Hoover Dam Is the Name and It Will Never Look the Same July 7, 2010

This Beautiful View of Hoover Dam Is Gone Forever

View of Hoover Dam from Behind Still Spectacular Even with Bridge

On This Date In History: This is a tale filled with politics so it’s confusing. Back in 1902, Arthur Powell Davis, an engineer with the Bureau of Reclamation, came up with an idea for a dam along the Colorado River at a place called Boulder Canyon.  Herbert Hoover, an engineer by education himself, was Secretary of Commerce in 1921 and he made it a priority to support a high dam at Boulder Canyon. Plans were set for the project to be begun in 1922. Well, there was Congress to contend with and water rights and states rights…lots of politicians. So the project didn’t get started until This Date in 1930. By that time, coincidentally, Herbert Hoover was the 31st President. It was also the beginning of the Great Depression and Hoover wanted to be re-elected. While work started on July 7, the official ceremony commemorating the beginning wasn’t until September when Hoover’s Secretary of the Interior, Ray Wilbur, declared the project would be known as the Hoover Dam. It was appropriate since Hoover had been instrumental over the years in getting the project going. But, Hoover also wanted the project to bear his name to remind people of all the jobs he had created. It didn’t work. Hoover lost badly to Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 election.

Frank Didn't Think Herb Deserved a Dam Named For Hiim

As the project was getting started, it was determined that geologically it was better suited down the river in Black Canyon. Nevertheless, it was still called the Boulder Canyon Project and on May 8, 1933, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes, father of the current Democrat politicial figure and lobbyist Harold M. Ickes) declared that the name of the project would no longer be known as Hoover Dam, but instead Boulder Dam.  Ickes claimed that Wilbur was wrong in naming the dam for President Hoover.  

Construction of the Hoover Dam Was a Monumental Task But Perhaps Not as Difficult as Settling on a Name

FDR had been in office for a few months and I suppose that erasing any mention of Hoover perhaps was high on the priority list of helping the US to be fearless against “fear itself.”   Then again, maybe the former Teddy Roosevelt “Bull Moose”  Republican Ickes simply did not like Hoover.  Ickes claimed that the legislationfor the project had been approved during the Coolidge administration and therefore linking it to Hoover was no good.  It did not seem to matter to Ickes that the original sight had been changed from Boulder Canyon to  Black Canyon.   Even though Ickes did some token work to allow African American laborers to live in Boulder City, NV, I doubt that “Black Dam” would have been acceptable, though “Black Canyon Dam” may have passed muster.  But, Ickes explained that   “The name Boulder Dam is a fine, rugged, and individual name. The men who pioneered this project knew it by this name.”   Today, the Department of the Interior says that the name was never officially changed from Hoover Dam.   I guess Mr. Ickes overstepped his authority.

Wouldn't a Bridge Spoil a Beautiful View of a Magnificent Structure?

Nevertheless,  I suppose  that even though it supposedly wasn’t officially called Boulder Dam,  in 1947, President Harry Truman  found it necessary to sign a resolution of the Congress changing the name back to Hoover Dam….but the town built for all of the workers is still Boulder City. When I was a kid we stayed in a motel in Boulder City that looked like it was from the set of National Lampoon’s Vacation. Christie Brinkley didn’t show up though.  Here’s a link to all sorts of stuff about Hoover Dam including a bunch of photos from the 1930′s. Notice that it is called the Boulder Dam Project..AKA Hoover Dam. There are some things of which some people will not let go, Congressional resolution and Presidential signature or not!  The photos show just how majestic and beautiful the dam really is but now that has changed. 

Artist's Vision of What the Completed Bridge Will Look Like

The traffic over  the bridge I suppose just got too congested because they went and built a new bridge to bypass the dam and they built it right in front of the huge structure.  That’s progress for you and necessity but the image of the dam with the Hoover Dam Bypass is just is not the same anymore.   Nevertheless, the bridge is pretty cool and is supposedly on schedule for a fall 2010 opening.  The bridge will be called the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge in honor of a popular Nevada Governor Mike O’Callaghan and NFL star and war hero Pat Tillman who died tragically in Afghanistan.  People in Las Vegas are happy because it will shorten the drive to Phoenix and make it more safe.  And while it is extremely appropriate to name it in the honor of Pat Tillman, I still wish they would have put it somewhere else.  But again, that’s progress.  I suppose that there were people who think that the dam itself, which was a sign of progress, spoiled the natural beauty of Black Canyon.

