Hoover Dam, a dam good tour

Decades ago, Laureen and I took our very young children to visit the Hoover Dam. Recently we revisited that trip and none of it looked familiar to me. Of course, in all transparency I sometimes wear mismatched socks - so, not remembering an adventure 20 years in the past seems to be not a big deal.

“Remember when Jessica asked if you had worked on the dam?” Laureen said, as we hiked from the furthest parking lot from the Hoover Dam visitor center. “That was funny.”

I smiled. Nope, I didn't recall that question from my daughter, though I do have memories of hanging off the cliffs on a single rope while drilling dynamite holes into the rock face as we began building the Boulder Dam.

Not John R Beyer at work, but this is how it was done 

“No,” I replied, “but what was funny was when I dropped the pick hammer and it landed in Joey’s head at the bottom of the canyon. Now, that was funny. Except, Joey did walk and talk a bit differently after that.”

Laureen had arranged for a tour of the Hoover Dam, along with 33 of our closest strangers. She believed it was a total dam tour but as we stood in line with our phones ready to scan at the visitor’s center, we learned it was for the power plant section of the dam only.

“I thought it was for the whole dam,” Laureen said.

“Shouldn’t curse,” I replied.

Hoover Dam is an architectural masterpiece - pure genius, guts, and engineering.

Without going into too much history of why Boulder Dam was built in the first place, there were three major reasons - flood control since the river loved to surprise folks living shoreside with unpredicted floods which wiped out crops and towns, to provide controlled/regulated irrigation for farms which help to feed the population, and produce hydroelectric power for all those people who had moved into California, Arizona, and Nevada.

Seemed the thing to do.

In 1869, John Wesley Powell led a group of adventurers down the raging Colorado River in wooden boats. This river’s path and ferocity was unknown to most people, even the Native Americans who had lived near the flowing water for eons.

Powell managed to make it through the sometimes Class 5 rapids in the Grand Canyon and lived to write about it. He was a strong leader, who had served in the Civil War for the Union side and actually lost half of his arm during the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee but this did not slow the adventurer down.

It was his final reports after the journey down this magnificent river in the southwest that made folks in the east understand the importance it had to the development of the country. Rich mineral finds, large tracts of vacant lands perfect for farming and grazing, and great weather made the idea of converting this river into a life giving bloodline for pioneers could be crucial for an expanding nation.

And, the pioneers heard the call and moved west.

In 1902, Arthur Powell Davis who worked for the Bureau of Reclamation decided that perhaps a dam should be built, or multiple dams.

It would be 30 years before the construction for such an ambitious project could begin.

Laureen and I wandered along with the tour to visit the power plants that make Hoover Dam so important to millions of people living in the southwest.

Over 7 million guests visit the huge Hoover Dam yearly which borders the states of Nevada and Arizona - there is actually a stamp along the dam where a photo can be snapped showing where a person could stand between both states. I chose Nevada - no personal state income tax.

A bridge for vehicles and pedestrians span the Colorado River

Our guide, Matt, was young and very well versed about the dam and the power plants we were visiting.

“We are now five hundred and thirty-six feet deep into the dam,” Matt said, after we had taken an elevator into the depths of the cement structure.

It was a bit surreal, realizing that on either side of where we were standing there was about a trillion gallons of water pushing against the thick cement walls of the dam. 

Laureen Beyer deep within Hoover Dam

“If these walls busted,” I said to Laureen, “we’d be in Mexico in a matter of minutes.”

My lovely wife has a bit of claustrophobia, so I didn’t press the issue. 

“Isn’t that weird? We could be at Cabo Wabo within an hour. Margaritas on me,” I continued.

She gripped my hand so tightly that I looked to see if she had changed places with Chuck Norris.

Matt continued with his dialogue about the building of the Hoover Dam and it was awe inspiring.

“We have to remember that the dam was started in nineteen-thirty-one and finished in nineteen-thirty-six, two years earlier than the date promised,” Matt said. “And, this was men working with picks, shovels, drills, dynamite, and sweat. An unbelievable accomplishment, no matter the year.”

Drill marks can still be seen near Hoover Dam

At the time such a construction was thought impossible. A building project as the Boulder Dam (it was later renamed Hoover Dam) had never been done and was the largest manmade endeavor attempted at the time. 

But that did not stop the chutzpah of American knowhow.

With the leadership of  Chief Engineer Frank Crow starting in 1931, the building of the dam and safety of his crews was most on his mind.

Over 5,000 workers were employed to construct the dam and the pay was not wonderful, generally four dollars per day - of course, those who had more dangerous jobs could earn another dollar. It should be noted though, this was during the Great Depression and lines of men from Las Vegas waited daily for a chance to earn a buck or two for their families.

