walking safely high over the Colorado River
Lake Mead seen from the Hoover Dam
Near Boulder City a huge dam blocks the upstream waters of the
Colorado River.
Build in a steep gorge of the Colorado River
this massive arch-gravity type concrete dam is 220 m high and stretches 380 m from side to side.
The dam has created
the largest artificial fresh water reservoir in the USA.
Called
Lake Mead it supplies water and electricity to nearby states
and provides fantastic vistas and ample recreational opportunities. Boating and fishing are very popular activities here to kill time.
Guaranteed
supplies of water to the nearby states stem from the first decades of the 20th century, a period with precipitation
well above the historical long term average. Water levels in Lake Mead dropped in the 1950 during a drought period, peaked in 1983
and have dropped since, reaching a critical low level in 2016. But 2017 saw a substantial recovery.
We visited Lake Mead
and the Hoover dam in May 1994 when the water level was 35 m above the low of 2016.
Lake Mead in Google Maps. The Hooverdam is to the lower left. Las Vegas draws its water from the lake
the Hoover Dam blocks the Colorado River right on the border between Nevada and Arizona
even in 1994 the lake is far from full
a first glimpse of the lake
the steel arch of the old I-93
it was the first concrete dam of this size build in the USA
a beach with a view
deep down you can rent boats
the Colorado continues its way to Mexico
