The Hoover Dam
We opted to spend Christmas 2013 in Las Vegas and after arriving late on a thursday evening we stayed around our hotel until friday morning when we set out to visit the Hoover Dam. The last time I came by the Hoover Dam the Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge that crosses the void below the dam was unfinished and all traffic was funnelled across the dam itself, the bridge opened in 2010 and really shifted thousands of vehicles onto the bypass and away from the dam, massively reducing congestion at the dam itself.
Our first shots are from the bridge deck, we parked in a small car park below the bridge and climbed the numerous stairs to the deck where we were treated to (what used to be) an 'aerial view' of the dam.
Our first shots are from the bridge deck, we parked in a small car park below the bridge and climbed the numerous stairs to the deck where we were treated to (what used to be) an 'aerial view' of the dam.
Lake Mead above the dam (though mostly out of view in the shots of the dam) is currently suffering a very significant drought, so much so that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (the agency charged with managing water in the West) announced recently that it would cut the amount of water released next year by 750,000 acre-feet, enough to supply about 1.5 million homes.
At the centre of the bridge a brass marker inset into the walkway that shows the location of the state line, with one foot either side of this plate you will have a one hour time differential between the left and right side of your body.
We walked across just to say we had done it rather than to get a better view, I couldn't help but think that this spot is one of those 'soon to be' suicide hotspots, kind of gives you the jibbers but that seems to be the way of for most of the worlds high bridges.
After exploring the bridge we went back to the car park and continued down to the dam itself, parking in the multi story car park located there. The addition of a few scattered palm trees gave a wonderful splash of colour to the desert sandstone and concrete that fills the valley here.
There are a number of stunning Art Deco pieces around the dam, not least of which is a pair of winged figures over 30 feet tall and made of over 4 tons of solid bronze they would cost too much to produce for such a project in modern times, but back in 1935 things were different.
It is said that it is lucky to touch the toes of the statues and many do as can be deduced by the lack of a green patina on the feet of the statues. Personally, I think the only luck you'll be getting if you touch those is that you'll be lucky not to catch some nasty germs (given the observed frequency of hands passing over the feet)
It is said that it is lucky to touch the toes of the statues and many do as can be deduced by the lack of a green patina on the feet of the statues. Personally, I think the only luck you'll be getting if you touch those is that you'll be lucky not to catch some nasty germs (given the observed frequency of hands passing over the feet)
The shot below shows the route thus far from the bridge around to the brown sandstone of the multi storey car park and onto the dam itself.
I had to include this one because it took me so long to make the shot showing the drop over the edge to the base of the dam and back up to the bridge above. A wide angle lens would do it nicely but I didn't have mine with me so two stitched panoramas ultimately came together to make it. The vehicle on the bridge is a 40 ton truck and gives some idea of the scale.
From the Arizona bank of the dam, the huge loss of water can be seen in the white mineral deposits along the rocks surrounding the beautifully designed intake towers.
I really like the intake towers, it would have been easy to make them simply utilitarian but instead they maintain the features of the period and protected by the dry desert air they wear their 82 years very well. The clocks on each set of towers are a nice touch giving 'Arizona time' on one side and 'Nevada time' on the other.
Entrances to lift towers and even to toilet blocks along the dam are finished in brass, text is written in that beautiful font of the period with a thick main stem on the letters and all other parts of the letter being very thin. It is wonderfully ornate and still perfectly serviceable in the 21st century.
Not all of the artwork is Art Deco, some are simply a testament to the men who toiled in the desert heat to construct the dam and over one hundred men that perished whilst doing so.
After wandering the dam we headed back to the car park where a cafe with cool, shaded stone tables provide a great location for lunch, and a gift shop that provided some of the worst memorabilia I've ever seen (second only to my visit to Graceland, where a black plastic Elvis with swiveling hips had me walking out of the gift shop shaking my head)
Back at the Hoover Dam cafe as we sat enjoying the shaded seats in the warm desert sunshine a small army of sparrows ensured any crumbs that made it to the floor didn't stay there very long.
Back at the Hoover Dam cafe as we sat enjoying the shaded seats in the warm desert sunshine a small army of sparrows ensured any crumbs that made it to the floor didn't stay there very long.
Even the car park remains faithful to the period with its ornamental pillars, stacked coving and clean edge finish, it's quite warming to see such attention to detail in the most mundane of structures.
After the dam we returned to the Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge in the hope of finding the canyon below the dam better illuminated as the sun had risen, unfortunately it remained the same so the pictures from our first ascent of the steps would have to suffice, but at least we got the additional exercise.
We returned to the car and drove up to an overview of Lake Mead from an old railway hiking trail. Again this is only a small area of the lake but the dry conditions are even more apparent from up here. Lake Mead is over 110 miles long, it has over 500 miles of shoreline and is the largest reservoir in the US, so looking at the drop in water now, consider it over that scale to understand the immense reduction that has taken place and the very serious consequences that will arise should it not regain its former levels.
We returned to the car and drove up to an overview of Lake Mead from an old railway hiking trail. Again this is only a small area of the lake but the dry conditions are even more apparent from up here. Lake Mead is over 110 miles long, it has over 500 miles of shoreline and is the largest reservoir in the US, so looking at the drop in water now, consider it over that scale to understand the immense reduction that has taken place and the very serious consequences that will arise should it not regain its former levels.
It is testament to all involved in the making of the Hoover Dam that the structure still leaves people in awe more than 80 years past completion. It may have been misguided and its affect on the Colorado River not fully understood at the time and perhaps, it may even be demolished to rectify the error; but come what may, the Hoover Dam is a phenomenal engineering achievement and a true modern marvel.