Sun, Oct 16, 2016
We’ve all seen pictures of it. But have you visited?
I first drove over the dam some 30 yrs ago but didn’t stop to check it out. No way, in fact, as I was with three buddies on our way to Vegas. One of those no-sleep-for-you weekends.
So here I was at our RV camp just five miles away. So while Carol slept, I made the short drive.
A new highway and bridge have opened adjacent to the dam so the old highway is pretty much just for tourists. And what a great drive it is down the switchbacks, over the dam and free parking on the AZ side (it’s $10 on the Nevada side). Here’s the view from the AZ side.
And a better shot of the new bridge shooting from the dam. Not bad, eh?
Comparing the upriver canyon, you get a really good idea of what a choke point this is. And why it was built here.
Now for the sad news. The lake level is way down and the demand for water is so strong that it’ll take some huge, wet winters to fill it back up. And not everyone believes that it’ll ever happen.
You also see the effects by looking at the dam outflow. I stared at the water and could see movement but not much. I wonder how much the electricity production has dropped?
DC Airstream 