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Project Need and Feasibility Focus Paper: Construction of the Hoover Dam
Project Need and Feasibility Focus Paper: Construction of the Hoover Dam
Kyle Reutenauer
Purdue Global
GM592 Unit 1
Dr. Fleming
November 7, 2023
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Project Need and Feasibility Focus Paper: Construction of the Hoover Dam
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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3
Introduction
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Project Overview
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Analysis of Project
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Recommendation and Course of Action
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Conclusion
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References
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Project Need and Feasibility Focus Paper: Construction of the Hoover Dam
Executive Summary
The Colorado River was one of great importance for a developing nation back in the early 20
th
century. However, the rapid snowmelt in the spring months contributed to immense flooding to which
the Bureau of Reclamation referred to the river as “a natural menace.” In the early 20
th
century,
engineers began developing ideas of how to tap into the river for hydroelectric power (Leadership &
Management, 2001, p. 53). By the proposed use of a dam in the river, the flow of water downstream can
be controlled to reduce flooding as well as provide a flow of water year-round, and the resulting Lake
Mead behind the structure could be used to generate electricity via turbines using the waters potential
energy.
Introduction
The primary reasons for putting a dam on the Colorado River are to control floods, provide water
year-round for residents in the Southwest United States, and generate electrical power. The dam was the
largest engineering project of its time and was set to have its building costs paid back by selling power
generated using flowing water.
Its construction was greatly beneficial to all of those living in the
American Southwest, as well as thousands of unemployed Americans affected by the stock market crash
which led to The Great Depression (American Heritage, 2010).
Project Overview
The Hoover Dam project was part of a larger project by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation where
the Colorado River would be developed from the Grand Canyon to the Gulf of California (Stevens, 2002).
The project was slated to start on April 20, 1931, with a timeline to complete of seven years from the
date, with the construction being done by Six Companies Inc, a consortium of western builders (Stevens,
2002). The cost of the dam was $49 million, and this funding was provided by the Bureau of Reclamation
as a part of the New Deal.
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Project Need and Feasibility Focus Paper: Construction of the Hoover Dam
Analysis of Project
The final concrete placement on the dam was completed on 29 May 1935 and all features of the
dam, including the fully operation hydroelectric turbines, was completed on 1 March 1936 (Bureau of
Reclamation, 2015). The project was completed ahead of schedule, with no scope creep, and under
budget, due in no small part to construction continuing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Workers on this
project were happy to have the work due to the severe limitation of employment opportunities caused
by the Great Depression of 1929. This, coupled with the much looser worker safety restrictions, allowed
the project to be completed well ahead of its original deadline slated for 1938. The $49 million dollar
construction cost was paid back from electrical revenue in 1987 (Bureau of Reclamation, 2015). In
industry, generally no project is approved without a positive return on investment (Resch, 2011), and this
project was one which took nearly 50 years to get there. However, the benefits of the dam were seen
further downstream by allowing farmers to plant more than one crop per year and saving the river valley
from uncontrolled flooding. These benefits combined help to stimulate the economy and provide a
better quality of life for many. The resulting dam did fulfil all its original scope criteria; however, the
longer-term effects are known much more now than when originally conceptualized back in the early
20
th
century. When the proposal of this project was first conceptualized, wet years were seen as the
norm while dry years were ignored (Hoagland, 2021 p. 331). This leads to a recommended course of
action for other projects of this nature.
Recommendation and Course of Action
While it is known that the project did fulfill its original scope and was and remains profitable in
nature, it did come with the cost of affecting wildlife. This likely was not taken into consideration back
during the expansion of the United States and The Great Depression, but we are seeing the results of the
decreased water levels which is leading to a decrease in efficiency of the electrical generation of the dam
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Project Need and Feasibility Focus Paper: Construction of the Hoover Dam
and multiple animals being put on the endangered species list. Future projects of this nature should
consider all environmental impacts which do not only pertain to humans.
Conclusion
The Hoover Dam was the first megaproject in the United States due to its sheer size and
ambition. To this day, the dam is still generating revenue via electrical production, albeit not as much due
to the lower water levels in Lake Mead, and tourism of those wanting to see the structure in person.
While the project scope was fully met without any scope creep or delay, better planning could have gone
into the location for the dam as we are seeing negative effects environmentally. This data may have been
difficult to obtain or have resulted in an inconvenient truth regarding the project’s true long-term
benefits, but it is something which we need to deal with as a nation today.
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Project Need and Feasibility Focus Paper: Construction of the Hoover Dam
References
Remarkable structures - Hoover Dam. (2001, January).
Leadership & Management in
Engineering
,
1
(1), 53.
Arrigo, A. (2014).
Imaging Hoover Dam: The Making of a Cultural Icon
. University of Nevada
Press
Hoover Dam Turns 75. (2010).
American Heritage
. 60(1), 40-42.
Stevens, J (2002).
DAM IT!
. American History.
Bureau of Reclamation. (2015, March 12).
Hoover Dam: Frequently Asked Questions and
Answers
. https://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/faqs/faqs.html
Resch, M. (2011).
Strategic project management transformation: Delivering maximum ROI &
sustainable business value
. J. Ross Publishing.
Hoagland, J. (2021).
Science be Dammed: How Ignoring Inconvenient Science Drained the
Colorado River
. University of Arizona Press. 331-332.
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