In the years of the building, less than 100 men died during the construction - any death is a tragedy but for such a mammoth and long term project, it was not unexpected deaths would occur.

“And for those who have heard the rumors,” Matt said. “No one was covered by cement and died. No, the deaths were from men falling off cliffs, blasting accidents, heat exhaustion, drowning, and other causes. Terrible as that is.”

During our tour we learned that the amount of cement used is almost unimaginable. “Over four point three million cubic yards of cement was used,” Matt informed us.

“How much is that?” I asked Laureen, she’s smarter in these matters than me.

She simply rolled her eyes. “A lot.”

Turns out that amount of cement could produce a 16 foot highway from New York City to the city of San Francisco. That is a lot of concrete.

South side of Hoover Dam - that's a lot of concrete

We were hundreds of feet down into the dam, which is over 660 feet wide at the bottom of Boulder Canyon and a narrow 45 feet at the top, where tourists can walk.

“The dam is so wide at the bottom, that twenty percent of the cement is still curing,” Matt told the visitors.

He asked if there were any questions. “How long does the government believe this dam will last,” I asked.

“Good question,” the guide said. “Back in the fifties it was examined and determined it would last one thousand years.”

There was an audible gasp. “But today, we believe it will be closer to four thousand years. Every once in a while core samples are taken from the bottom and studied, that’s how the engineers came up with that last figure.”

In a few minutes we reentered the elevator and traveled upwards about 50 feet to where we were able to view the huge steel turbines stationed within the walls of the dam. 

Turbines on the Arizona side of Hoover Dam

“Above us are two cranes needed to lift these turbines,” Matt said. “They are able to lift three hundred tons each.”

Looking across the nearly 650 feet to the other end of the cavernous interior of the dam was amazing. Fork lifts, trucks, and everything needed to keep these turbines which produced ample energy for millions of people looked like toys in comparison to each of the size of the machinery.

There are 17 such turbines in the complex, nine on the Arizona side and eight on the Nevada side. Our guide went into a monologue about the megawatts produced as billions of gallons of water rushed into each turbine spinning its innards like a washing machine - except a whole lot faster.

I was suddenly confused with all the technical talk. 

Just one of the water pipes within Hoover Dam

Soon the tour was over and as we walked across the top of the dam, I could only ponder what John Wesley Powell would think about this dam which tamed the mighty Colorado River.

I suspect he would smile.

For more information: Hoover Dam | Bureau of Reclamation (usbr.gov)

Tragedy at Nelson Landing, Nevada

 “I remember coming here fishing as a young man in the early seventies,” the now older man said. “It was a wonderful location for families to camp, boat, and just have fun.”

Laureen, my lovely wife, and I had just met this fella along the shores of the Colorado River, not far south of the Hoover Dam.

South side of Hoover Dam

In all transparency, we were actually at Lake Mohave, but it is still all part of the Colorado River. In fact, gold ore used to be shipped along the river near the town of Nelson 350 miles to the Gulf of California. With the building of Hoover Dam, Davis Dam and others, the river was tamed and man-made lakes were created, but it is still all part of the Colorado River system.

We had been out exploring places we had not yet visited when we had found ourselves along the shore of crystal clear waters.

“Then in an instant it was all gone,” he concluded, and then drove off through the sandy wash westward.

All that is left of the once popular Nelson Landing

A sobering moment as we learned we were standing on the ground where Nelson’s Landing had once stood. A river resort that had been loved and shared by countless folks for decades.

Nelson’s Landing had been located on the western edge of Lake Mohave in El Dorado Canyon, roughly five miles east of the ghost town of Nelson - which is where Laureen and I had actually been heading. But, unbeknownst to us - there was another story at the end of the pavement when we had decided to travel past the ghost town.

“Let’s see if we can get to the river on this road before touring Nelson,” Laureen had said, and being the dutiful husband and traveler agreed.

“All roads lead somewhere interesting,” I replied.

At that moment the idea of interest had been an understatement. Turned out to be a black ribbon of asphalt that had a tale of horror and tragedy at the end of it.

Nelson’s Landing had been a small beach settlement enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Mobile homes, RVs, campsites, boat docks, restaurants, and other amenities made this place a must go river spot.

Original photo of what Nelson Landing looked like before the tragedy

Looking for a choice for water activities, there is Lake Mead, north of Hoover Dam or Lake Mohave, south of Hoover Dam. Take your pick. Either would be a good choice on a hot day. It was an easy destination for people living in nearby Boulder City or even Las Vegas, a mere 50 miles away. 

One such summer day was September 14th, 1974 where people were boating, laying on the sandy beach, camping, and enjoying lunch in one of the restaurants at the landing when the unexpected reared its ugly head.

