1. The huge dam on the Colorado captured the imagination of journalists, authors, and filmmakers. Reading 2 is abridged from Reg Manning's Cartoon Guide of the Boulder Dam Country (Locust Valley, NY: J.J. Augustin, 1938), pages 10-17. 1. Initially the agency built some relatively small dams on the rivers tributaries. There is a fee for parking. Standard I - The student describes ways that historical events have been influenced by, and have influenced, physical and human geographic factors in local, regional, national, and global settings. Standard D - The student identifies and uses processes important to reconstructing and reinterpreting the past, such as using a variety of sources, providing, validating, and weighing evidence for claims, checking credibility of sources, and searching for causality. Would Hoover Dam be on their list? 2. In terms of security certifications, Security+ predates ISACA's CISM and Red Hat's Certified Security Specialist. It provides water to irrigate farm fields. The project will flood the three gorges that give the dam its name: the Qutang, Wu Xia, and Xiling. Corporal Joe Ward . Divide the class into seven small groups. What were some of the concerns people had about its construction? Why do you think the construction company was willing to spend the money to build the lookout? What difficulties might those building it encounter? 2. In June a great flood came down the river. Why do you think the dam had to be so thick at the bottom? From your ice plant, run ice cold brine through the pipes. The Bureau of Reclamation (the government agency originally tasked with reclaiming this arid place for a new utopia of farmland and a booming western population), expects this historic low to spiral further, dropping to about 1,048ft by the end of 2022, a shallowness unprecedented since Lake Mead started filling up in the 1930s following Hoover dams completion. The discussion took a turn when we reminded ourselves that these wonders belonged to the ancient world. Why do you think Six Companies disregarded the state law? 1) To list five factors that led to the construction of Hoover Dam. This could be the tip of the iceberg, we may well see much longer, tougher droughts.. Private vehicles are allowed to cross after the vehicle is inspected. This is an engineering victory of the first orderanother great achievement of American resourcefulness, American skill and determination. Constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation to meet the requirements of the 1944 Treaty with Mexico, Davis Dam was originally created to regulate the amount of water to be delivered downstream and eventually to Mexico. instructions on Standard H - The student works independently and cooperatively to accomplish goals. Why do you think the engineers thought they had to keep this from happening? Complete with startling statistics We also now prohibit commercial traffic access across the dam, with the exception of some local businesses. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Stuff the holes with dynamite, and blast it away. Why did many people think something needed to be done to control the Colorado River? Intake towers and power house.Build four intake towers on the upstream side of the dam, being sure that the top of em is above the high water line. Not as exciting as the Grand Canyon but worth the visit. In 2010, in the United States there were 38,364 reported suicide deaths. Erect a power house below the dam. They are then inspected and allowed to pass. Our Own Seven Wonders, Letters to the Editor, The New York Times, Feb. 6. Do you think he made a good case? We know that, as an unregulated river, the Colorado added little of value to the region this dam serves. The dam holds back the water of Lake Mead and is the focal point of security efforts. How many of the features mentioned in Reading 2 can you find in this image? Ill continue to watch the weather, every day., Lake Mead: largest US reservoir falls to historic low amid devastating drought, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Lake Mead behind the Hoover dam from the Arizona side. Refer to Reading 2 if necessary. They are critical to the functioning of modern communities, but few people notice them unless something goes wrong. It was one of the most ambitious projects of the early 20th century, requiring millions of cubic feet of concrete and tens. The river, and dam, made the west; now the climate crisis threatens to break it. The permit allows them to show up. It also includes images showing the installation of the last turbine in the power plant and the benefits provided by the dam. #5 - Washington DC - there's so much to experience in our nation's Capital - discover history, art, nightlife and so many more treasures that make America great. There are eight generators inside the Nevada . Standard C - The student locates, accesses, analyzes, organizes, and applies information about selected public issues--recognizing and explaining multiple points of view. It did permit planning for the dam to proceed, however. That estimate has turned out to be too high, because the early 20th century was unusually wet while the period since then has been much drier. Which states are within the Basin? We just continued on. Reclamation engineers began to study the Colorado River soon after passage of the Reclamation Act in 1902. The smallest blocks were about 25 feet by 25 feet square, and the largest blocks were about 25 feet by 60 feet. What's the process to get a permit? How many steam shovels can you count? Preliminaries.Before you can start on the dam, it will be necessary to build a town. Make them each 56 feet in diameter, then line them with three feet of concrete. An acre-foot is the volume of water that would cover one acre one foot deep. Standard A - The student elaborates mental maps of locales, regions, and the world that demonstrate understanding of relative location, direction, size, and shape. Questions for Reading 2 After the dynamite was detonated, the rock dislodged by the explosion was taken out of the tunnel. But especially, we express our gratitude to the thousands of workers who gave brain and brawn to this great work of construction. Activity 1: Which Job Would You Want? What sort of problems did the river create? Had the formidable white arc of the Hoover dam never held back the Colorado River, the US west would probably have no Los Angeles or Las Vegas as we know them today. 