Weather Bottom Line:  The heat will continue for another couple of days but by Friday, a frontal boundary will be sagging our way.  While it is not entirely clear exactly how much rain we will get, the front’s approach will give us the most substantial risk for rain in several days.  The front will move through and bring some relief but don’t look for a repeat of the nice weather we had late last week with the last front.  It will be drier and highs over the weekend will be in the upper 80′s and overnight lows in the upper 60′s.  Perhaps more significantly is that this front may represent at least a short term change in the long wave pattern such that the ridge that has been dominating the east limiting rain and elevating temperatures may be broken down.  That should allow for a better chance for scattered showers than we have seen and the edge removed from the excessive heat.  It’s still going to be hot…just maybe not quite as hot and humid as it has been.

World War II Outlay Dwarfed Current Defense Budget January 31, 2010

America Awakened To Sacrifice For World Peace

On this Date in History: Yesterday, I had a column on Franklin D. Roosevelt and his personal determination to overcome his polio related disability.  I spoke of how that inspiration helped lead to the eradication of polio in the Western Hemisphere and the continued effort today to terminate the terrible disease world wide.  I said it was perhaps his greatest legacy.  Well, that determination and attitude also helped raise the nation in a time of crisis.

FDR declared War on Dec 8 1941 and laid out blue print for victory on Jan 6 1942 challenging the nation to do what seemed impossible. The nation responded and then some..

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, US  military production had increased to help the British utilizing the Lend Lease program.  So, the effects of the Great Depression were starting to wane.  But, the US entry into World War II absolutely ended the Depression.  On January 6, 1942 President Roosevelt gave his State of the Union Address and set out a bold objective.  He said that the US would produce 60,000 planes, 45, 000 tanks, 20,000 anti-aircraft guns and 6 million tons of merchant shipping.   No nation had ever produced such numbers and it was especially difficult to fathom given that, in spite of the increased production of the late 1930′s, much of the nation’s industrial capacity remained underutilized.  But, as he had defied polio, President Roosevelt would not take no as an answer.  He simply stated, “Let no man say it cannot be done!”

Ford Was In Charge of the Final Assembly of the B-24 Liberator

See, the industrial capacity of the United States was far greater than any other nation in the world.  Even during the depression, the auto industry produced about 3 million cars a year.  And Washington would look to Detroit to meet its war production goals.  The auto makers had been accepting government contracts outside of their auto production business to help with lend-lease.  The corporate heads of the auto industry said that they would be glad to help but wanted to continue to produce private cars in addition to taking on additional contracts.  It’s as if the big wheels in Detroit had no clue as to gravity of the situation or the breadth of the task required.  It has often been said that World War II was the first war in which machines operated by men would determine the outcome.  Whomever could build the most and best machines would have the great advantage.  But, Roosevelt knew what was needed and he sprang a little suprise on the auto chieftans.   Private automobile production was banned.  So, they had no choice.

Chrysler Ran the Mammoth Detroit Tank Arsenal

With no more cars to build, Detroit geared up for war.  On this date in 1942, the last private vehicles from Studebaker, Plymouth and Chrysler rolled off the assembly lines.  There was some down time for labor as factories were retooled in the auto industry as well as just about all facets of American production.  Because the winners  get to write history, we often hear of the “German War Machine.”   We refer to Detroit and the United States in general as the “Arsenal of Democracy.”  The truth is, by the end of World War II, the United States of America became the biggest war machine the world has ever seen.  The numbers are daunting.  Rationing of necessary materials like tires, gasoline and sugar was implemented.  Construction of highways and roads was halted.  While the poohbahs of the auto industry might not have gotten it, the American people did as drives to collect old tires and paper sprang up all across the nation.  Not only did most Americans not complain about rationing, they also pitched in by growing personal “victory gardens” in an effort to produce their own food and allow the general food supply to be used to meet the needs of the war. 