Miles away to the west a storm cloud showed up and poured a monsoonal amount of rain onto the dry desert soil in only a few minutes.

The torrent splattered the desert floor, but with the sun scorched hardened earth the ground was like a piece of tile and that rain simply did what gravity intended - flow downhill undeterred.

Narrow canyon walls allowed torrents of water to flow

Soon a forty foot wave of water channeled from five separate smaller canyons rushed through El Dorado Canyon toward the resort. In a matter of minutes the resort was completely wiped out.

Among the rubble, only memories were left by those who had survived.

Nine people died on that fateful day.

Rescue workers looking for survivors at Nelson Landing

According to a July 9, 2019 online news article from 8@NewsNow.com (Las Vegas) - local resident, Tony Werly stated: “That’s fifty-two square miles that all merged into that one canyon. As the cloud was coming down the mountain, they (the people who had been enjoying the day at Nelson Landing) were trying to get their boat docks out of the water before they got rained on. They never knew what was coming down the canyon with it.”

Werly also stated a teacher he had once had, Jack Dailey, had been one of the victims of the flooding disaster.

“Dailey was actually a school teacher of mine when I was in high school and he was one of the guys that died.”

Dailey’s friend, John Gellifent, was also interviewed.

“Jack was out boating,” Gellifent said. “He was coming back when the wall of water hit.”

Turns out the teacher and friend of Gellifent’s had been out enjoying the river and upon returning to the beach in his boat he was overtaken by the destructive path of the flood and killed just offshore.

Nelson’s Landing was never rebuilt. There are now signs warning visitors that the chance of a severe flood is a real and present danger.

We looked out across the area where one minute visitors were having the time of their lives and the next, there was no time left.

“How horrible,” Laureen said. “To be here with your family enjoying a wonderful day and then that happens.”

I did not reply. My gaze took in the blue waters of the river in front of me and I could almost hear the terrified screams of those watching from wherever they were at the moment as a tsunami barreled down on them.

And then the frantic search and rescue through the rubble that had been a popular beach resort must have been heart wrenching.

It did not take a vivid imagination to feel what those poor folks felt as they looked westward up El Dorado Canyon and saw nothing but a huge debris filled wave of water racing toward them.

I felt chills run down my spine. To be standing at a gorgeous location, as this place is, and then to realize you are standing on hallowed ground.

People had perished here. Their only fault, just enjoying a hot summer day by cool waters.

It was not something we had expected to experience as we had happily been driving north along US Route 93 toward Boulder City, Nevada when we took a short jaunt toward the ghost town of Nelson.

A few years ago, my buddy Paul and I had powered up the Colorado River from Katherine Landing aboard my pontoon boat. It was a casual camping excursion, where we took in gorgeous inlets, water canyons, hidden coves, witnessed families of Bighorn sheep, and wild donkeys. The final destination of cruising by Willow Beach, on the Arizona shore to the Hoover Dam 12 miles to the northwest.

The blue waters of Lake Mohave

The previous day, we had witnessed dozens of people laughing while they jumped from some pretty high natural cliffs alongside the Colorado River on the Nevada Shore.

All through the warm months, people flock to Nelson’s Landing to jump off the cliffs into Lake Mohave. Some spots along the steep walls are 50 feet high and caution as well as a little dose of common sense are needed here.

I wondered if those summer loving folks realized that less than half a century ago, folks had literally fought for their lives on that sunny September day, and some had fought in vain.

“I boated past this spot without realizing the tragedy which had taken place,” I said to Laureen. “When Paul and I made our way to the Hoover Dam and saw people jumping into the water. Never thought of where or how tragic this place was.”

Laureen nodded.

Though the temperature was in the high thirties when we visited in January, the sun was shining making the water sparkle and the sand crunch beneath our feet.

No sign of a past calamity was to be witnessed in this picturesque setting. Just quiet and beautiful.

According to the National Weather Service - ‘Flash floods can roll boulders, tear out trees, destroy buildings and bridges, and scour out new channels. Rapidly rising water can reach heights of 30 feet or more. Furthermore, flash flood-producing rains can also trigger catastrophic mudslides. You will not always have a warning that these deadly, sudden floods are coming. Most flood deaths are due to FLASH FLOODS.’

The strength of rushing waters can dislodge huge section of earth

The fun-loving people enjoying a hot September day in 1974 did not think twice about a dark cloud far away on the horizon - why should they? But, in a matter of a blink of an eye rain fell in huge amounts and turned that care-free event into a horrific and unforgettable catastrophe. 

The teacher, Jack Dailey, did not live to see a school named after him in Las Vegas - Dailey Elementary School. 

Though I often make light of being out in nature and possibly ignoring signs about this or that - driving out of El Dorado Canyon on that January morning reminded me that signs are there for a reason and must be taken seriously.