The Dam - is it worth the time?

honestly .....no
a great feat of engineering given the time frame when it was done ,but really once you been there a few minutes it is time to go ....nothing to spend half a day at

 

Having lived my whole life in the Pacific NW where there's hydro dams all over the place, I've never had any interest in going. I guess if you've never see a large dam in person it might be interesting but I can think of alot more interesting things to see in Vegas :evillaugh

 

Flood of '83

If I remember correctly the top of the white ring is not how much the water level has dropped. In 1983, water rose as high as it ever has and left the ring at that level. When you are there in person, you can tell that the line is at almost the same height as the top of the dam, which is nowhere near where the level of the lake is to be at its "full" state. You can see when looking closely that there are other lines within the white section that show how much the water has dropped. BTW, I learned this while taking the "dam" tour and surprisingly my dam brain still remembers this...

 

From the National Park Service:
In some years, Lake Mead receives much more than the minimum amount of water from the Upper Basin, but the amount of water released from Lake Mead does not vary much from year to year. The water level in Lake Mead is lower than it has been in over 40 years. The water is going down because the Colorado River runoff over the last decade starting in 1998 has been far below normal.

 

Very impressive.
We optioned to take the tour bus which was nice because you go some extra insight about the surrounding area which we would have missed if we drove ourselves.

 

So you are saying that the water level should be above the intake gates and just below road level on the lake side of the dam?? I know that the water level is very low, but according to the dam tour director that was leading our tour a couple of years ago, the top of the white ring is not "full" water level.

 

I don't know where it "should be" and I don't know what "full level" is, I was just posting that according to the Park Service, the water level is at a 40 year low.

I don't have the reference right now, but I did read that if it falls too much further, they may have to reconstruct the intake gates.

This isn't scientific, but I have been going to Vegas since the 70s and those rings were not visible years ago. Either at the dam, or as you fly in.

There is even talk about tearing down Glen Canyon Dam and draining Lake Powell.

 

Since 2000 Lake Mead and Lake Powell have suffered from drought. You can see it by the relocation of the marinas. Below Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and Lake Havasu maintain a very steady 95% full rate. Lake Powell and Lake Mead suffer the fluctuations of drought and surplus and their water tables rise and fall some 20-50 feet a year. There has been drought with the exception of 2011 where it was a banner year for water. But it's not unsual for drought to last many years, it happened in the '50s and again in the '60s, but then in 1983 massive surplus and flooding. You can check any of the lakes on the Colorado river basin by going here (normally up and running, but of course since I'm posting the link the site is down.)

 

Is it worth it? That depends on how intellectually curious you are. If you would be interested in seeing 1935 technology being used to build something that huge, it might be worth a quick visit. No more than 60 minutes.

If you are not intellectually curious, you would be better off going to see the volcano at the Mirage.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

Maybe it might be best to ask you sister what she wants to do in vegas. since men have a different mentality (dam, gambling, women, etc) women also have different tastes (shopping, sightseeing, shows, food, etc.). It all depends on what she finds interesting and she might be best to say if she wants to do the dam tour, especially if she only has 2 and a half days. I had a friend who was non technical, she hated the dam tour and wanted to be elsewhere but her bf thought it would be interesting to take the tour. she hated it and thought it was a waste of her time.

btw, you can also just visit the dam and bridge without doing the tours, that won't take very long (a few hours). one recommendation, go early (before 9:30 am) before the crowds start coming. once the crowd starts coming the parking lot to the bridge gets full, there sometimes is a line of cars waiting to get into the area or waiting for parking spaces. If you go early enough you miss the traffic, can find parking easier and actually do the dam faster than when you have to fight the crowd. Just a suggestion.

 

Good input - thanks

I asked her what she wants to do & she says "YES!" to everything, she's not a techie but she is smart and has an eye for art so I think she will appreciate it - we're going to rent a car & go early and definitely take in the bridge too.

btw I'm a girl too

 

Usually when I fly into Vegas on Southwest, I get a good view of the Dam before landing. That's good enough for me!

 

sorry for the mistake, can't tell male from female here, lol.

Yup, I think the bridge is a definite must when visiting the dam.

make sure when you get back you give us a review and how your sister liked the dam and vegas.

 

Clark Griswold: Where the hell is the damn dam tour?

Hoover Dam Guide: Welcome everyone. I am your dam guide, Arnie. Now I'm about to take you through a fully funtional power plant, so please, no one wander off the dam tour and please take all the dam pictures you want. Now are there any dam questions?

Cousin Eddie: Yeah, where can I get some damn bait?

 

We took the post 9/11 tour and thought it was interesting. The exhibit about the construction was also very good. I think it's worth seeing once. I don't know if I'd try to squeeze it into a 2.5 day trip. But, still worth scratching off the bucket list.

 

I've done it twice, and it is pretty cool. But once is enough, unless you want to go with someone who's never been before.

 

I think the dam is a must-see. Perhaps not on a first trip to Vegas, but at some point. At the risk of sounding all maudlin or goofy, if anyone has any interest in why and how the American West is as it is today, he/she needs to see and learn about what the Bureau of Reclamation did in ruining most every western river while helping precipitate the inestimable footprint that is today's Western ag, society and economic might.

 

Good post. Not only that but this massive project back in the 1930s came in under budget and ahead of schedule.