3. Don't know why this is even listed. This makes suicide the tenth leading cause of death, with a rate of 12.4 per 100,000 population. Visitors with prohibited items will be turned away at the Nevada Security Checkpoint. Security can help organize and control situations such as large events crowds, employee terminations, or to promote a general sense of order and safety in corporate buildings. And the catastrophic consequences of the extreme weather this brings. 1. 5. HOW TO BUILD A DAM LIKE BOULDER Research by Williams and colleagues last year analyzed tree rings to discover the current dry period is rivaled only by a spell in the late 1500s in a history of drought that reaches back to around 800, with the climate crisis doubling the severity of the modern-day drought. Have students compare the data on the demand for water with the data on the available supply and then hold a whole class discussion brainstorming what problems might arise if the trends the students have identified continue. Standard D - The student describes a range of examples of the various institutions that make up economic systems such as households, business firms, banks, government agencies, labor unions, and corporations. The white bathtub ring around Lake Mead shows the record low water levels as drought continues to worsen in Nevada. To hurry it up, string two or three miles of water pipe around through each five-foot layer of concrete as you pour it. The Hoover Dam is located in the southwestern part of the United States. As it dries and cools, it shrinks and thats what causes the cracks. 5. Do you think anybody today would suggest that no one might notice if you flooded one of them? Copyright 2004 IDG Communications, Inc. Finally, ask them to consider which job they themselves would like best. In this lesson, students have learned why and how Hoover Dam was constructed. Explain your answer. Can you think of ways to translate those numbers into comparisons with more familiar things, so that it would be easier to get a sense of how big the project was? How would their list compare with the original "Seven Wonders of the World" and with Corporal Ward's "Seven Wonders of the United States? What role might the federal government be able to play in making decisions like this? Five of the 17 turbines, each weighing the same as seven blue whales, have been replaced in recent years with new fittings more suited to operating in lower lake levels. Ask each group to make a short presentation to the class and then have the other students vote on what job would have been the hardest and why. And then, a background check is done. Standard D - The student practices forms of civic discussion and participation consistent with the ideals of citizens in a democratic republic. Eventually they removed 1.5 million cubic yards of rock. That is why I have the right once more to congratulate you who have built Boulder Dam and on behalf of the Nation to say to you, "Well done." It protects southern California and Arizona from the disastrous floods for which the Colorado had been famous. Which job would have been the most dangerous? The lesson was written by Marilyn Harper, historian, and edited by Teaching with Historic Places and Reclamation staff. By mid-summer, the rivers flow was barely enough to supply the farms in southern California and Arizona that depended on it. Housing for workers in the new town of Boulder City wasn't ready when these photos were taken. . Seen from the bottom of the facility, an area off-limits to tourists. At Boulder Dam they had to get the electricity from Los Angeles to build the dam which now sends electricity back to Los Angeles. It was a hot day and the ice cream is really yummy from the kiosk although a little pricey but so worth it. No sprawling food bowl of wheat, alfalfa and corn. Dams play a vital role in the nation's overall infrastructure. Its main purpose is to staunch flooding, be a source of water for the arid deserts of Nevada, and provide a bit of hydroelectric power via a power station while it was at it. Look carefully at the cut-away view. This PBS miniseries, hosted by author David Macaulay, describes the engineering challenges encountered in building large dams, bridges, domes, skyscrapers, and tunnels in clear, easily understood, and kid-friendly terms and visuals. Where agency efforts had focused on building dams and irrigation systems to supply water to small farms, Reclamation was now envisioning vast projects that would cover whole river basins and use the water to do more than irrigate agricultural fields. (National Council for the Social Studies). Parker Dam is on the Colorado River, 155 miles downstream from Hoover Dam. Why do you think the detailed drawings were necessary? Parking is $10 and there are no real alternatives. The pace of change has been jarring to the millions of people who regularly boat, fish and swim on the lake, with the National Park Service recently laying down new steel platforms to extend launch ramps that no longer reach the water. The diversion tunnels were among the longest in the world when they were built. Once we got on the other side the traffic was stopped trying to get down in there. Hoover dam is the height of a 60-story building and is 45ft thick at the top and 660ft at the bottom. CSO: What security changes have been made at the Hoover Dam since 9/11? In the dry months of the year it shrank to a trickling stream. Today marks the official completion and dedication of Boulder Dam. This level has plunged by about 130ft in the past 20 years and is currently receding by about a foot a week as farms hit their peak irrigation period. Questions for Map 1. They joined specifically for this project. 