As basketball coach Al McGuire once said, it's tough to feel significant when standing next to Hoover Dam. (Or as Democrats I know call it, Boulder Dam.) A crew blasted through adjoining mountains, redirected the Colorado River through the opening for a few years while the dam was built, then sent the river through the dam. It sends electricity and water throughout the Southwest and certainly changed the course of the region's history.
Engineers had to build a concrete factory in order to build the 726-foot dam, which grows stronger by the minute even today. Several lives were lost in construction. The final result is a modern marvel.
Tours are available of the facility, although they have been scaled back due to post-9/11 security concerns. The picture looks up at the dam and Lake Mead. If you are in the area, be sure to visit -- you can't gamble all the time in Las Vegas.
No comments:
Post a Comment