Hoover Dam

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the Union and Arizona and New Mexico were territories of the United States, thought was given to finding a way to utilize the Colorado River as an avenue of commerce. Much like the Mississippi River was used. (Stevens 6)
In 1858, under the direction of the U.S. Army, Lieutenant Joseph Ives and his crew of 24 soldiers journeyed up the Colorado River to explore the possibility of using the Colorado River as a re-supply route for its western forts. During their mission, the steel hulled boat encountered some difficulty navigating up the Colorado River. Because of the northward course, shifting currents, and unpredictable water levels, the boat suffered some damage and had to be repaired. On foot Ives and his crew discovered the tenacity of the Colorado River and its valleys and steep banks. At the completion of Ives’ trek through the Colorado, in his report to the Army that the Colorado River was dangerous and unmanageable and in summary the Colorado River should not be considered ...

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They grew cotton for the textile industry. Also the irrigated land was able to support dairy farming. It certainly was paradise, profits were high, and water was plentiful. Life was good. (Stevens 12)
In March of 1905, torrential rains in the Arizona Mountains surged down the Gila River into the Colorado River and sent muddy flood waters in the Imperial Valley. The torrent rapidly flowed, choked with debris smashed into the main intake gate tearing open a gaping 60 foot hole in the dam, destroying everything in its path. By November 1905, the Colorado River was running unabated into the Imperial Valley. The losses were staggering; farmers who invested everything they had in to ...

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