4) One illustration showing three views of Hoover Dam; and Here are some guidelines to help you on your way: The dam is used for flood and silt control, hydroelectric . And now nature is going to bend us.. Ask the students to identify as many places as they can that have those characteristics. The new bypass takes you right over it without and option to park and visit. Look carefully at this image. Standard C - The student identifies and describes selected historical periods and patterns of change within and across cultures, such as the rise of civilizations, the development of transportation systems, the growth and breakdown of colonial systems, and others. In the information security field, 10 years seems a much longer time. Summer temperatures in the canyon can easily reach 125 degrees. Theme V: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions. The U.S. Reclamation Service, renamed the Bureau of Reclamation in 1923, was created to design and build these systems. In 1924, Reclamation reported that 143,000 people lived on the agency's 24 irrigation projects and that farm earnings for that year totaled $70 million. Simple? We talked to him about security and access at the site, deemed one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders by the American Society of Civil Engineers. They may be surprised at how old and how impressive some of these structures are. Davis Dam. Look at the upper right hand corner of the image. 5. Securing the dam and providing a safe experience for the many visitors requires a robust security program. Standard D - The student explains the need for laws and policies to govern scientific and technological applications, such as in the safety and well-being of workers and consumers and the regulation of utilities, radio, and television. Then, we walked up the bridge to see the dam. The drought is expected to cause the hydro facility at Lake Oroville, California, to completely shut down, prompting a warning from the United States Energy Association that a megadrought-induced electricity shortage could be catastrophic, affecting everything from food production to industrial manufacturing. The use of materials makes wealth. The dam stands 60-stories tall (726.4 feet) The base of the dam is two football fields thick. Before you can safely anchor a dam on em, it will be necessary to scale off this unstable face. Each spillway, designed to let floodwaters pass without harming the dam itself, can handle the volume of water that flows over Niagara Falls. What makes you think so? Where does it start? During an average summer, more than 100 engineers and electricians would work on the Hoover Dam. Why do you think that was required? These are scenarios that arent necessarily where we expect to be in our models, said Bernardo, whose work helps deliver a reliable level of water to thirsty western states. Every foot of elevation loss reduces the power potential by 5.7 megawatts. Surveying the dams sloping face from its curved parapet, Michael Bernardo, river operations manager at the US Bureau of Reclamation, admits the scarcity of water is out of bounds with historical norms. 3. They were responsible for keeping the project on schedule and within budget. By this time, too, developers in Los Angeles and other rapidly growing cities in Southern California had added their powerful support for the project. The shovels had to remove about 130 feet of soil and loose rock before they could get down to solid rock. The mighty waters of the Colorado were running unused to the sea. Ask each group to select a job and do some research on it. This morphing climate, plus the rampant extraction of water for everything from golf courses in Phoenix to vegetables growing in California to gardens in Denver, means the Colorado fizzles out in dry riverbed before it even reaches its Mexican delta. How many gallons of water are in an acre-foot? Hoover Dam would be the highest dam in the world, far taller than anything they had built so far. Do you think the safety equipment would have kept the men from falling? Some security procedures and systems, designed to deter, detect, and defend the facility were visible; however, much of the security activity is hidden. Standard F - The student describes the role of institutions in furthering both continuity and change. Expanding demand and deferred maintenance may have affected their ability to do their jobs or to do them safely. Build a platform so spectators can watch, and dig down about 130 feet from the river bed to bed rock, removing all loose material as you go. Building such a mammoth structure presented unprecedented challenges to the engineers of the Bureau of Reclamation. By this time, they were among the most knowledgeable and experienced dam builders in the world, but even they had never done anything this big. What do you think is going on in this image? Standard F - The student uses knowledge of facts and concepts drawn from history, along with methods of historical inquiry, to inform decision-making about and action-taking on public issues. Bureau of Reclamation. Right off we decided to prepare a list of seven wonders of the