Hoover Dam Spillway Overflow 1983
I've been watching information the past few years of how Lake Mead's water storage is slowly dropping to critically low levels. This is interesting to me because I visited the Hoover Dam in June of 1983 when the lake was full enough to send water over the spillways (the first and only time this has happened, other than for testing after construction). I dug out my old movies and slides of the historic event and posted them here.
I remember there was some concern at the time that continued upstream flooding would cause the lake level to rise a few more inches, triggering an automatic dump of the spillway gates to protect the dam, inflicting extensive downstream flooding. That obviously didn't happen, but it was close.
Update after Hurricane Harvey: As an illustration of scale, the NASA Earth Observatory estimates that Lake Mead holds about 9.3 trillion gallons of water at maximum capacity (as seen in this video). Hurricane Harvey, which devastated parts of Texas and Louisiana in late August 2017, is variously estimated to have left 27 to 33 trillion gallons of water in its path. It's staggering to think that Hurricane Harvey could have filled a totally empty Lake Mead to overfilling perhaps three times.
I too visited the Hoover Dam in the Summer of ’83 and witnessed the opened spillways. Apparently, the record surface elevation of Lake Mead was recorded on July 24, when the level was over two feet above the spillways; the resulting water flow was so substantial as to cause cavitation that damaged the concrete of the drainage tunnels. All seventeen of the dam’s turbines were spinning full-bore 24/7, causing the dam’s entire structure to vibrate noticeably at 180 Hz (3 phases x 60 Hz), as the turbines collectively generated as much power as 2-3 large nuclear reactors. At the time, I was returning to my senior year of college in Cambridge, Mass., driving a ’63 Studebaker Lark Daytona cross-country; this is the only time I ever saw the Hoover Dam in person.
I remember seeing the spillover as a young kid. The spray from the mist was refreshing, but the sound of the water crashing is something I’ll never forget. Such a great memory.
Water levels aside, old footage makes you appreciate what a timeless and superbly made structure the dam is. Things were built to last in those days, and of course the architecture was very elegant too.
I visited Hoover for the first time a few years ago and I remember just how breathtakingly large these spillway tunnels were, let alone the size of the dam. It would have been incredible to see the tunnels in use. The Hoover Dam is a truly incredible feat of engineering.
This video is a true, valuable piece of history. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Who’s here after watching the “record low” level in June 2021?
What a difference almost 40 years makes.
Just visited yesterday, it's nuts how low the water level is now compared to then. You can see where the canyon walls have been "bleached".
Welcome everyone. I am your dam guide, Arnie. Now I'm about to take you through a fully functional power plant, so please, no one wander off the dam tour and please take all the dam pictures you want. Now are there any dam questions? -- Arnie, "Vegas Vacation"
I lived in Vegas from '79-84 & recall my family driving to the dam to see this. Thanks for sharing!
I used to drive 18 wheel trucks during the 80's. I remember how the lake looked at full size. I retired from driving, and these pictures, movies and still, bring back wonderful memories
By the end of the film, I had 2 little tears just barely running down both sides of my face. And had an ache in my belly.
We went from California to Arizona to a cousins wedding and stopped to see all the commotion! Was amazing to see the power of water... also took the tour inside the dam and could feel the water rushing through the spillway....then went home and got married in July,it was a good year!
This video you took is priceless. Sadly, I'm not sure Lake Mead will ever see those levels again, at least anytime soon. But who knows, a pattern of heavy wet seasons may bring the level up again rather quickly. Thanks for sharing this.
When I moved to Vegas in May of 97 the only way into Nevada the way we came in was over the dam. We stopped our moving truck on the hill overlooking the dam and walked down to check it out. It was spilling over into the overflow tunnels but not nearly at that rate. Great video...
June 1983. That's very close to the time I escaped from living in Las Vegas for three years. IIRC, Lake Mead was close to capacity for those years. At least, I don't recall of ever hearing about it being below level, like it is now (way low). In fact, in the time I was in Vegas, we had several bouts with street flooding. If I ever return to that horrible place, it will be too soon. But, Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam were a few of the more pleasant aspects of the time I lived there.
Thank you. I visited in 1986 and Lake Mead was full but not overflowing. It's hard to believe we will ever see such events again.
Outstanding video. If I had known that the spillways were active in 1983 I would have taken time off from work and hightailed it over to Hoover. A once in a lifetime event.
Probably the ONLY way we'll ever get to see something like this - Thank you for sharing!
I visited Boulder dam in January 1983, took the tour, went thru the generator room, walked outside on the dock...best $1 admission price ever paid