete structure. It was surpassed in both these respects by the Grand Coulee Dam in 1945. It is currently the world's 35th-largest hydroelectric generating station.

This dam, located 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is named after Herbert Hoover, who played an instrumental role in its construction, first as the Secretary of Commerce, and then later, as the President of the United States. Construction began in 1931, and was completed in 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule. The dam and the power plant are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.

Lake Mead is the reservoir created by the dam, named after Elwood Mead, who oversaw the construction of the dam. read more here

Have you been to Las Vegas, Nevada? Never miss to visit and see the famous and one of the most engineering wonders of the world which is Hoover Dam. This photo was taken last May 2008 during my visit to the US. Hoover Dam is located between the boundary of Arizona and Nevada. The other side of these huge dam is in Nevada and on the other side is the Arizona (see that watch in the photo on Arizona time). If ever you cross that bridge/dam , Arizona is already there and is one hour ahead of Nevada. I guess if you take a walk everyday in this vast desert here, you don't need to take diet pills in losing weight..right guys?..I have to sign-off now and get ready to party!! sometimes we just need time to enjoy and have fun!! hope you too!! Enjoy your weekend!!

Hoover dam is truly one of the engineering marvels of the world. It is designed to originally tame the extremes of Colorado River. Hoover Dam has a major source of power to the Southwest and one of the areas top attractions. The dam, 30 miles southwest of Las Vegas, spans the Nevada, Arizona border. Some one million visitors visit the dam's power plant annually while millions more drive across the top of the towering structure.

Hoover dam is as tall as a 70 story building, 45 feet wide at the top and 660 feet thick at the bottom. The structure contains enough concrete to build a two lane highway from Los Angeles to New York City. What a truly engineering marvels of the world!!

I had the chance to see one of the most engineering wonders of the world, The famous Hoover dam. Thanks to my beautiful cousin Ann and her family for the tour here. See what's on top of the mountain? As we went there, this bridge is still under construction. I guess until now. It will really be a very high one.

Hoover Dam on the other hand connects two states, Arizona and Nevada. I'm proud to see this place.

Another dream come true!!!..I thought that it's only in my dream that I can see this place..Once again, that dream came true..Going to the United States especially staying most of the time in Las Vegas is not more exciting if you don't visit Hoover Dam. It is a pleasure to visit America's greatest man-made engineering of all time!!..Not only considered as greatest engineering work in America but the whole world as a whole.. How can you imagine a wild river being tamed by the creation of Hoover Dam. ..such amazing works!!

below are some photos I took personally during my trip to Hoover Dam..Special thanks to my cousin Ann and family for the trip over there...That was a very nice day as we went there...we really got fun!! I will posting more photos next time!!

take care everyone!! hope you enjoy viewing here!!

Hoover Dam, also known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. When completed in 1935, it was both the world's largest electric power producing facility and the world's largest concrete structure. It was surpassed in both respects by the Grand Coulee Dam in 1945. It is currently the world's 35th largest hydroelectric generating station.

The dam, located 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, is named after Herbert Hoover, who played an instrumental role in its construction, first as Secretary of Commerce and then later as President of the United States. Construction began in 1931 and was completed in 1935, more than two years ahead of schedule. The dam and the power plant are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.

Lake Mead is the reservoir created behind the dam, named after Elwood Mead, who oversaw the construction of the dam.