United States. The company requesting a permit lists its point of origin and delivery, submits a listing of its drivers, and provides appropriate detailed information such as driver's license number, complete with photo. The dry desert heat can be intense if you are not prepared. The Boulder Canyon Project Act said that the cost of building Hoover Dam had to be repaid by selling electricity and that contracts for all the electricity had to be signed before construction began. What arguments did he use? It is just another bridge even though the engineering that went into it was amazing. Herbert Hoover, at that time the secretary of commerce for Republican President Calvin Coolidge, led the discussions. Hoover Dam, located where the Colorado River forms the boundary between the states of Nevada and Arizona, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a National Historic Landmark. Lakes in Arizona are now so low they cant be used to fight the fires themselves spurred by drought, while the retreat of Lake Folsom in California uncovered the wreckage of a plane that crashed 56 years ago. Tickets for tours of the dam and the power plant are available at the Visitor Center. This completes our engineering course. The view from the bridge is not spectacular and the dam cannot be seen while driving over the bridge. If you had to decide how much of the river's water each state could have, what factors might you consider? In Boulder City, take a left at the second stoplight in town (there are only two of them). The compact also committed the U.S. government to providing some of the water to Mexico. Do you think you would have wanted to do work like this? There is a security check point that causes slow traffic as you are on the road to see the dam. Throughout our national history we have had a great program of public improvements, and in these past two years all that we have done has been to accelerate that program. What might be the advantages of each type of ownership? Is there a security background check? Standard G - The student applies knowledge of how groups and institutions work to meet individual needs and promote the common good. 1. BOULDER CITY, Nev. (KLAS) A fire Tuesday at the Hoover Dam has made headlines around the world, but the fire did not actually happen on or inside the dam. Ickes defended his decision by stating, "The men who pioneered this project knew it by this. Thats 16,667 freight cars full. The men filled the holes they had drilled with dynamite and then the jumbos drove away. Roosevelt strongly defended the work relief projects for which his administration was famous. Work on the dam began sooner than originally planned. When the contracts were signed, almost two thirds of the electricity went to Southern California. Should second tier cuts occur, Arizona will lose nearly a fifth of the water it gets from the Colorado River. At flood time, if the lake rises high enough to reach the spillways, it can be turned out through these original tunnels. Why were congressional representatives from the state of California the leading supporters of a big dam on the Colorado? Lower several hundred men from the top on ropes and let them drill the cliffs full of holes. The New Deal was famous for using public works projects to put Americans back to work. This shows the floor of the canyon, hundreds of feet below. Reclamation engineers prepared hundreds of drawings for the construction companyall much more detailed than this simplified illustration. It was the highest dam in the world when it was completed in 1935. We no longer allow access to the interior of the dam by movie companies. In addition to the Hoover Dam police force, the dam employs additional contract security personnel to man vehicle checkpoints on the Nevada and Arizona entrance points. Here are seven tips you need to know before visiting the Hoover Dam! Weve seen extremes we havent seen before, we now have scenarios that are very, very dry.. This year is the second driest on record, with the flow into Lake Mead just a quarter of what would be considered normal. 8 The river crosses the border into Mexico. 2 Melting snow in the mountains caused damaging floods during the late spring and early summer. 3 In 1930, President Hoover's secretary of the interior named it "Hoover Dam." Next, the new improved security. Nevadas first-round cut of 21,000 acre-ft (an acre-ft is an acre of water, one foot deep) is smaller, but its share is already diminutive due to an archaic allotment drawn up a century ago when the state was sparsely populated. How many high scalers can you find in this photo? This lesson is part of the National Park Services Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) program. Bureau of Reclamation History Reading 1 is adapted from Joan Middleton, Hoover Dam" (Mohave County, Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada) National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1981); Joan Middleton and Laura Feller, Hoover Dam" (Mohave County, Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada) National Historic Landmark documentation (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1985); William D. Rowley, The Bureau of Reclamation: Origins and Growth to 1945, Vol. Do you think this would have been adequate? What do you think working here would be like? The jumbos backed up to the working faces in the tunnels so that men using all the drills could work at the same time and higher on the wall without the need for scaffolds. How does that compare with the 16.5 million acre feet that the Colorado River Compact used as the basis for calculating the amount of water available for allocation to the states? The following slideshow shows various areas, from the road over the dam to the surrounding