Sparkplug factories converted to machine gun production.  Lifeboats were made by a company that formerly produced stoves.  A corset maker turned to something at least that resembled its expertise; grenade belts.  Compasses were made by a toy company, Merry-go-round production turned to gun turrets and a pinball machine company made armor piercing shells.   And of course, Detroit turned out tanks, jeeps and other motorized vehicles as well as aircraft engine plants.  As it turns out, the ambitious war time production goals set out by President Roosevelt were modest. 

Admiral Yamamoto

 By 1944, the US had far surpassed those objectives as well as adding 5000 ships to the merchant fleet.  The turnaround in the industrial might of the United States was stunning.  Winston Churchill commented that “the United States is like a giant boiler; Once the fire is lit under it, there is no limit to the power it can generate.”   Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto of the Japanese empire was Harvard educated and had been stationed in Washington during the depression.  He had seen America’s dormant factories but noted the “industrial might” that nation had in slumber.  It is said that after he was told that the Japanese ultimatum was delivered to Washington nearly an hour after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he supposedly said, “I’m afraid all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible  resolve.”   Now it is questioned if he ever said those words but most historians do not doubt that was his feeling.  Either way it’s a good quote and is right on the mark.

US Defense spending today vs GDP miniscule compared to WW II

In 1940, the GDP of the US was $101 billion with federal spending making up over 17% and defense expenditures up to over 9% of the GDP.  Even though increased defense spending in the late 1930′s and helped the economy, unemployment was still had 14.6% or about 46% higher than it was at the end of 2009.  By 1944, unemployment in the United States stood at 1.2%.  By the end of the war, the GDP had increased 73% from 5 years earlier to $174 billion, defense made up about 37% of the GDP and federal spending represented a whopping 89% of the GDP.  During the Korean War, the US spent over 14.2% of GDP on the defense and at the height of the Vietnam War it was 9.4%.  The defense budget for fiscal year 2010 represents about 4.7% of GDP but makes up about a fifth of federal spending.  Still…4.7%.  In order to reach the level we had in World War II, the defense budget would have to increase about 900%.  That should give some perspective and allow your mind to wonder about what the true military might our nation still possesses. 

2010 US Federal Budget

The US is often criticized around the world for its military power…until some needs the US to help in the event of a natural disaster or threat from an unruly neighbor.  George Washington, in my mind, is the greatest of US presidents because he set the precedent of so many aspects that our nation continues to follow.  Washington said, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.”  The founders of the nation knew this and the Great Seal of the United States reflects this ideal as the eagle holds olive branches and 13 arrows in its talons to represent “peace through strength.”  Throughout the history of the United States, it is in times when the nation had a weak military that major wars broke out.  The most glaring example is following World War I when the US had almost disarmed completely disarmed.  Many historians question whether the axis powers would have become so emboldened if the US had maintained a strong military capability. 

The Great Seal of the United States of America

What I find interesting is that its tough to find a nation in history that had overwhelming military capabilities that did not use it to conquor and dominate peoples and nations.  To be sure, the US military can be a persuasive tool in geopolitics but, no nation has ever been so reluctant to unleash its military might as the US has been.  Yes, there have been many military conflicts but, aside from the Indian Wars, it has always been used for mainly for virtuous reasons of freedom of others or defense, though there are always secondary considerations.   And after victory, the US routinely eventually returns the nation to the people, which is very odd…and something that is rarely recognized or appreciated around the world.  Let us hope that the United States never again must unleash its full potential.

Midwest Snow Depth

Weather Bottom Line:  Well, it appeared that my initial idea of several days ago that we’d get 4 inches of snow was pretty good.  Another example of why one should stick with the original thought.  I think I got about 3 inches at the old homestead and the National Weather Services put Jefferson County at about 3-5 inches.  It was really pretty interesting because we started gettting snow about 1 am but the dewpoint was still just 8.  The flakes were many but very small.  It was like a giant flurry event.  By 1:30 visibility had diminished greatly but it was still small flakes.  At 2 am the dewpoint had risen to about 11 or 14 (can’t remember which) but we were in a lull in the snow. I went to bed.  When Snow White and I got up today, our porch and door was covered as the wind drifted the snow all over our porch and the little nest we keep for our adopted stray cat Paintbrush.  He was quite upset but when he came around to see if we had fixed his bed, we gave him a whole bunch of food so that seemed to quell his anger.  Then he went out to look for the ladies.

