During our recent trip to the southwestern United States, we had the chance to visit the Hoover Dam. Although we didn't tour the dam, we got a stunning view from the Mike O'Callagan Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.
The Hoover Dam is an impressive feat of engineering. It spans the Colorado River, which forms the border between Arizona and Nevada and is responsible for creating Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States. The dam is a staggering 726 feet (221 meters) tall and 1,244 feet (379 meters) long, making it one of the largest dams in the world.
From my vantage point on the bridge, we could see the dam's massive concrete structure stretching across the river. The bridge is an engineering marvel, standing 900 feet (274 meters) above the canyon floor. We saw the Colorado River winding through the canyon below as we looked down.
Despite the impressive scale of the Hoover Dam, its construction wasn't without controversy. The dam was built during the Great Depression and employed thousands of workers, but working conditions were dangerous, and many workers lost their lives during the construction process. Additionally, the dam's construction required the relocation of many Native American communities displaced from their ancestral lands.
Nevertheless, Hoover Dam is an example of the power of human ingenuity and construction, and a visit is highly recommended.
