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The construction of the Hoover Dam began in 1931 and was completed in 1936 (two years ahead of schedule). The dam is currently operated by the Bureau of Reclamation of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Lake Mead is the reservoir created behind the dam, named after Elwood Mead, who oversaw the construction of the dam.
Before the construction of the Hoover Dam (which now stands 700 ft above the raging waters of the Colorado River), every spring, the snow from the Rocky Mountains melted and drained into the river, causing the Colorado River to flooded low lying areas along its route. The volume of water could be huge as the Colorado basin drains an area of over 242,000 square miles. These floods endangered downstream farming communities. In fact, the damage caused so much attention that by the 1920's, it had become necessary and politically expedient to try to control. So it was decided upon that in addition to essential flood control, a dam would make possible the expansion of irrigated farming in the parched region. It would also provide a dependable supply of water for Los Angeles and other Southern California communities.
Because of Hoover Dam, the Colorado River was controlled for the first time in history. Farmers received a dependable supply of water in Nevada, California and Arizona. And Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix and a dozen other towns and cities were given an inexpensive source of electricity, permitting population growth and industrial development.
One of the major obstacles for the project was determining the equitable allocation of the waters of the Colorado River. Several of the Colorado River Basin states feared that California, with its vast financial resources and great thirst for water, would be the first state to begin beneficial use of the waters of the Colorado River and therefore claim rights to the majority of the water. So an agreement was formulated on the distribution of the water and the project was allowed to proceed.
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