It May Be Colder Than This

If we get clear skies and no wind, I betcha we get to the low to mid single digits overnight…someone is going to get near zero…  I seriously question the double digit lows that I’ve seen advertised on TV and I still don’t think we get above freezing on Sunday.  Looking at the longer term, while I don’t see any periods of extreme cold, overall I don’t see any days beyond the mid 40′s with most days at or below average for the forseeable future.  I don’t see it now but maybe we’ll get another shot a  good snow. But, this was pretty as Snow White and I enjoyed our trek around the neighborhood, stomping in the snow and looking at the beautiful portrait painted by nature.  You should really take time to see it.

FDR’s Greatest 10 Cent Legacy is Priceless Gift January 30, 2010

A Thin Dime: The Greatest Legacy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Legacy of FDR Lives On Today In the Lives of Millions Around the World

On this Date in History: The last case of wild or naturally occuring polio in the United States was reported in 1979.  For the most part, polio is considered to be eradicated from the Western Hemisphere and the effort continues to terminate the disease world wide.   When I was a kid, polio was just another of a handful of conditions that American kids were immunized against.  But, earlier in the 20th century, the very mention of polio brought fear to parents and children alike.  Seventy-five percent of those affected were children, but one prominent American got the disease as an adult and his fight against the disease and his perserverance left a legacy that arguably may eclipse all of his great accomplishments.

FDR Stood Tall As James Cox's Running Mate in 1920

In 1921, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was still a relatively young man at age 39.  By that time, he had a wife and family, had served in the New York State Senate, as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and as Vice-Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 1920 election with Democratic Presidential Candidate James M. Cox which was won by Republican Warren G. Harding.  After suffering his defeat at the polls, Roosevelt faced a new opponent; he contracted polio.  At first it was thought he had a bad cold.  Then the diagnosis was a blood clot in his spine.  But when his fever skyrocketed and his legs became paralyzed, doctors faced the reality that the young man with a promising political career had polio.   A lesser man may have been depressed or considered it a setback at the least.  But, the ambitious Roosevelt refused to accept defeat.

Rare Photo of FDR in a wheelchair in 1941. His strength, determination and courage led to fuller, richer lives for millions of children

There was no cure for polio and it was often fatal.  But, FDR decided to rehablitiate himself.  He exercised his upper body to such an extent that he once bragged that his legs weren’t much “but look at those shoulders!”  His upper body became so developed that many people were unaware of the toll that the disease had taken on his legs.  He wore bulky leg braces and needed help from crutches to get around.  But, if something happened to the braces or crutches, he felt helpless.  The only real freedom he felt was when he swam.  He felt especially revitalized by the soothing mineral water of Warm Springs, Georgia.  Now, FDR was from a wealthy family and in 1926, he donated a large portion of his personal wealth to establish a foundation at Warm Springs so that others who suffered from the crippling disease to have the same opportunities that he had.

FDR at Warm Springs in 1923 or 1924

Of course,  FDR did not let polio get in his way as he went on to lead the United States through the Great Depression and World War II having been elected to four consecutive term as President of the United States.  But, the plans he had laid out for Warm Springs put the facility in debt, despite his huge contribution.  Fund raisers were held but the deficit was never erased.  Entertainer Eddie Cantor came up with the idea of asking everyone in the country to send a dime to the president at the White House for polio research.  The year was 1937 and the depression held the nation in its grips but Cantor thought that the catchy name he came up with, the March of Dimes, might inspire people to make a small sacrifice.

