The now-second-tallest dam was proposed to prevent flooding from Rocky Mountain snow-melting waters into the Colorado River, stretching south to the Gulf of California for more than 1,000 miles.

What happens if the Hoover Dam fails? This engineering marvel has been standing for nearly a century, supplying water and electricity to millions. But if disaster strikes, the consequences could ...

A picture shows the newly completed Hoover Dam and Lake Mead on the Colorado River, in 1935. Hulton Archive/Getty. According to Glennon, completing the crucial reservoir was not an easy feat.

A photo shows Hoover Dam, in Nevada and Arizona, at dawn. The structure was originally built in the 1930s for flood control. Sean Pavone/Getty ...

The now-second-tallest dam was proposed to prevent flooding from Rocky Mountain snow-melting waters into the Colorado River, stretching south to the Gulf of California for more than 1,000 miles.

Photos from the UNLV Libraries Special Collections & Archives shows the water overflow from the Arizona side of the Hoover Dam in August 1983. A flood that summer sent record flows into Lake Mead.

Built to prevent the Colorado River from flooding, Hoover Dam is also the gatekeeper for the largest man-made lake in the country, Lake Mead. Skip to Article. Set weather. Back To Main Menu Close.

Hoover Dam was built during the Great Depression.In 1931, thousands of men worked to build the dam, according to the National Park Service. The dam was built to help regulate flooding on the ...

The main purpose of the dam is to control the Colorado River during flooding periods to prevent damage to the region below it. During non-drought periods, the dam and Lake Mead store the Colorado ...