Hoover dam

The Hoover Dam, is an arc-gravity concrete dam, located in the course of the Colorado River, on the border between the states of Arizona and Nevada (USA). It is located 48 km southeast of Las Vegas.

Initially it was called Boulder Dam, but it was finally named Hoover Dam, in honor of Herbert Hoover, who played a fundamental role in its construction, first as Secretary of Commerce and later as President of the United States.

It was built during the time of the Great Depression, between 1931 and 1936, completing two years earlier than expected. It is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior. Since 1981 it has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Before the construction of the dam, the basin of Rio del Colorado overflowed when the snow of the Rocky Mountains melted. These floods endangered agricultural communities downstream. In addition to the essential flood prevention, a dam would make it possible to extend irrigated agriculture in the dry zone. This would also provide a constant supply of water for Los Angeles and other communities in Southern California.

One of the main objectives for the project was the equitable allocation of the waters of the Colorado River. Several of the states in the Colorado River basin feared that California, with its enormous financial resources and its great need for water, would be the main beneficiary. It was clear that without some kind of agreement on the distribution of water, the project could not prosper.