The Wild River and the Great Dam : The Construction of Hoover Dam and the Vanishing Colorado River
(Juvenile Book)

At the time of its completion in 1936, Hoover Dam was the biggest dam in the world and the largest feat of architecture and engineering in the country--a statement of national ambition and technical achievement. It turned the wild Colorado River into a tame and securely managed water source, transforming millions of acres of desert into farmland while also providing water and to the fast-growing population of the Southwest. The concrete monolith quickly became a symbol of American ingenuity; however, its history is laden with contradiction. It provided work for thousands during the Depression, but it was a dangerous project in which hundreds of workers were injured or lost their lives. It helped secure the settlement and economies of the Southwest, but at the expense of Indigenous peoples and the environment; and it created a dependency on the Colorado River's water, which is under threat from overuse and climate change.