2019 Jan 6 Las Vegas 1





Above:  downstream from Hoover Dam.  Colorado River supplies water to an amazing amount of people including Los Angeles & Las Vegas, and most of Southern California.  Water is pumped out of Lake Mead and Lake Havasu to irrigate crops and orchards around Palm Springs.
Lake Mead side of the dam.  Interesting the shape of Hoover Dam.  I always thought it was straight.  Towers are intake columns to operate the turbines.
Below:  they had to divert the river by building these tunnels.  Above:  they were able to build the dam in 4 years using a technique of cooling the concrete after it was poured.  This made the concrete harden faster.


Hourly wage doesn't sound like much, but it's like $12 an hour at today's rates.
The museum had a time-lapsed film showing the progress from start to finish. 

Down river side of the dam. It's 726 ft. tall.  Isn't that 2 football field lengths?


Memorial to those who built the dam.

 Lots of electricity generated by this amazing dam. Dedicated by FDR on September 30, 1936.
Below Valley of Fire National Park just Northeast of Las Vegas.  Did not have a sunny day, but it was still beautiful.



Our group had a lively discussion on whether this is deer or rabbit scat.  I said it was rabbit, but not sure.  Funny what we can argue about on these trips.




View from the top was worth the climb, not only to see the petroglyphs.

Had to climb up these steps to view the petroglyphs.  It always amazes me that these have lasted so long.

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