Dr. Jonas Salk Used Roosevelt Dimes to Find a Cure For Polio

Americans love to respond to the needs of others and the White House was overwhelmed with as many as 150,000 letters a day containing dimes.  That first campaign was so successful that funds not only went to help pay for treatment of polio victims, but also to fund research that might lead to the eradication of the disease.  Dr. Jonas Salk developed the vaccine for polio in 1955 and in 24 years, polio was absent from all of the Americas.  Franklin Roosevelt did not live to see the victory but he had become so related to the March of Dimes, after his death in 1945 Congress voted to honor Roosevelt with the lasting memorial of his depiction on the dime.  On this date in 1946, the first Roosevelt dimes were issued by the US mint and they have been issued ever since.  January 30 is also the anniversary birth of  the 32nd President of the United States and serves as the annual kick-off of March of Dimes fundraising efforts.   By the time Dr. Salk discovered the vaccine, millions of Roosevelt dimes had been contributed to the March of Dimes and it was on April 12, 1955, the tenth anniversary of FDR’s death, that Salk announced his discovery.

FDR: Honored in Stone, Immortalized in Dimes

There is now a relatively little known Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington DC and that certainly will last as long as the city is there.  And the history book is filled with the actions and accomplishments of FDR in his leadership of the United States.  He is a giant in the story of America in the 20th century.  But, perhaps his greatest and grandest legacy was his determination and courage to face down a personal enemy that had affected and taken so many lives.  Others might have led us through the Great Depression or World War II.  But, I think it would be hard to find another man who could have led the fight and eventual eradication of a such a terrible disease that adversely affected all of humanity.  I believe, that if you look at the face on that small,  thin dime,  you will see a legacy that touched and served more people than any executive order or political decision ever could.  It is a legacy that is little remembered but one that,on its own, should elevate Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the highest level of American honor.

00Z NAM Snow Total through Sunday Evening

Weather Bottom Line:  If TV weather was honest, this would be the exchange you would hear:

Anchor: Are we going to get snow?

Weather: Yes

Anchor: How Much?

Weather: I don’t know.

18Z Fri GFS Snow Total through Sunday Evening

When I moved here a dozen years ago, I knew just the basics about snow and snow forecasting.  I didn’t have much pragmatic experience.  See, in the real south, you don’t get snow much.  When I came here, I thought it was the first time I had lived in the North since I was a little kid in Connecticut.  Then people started telling me that this was the South, which I never figured out considering we’re 300 miles from Chicago, get down to zero or lower at least once every year and average about 16 inches of snow every year.  Anyway, one thing I was happy to learn quickly was that snow forecasting is extremely difficult.  The variables involved between a 1 inch snowfall and a 6 inch snowfall is pretty small and when you take into account those variables can be quite different over the entire viewing area, it is extremely difficult.  If we said it would rain about a half inch and we get a quarter inch,  everyone would say the forecast was right.  But, in snow terms,  the moisture that would produce a half inch of rain would produce 5 inches of snow and a quarter inch of rain only 2.5 inches.  So, if we called for a 5 inches of snow and you only got 2.5 inches, you’d say the forecast was wrong. 

18Z Fri NAM Snow total through Sunday...Not Quite as bullish as 00Z Run at top

In this case, we are on the edge of dry air.  All day on Friday,  the radar has claimed it was snowing.  But the air was so dry, with surface dewpoints in the low to mid single digits, that any precipitation that was falling evaporated.  By days end, the dewpoints were still about 8 in Louisville.  But, down in Bowling Green, the dewpoint was 19 with an air temperature of 25 and it was snowing.  The moist air is trying to push north and the big question is how far it gets and when it gets there.  The result will be a very tight gradient of snow totals with a differnce of say less than an inch to the northern extent and maybe as much as 10 inches down toward the Kentucky/Tennesse border.  So, that would be about equivalent to losing an inch every 10 miles you travel north. 

No one can forecast with exact certainty where the line of the northern extent will be. 

00Z NAM Sat 700 mb 2am Sat-saturated over Lou at 10K Feet

NAM 00Z Sat 850 mb 2am Sat-Not Quite Saturated over LOU at 5K Feet

Forecasting is really best learned through the old apprentice style of training.  You can’t learn it in a book.  Just about everything I know about snow forecasting I learned from Jay Cardosi and my own observations.  I was fortunate to be able to work with an Ace like Jay as learned all he could offer and what he had learned from some expert forecasters and his own personal education.  Now, I saw Jay do as good a job as possible in trying to responsibily explain the forecast with this particular storm.  I mean, lets face it, you can’t go on tv and say “It’s gonna snow, but we can’t say with certainty how much you will get in your backyard.”  But, what he did was show a graded map with 5-9 inchs of snow from around E-town south and 2-5 inches in the Louisville Metro and zero snow for up near Seymour.  He went even further to illustrate the difficulty with this situation though when he pointed out that he would not be surprised if we had about 2 inches near downtown Louisville at the Ohio River but five inches down at the Jefferson/Bullitt county line.   He didn’t emphatically say that would occur, but it is not out of the question for that scenario to unfold.