buildings and tunnels within the dam itself, as well as the energy-producing machinery and surrounding work spaces, a small representation of the diverse spaces that the Hoover Dam Police Department and security staff protect. Seasonally melting snow has traditionally replenished the river but snowpack on mountaintops in the west has declined by an average of 19% since the 1950s, while soaring temperatures have dried out soils and caused more water to evaporate. . Your dam will be sealed tighter than a drumand wedged between the canyon walls. The Hoover dam website has a list of additional jobs. In fact, in physical safety, owners of systems that contain important information make great efforts to provide information such as backup data, strengthen the rooms in which the systems are located, and so on, to provide information security and protect it against natural disasters as well as dangers like theft. The wests ambitions have crunched into the searing reality of the Anthropocene. How do you think they might have done this work without the jumbos? Temperatures skyrocket during certain times of the year. The name Reclamation will be used throughout this lesson to refer to both the U.S. Reclamation Service and the Bureau of Reclamation. Hoover Dam is located approximately 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, on the Nevada-Arizona border. Wictionary website, accessed 1/30/2011. Even with these adaptions, however, the decline of Lake Mead has caused the amount of hydro power generated by the dam to drop by around 25%. Others may be simply old. The goal was to encourage the growth of small family farms. No sprawling food bowl of wheat, alfalfa and corn. Why or why not? By this time, however, Reclamation's objective was changing and expanding. Activity 2: "Seven Wonders of the United States" This image shows three views of the dam. Identify the characteristics places would have to have to be on such a list. During the 1920s, the big dam on the Colorado was usually called the "Boulder Canyon Project" or sometimes "Boulder Dam." What you see is not what you get at Parker Dam, known as "the deepest dam in the world.". We inspect vehicles, whether full or empty. Why or why not? This morning I came, I saw and I was conquered, as everyone would be who sees for the first time this great feat of mankind. Why do you think there are so many now? Roll your Windows Down, Any Firearms with you?Hoover Dam Firearms and Bomb Search Checkpoint, Security Guard on NV-172, Boulder City, Nevada, 21 April, 2021,. Activity 4: Public Works in the Local Community Despite these questions, planning and design went forward. At the gate are several agents and they can wave you by or pull you over. The first of these great multipurpose projects would be a huge dam on the lower Colorado River. If students identify a neglected public works project, they may want to consider creating a PowerPoint presentation to present to local government authorities to call attention to the problem. Hoover Dam is as tall as a 60-story building. On the drive out there is a free carpark halfway up the road you can park . Look for the drills (they look a little like machine guns). What benefits would a new dam provide? 5) To describe the impact Hoover Dam had on the Southwest and the nation and to explore some of its long-term implications. They may inspect your car as part of the inspection. Approximately $5.5 million per year is allocated to all security, including law enforcement. If cracks were to appear in your dam it might cause severe criticism from people living below the damor from their heirs. One of the definitions of "penstock" is a pipe or conduit that carries water from a reservoir to electrical generating equipment. 3. 4) To identify some of the factors contributing to public perceptions of Hoover Dam and its construction. But the dam also had an entirely unexpected result, one that began while it was still under construction. 1. Most had to travel many miles, at the end through a hostile desert, to reach this location on the border between Nevada and Arizona. Which job would be most important? The geographic area drained by a river and its tributaries is called a "basin." Trace the course of the Colorado River. Standard C - The student analyzes and explains ideas and governmental mechanisms to meet needs and wants of citizens, regulate territory, manage conflict, and establish order and security. The proposed dam would be so tall and the pressure of the water it held back so great that many people were worried. True, it saves a little time over the old road across the dam. Gregson said many of the security controls, including such things as the checkpoints and command center, were instituted in direct response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Commercial vehicle traffic across the dam is restricted. It once was the Earth's tallest dam. The latest era of cooperation between states that rely upon the Colorado River has now entered the realm of lose-lose, according to Colby Pellegrino, deputy general manager of resources for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. It was the highest dam in the world when it was completed in 1935. Internal combustion engines produce carbon monoxide. How would you decide how much water Mexico could claim? LESSON NO. Standard E - The student develops critical sensitivities such as empathy and skepticism regarding attitudes, values, and behaviors of people in different historical contexts. Unpredictable flash floods could occur in any season. Why do you think visitors would drive so far to watch the dam under construction? Plate steel for making pipes88 million poundswhen you get into pipe 30 feet in diameter, you have to make your own. Now for the issues.