L. F. Manis Papers on Boulder Dam (MS-00288)

The Hoover Dam, now known as the Boulder Dam, was constructed on the Colorado River in Black Canyon near Las Vegas, Nevada from 1931 to 1936 during the Great Depression. The dam created Lake Mead and provides hydroelectric power to Nevada, Arizona, and California. The dam was built by workers employed by the joint venture of construction companies called Six Companies, Inc. Six Companies submitted the winning bid and was chosen by the Bureau of Reclamation to construct the dam. Workers for Six Companies also built Boulder City, Nevada for housing during the dam's construction. The Hoover Dam was dedicated in 1935 and began operations in 1936.

Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States and was created by the Hoover Dam. The lake and its surrounding areas are administered by the National Park Service as the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the first national recreation area in the country. Because of fair weather, Lake Mead has a year-round season that attracts nearly nine million visitors each year.

Source: US Bureau of Reclamation. http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/faqs/lakefaqs.html