The family and I did a trip to Las Vegas recently. A history guy like me could not be only 40 minutes from the Hoover Dam and not take the family out to see it. I learned how environmentally friendly the Dam is, because it generates hydroelectric power to 3 states using water form the Colorado River.
The tickets are 10 dollars for the basic tour, which include the Dam with the history of its building. I paid for my family and I to go down to the bottom of the dam. That is where they heartbeat of the damn is that gives electricity to 3 states. Those tickets are 15 dollars.
The tour starts with an estimated 15 minute video on the building of the Dam. It highlights all the key points on the history of the Dam. The Dam is an idea that Herbert Hoover came up with to control flooding from the Colorado River. Also, to provide access to drinking water for an expanding population in the western United States.
Those that paid for different tours, break off after the video. We lined up for the elevator to travel down to the bottom of the Dam. It is a longer ride than expected, which shows how big a structure the Hoover Dam is.
At the bottom we walk through tunnels that lead us to where the Dam generates hydroelectric power. That is something new I learned. The Hoover Dam generates power to 3 states, along with drinking water, which the desert desperately needs.
We got to go into the maintenance room where that power is generated. They use massive turbines that generate power as water churns inside. It was cool to see where so much power is generated and it is all environmentally friendly.
The work to construct the Hoover Dam was divided between 6 companies. The federal government and the private sector combined to generate an environmentally friendly solution to energy and water needs before environmental concerns were a consideration.
The Bureau of Reclamation says the Hoover Dam powers “4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power each year for use in Nevada, Arizona, and California – enough to serve 1.3 million people.” That is amazing, but more could be done is other areas to supply power to more people using the same concepts.
The Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s, but we can learn from what it accomplished. It is environmentally friendly and provides water to residents in desert communities. The federal government also created a working relationship with the private sector.
We must find innovative ways to create a sustainable future for our children. The way to do that is to use the private sector “know how” to innovate like they did in the 1930s. With the technology we have, that should be easier than it was for them.