NAM 00Z Sat 850mb 8am-still not totally saturated over LOU at 5k Feet

GFS 00Z Sat 850 mb-8am not fully saturated over Louisville at 5K Feet

I’ll use some modeling data to support that notion.  The 18Z NAM forecast for Standiford Field called for just under 4 inches of snow.  That same 18Z NAM model showed just over 3 inches of snow for Bowman Field.  What is that…about 4 miles and almost an inch difference?  Then, on top of that, the model went and threw out an additional quarter inch of snow throughout the day on Sunday for Bowman and nothing at Standiford.  I would discount any appreciable snow on Sunday, though there could be some flurries or light snow showers.  Now, this data stands in sharp contrast with the previous NAM run at 00Z (18 hours before) that said about 1/10th of an inch.  The GFS at 00Z Friday had zero snow for Standiford and by 18Z it had gone back to what it had been saying before, which was about 2.5 inches.  Back and forth the models have gone over the past 36 hours. Snow, no snow. Snow, but more here than there. Now, if you look at the 00Z Sat NAM snow total map above, it looks like to me it has gotten even more bullish on snow totals with the southern half of Jefferson County at about 5-6 inches and the northern half 3-4 inches but it never fully saturates the air at all levels over Louisville.  24 hours before it said less than an inch.  Nor does the 00Z GFS ever saturate the entire column over Louisville.  Go figure.

RUC 00Z Sat 850 mb-8am Fully saturated over Louisville at 5K Feet. Bigger Snow from the RUC?

At 12Z Friday, the Japanese model called for about 2 inches of snow for Lou thru 8am Sat

Observing the satellite blob of snow to the west, it would appear that we will catch a good chunk of it.  The question is just how quickly the atmosphere moistens up.  The midday models all claimed it would happen shortly after midnight. But, as of 9pm EST, in Louisville the dewpoint was still just 8 and Fort Knox had only inched up to 11.  I think we’ll have to get to the mid to upper teens on the dewpoint to get snow.  So, I leave you with this.  Some of us will get next to nothing.  Some of us may push 6 inches.  If I had to guess I’d say I will get 2 inches or so at my house, depending on if there is an errant heavy snow burst or not. (I hope I’m wrong!) But, that’s just a guess and its the best I can do as, when its all said and done, it will do what its going to do where its going to do it regardless of what I say, the computers say or anyone on tv said.  All we can do is our best and on TV those guys have it really tough because they are required to go beyond the limits of human ability.  Someone will not be satisfied one way or another, but they should be.  Everyone from the boys at the NWS to the folks on TV have done about the best we can do.  I say let it snow.  My wishcast would be for a big pile of snow…but, I”ll probably have to wait till next time

Who is paying for the Michael Jackson Memorial? Is it Hoover Dam or Boulder Dam? July 7, 2009

Who is footing the bill for Jackson's memorial?

LA Mayor Volunteers to Pony Up the Money?

Los Angeles is in the midst of a $500 million budget shortfall. So, when Michael Jackson’s memorial service takes place today, who is going to pay for all of the police officers necessary to control the crowds. According to ABC News, the City of Los Angeles will be footing the bill, which is expected to be about $2.5 million.  An LA Times blog asked the question, “should taxpayers be responsible for Michael Jackson’s memorial service?” In that text, it says that the Los Angeles budget shortfall is only $360 million.  Whatever.  What is interesting is that, on the same day, the LA Times business section has a story that claims Jackson’s estate could be a “thriller of a profit machine.”   So, we have a situation in which, presumably, the family wants to have a public memorial service with free tickets for Michael Jackson whose estate is expected to genererate millions of dollars a year.  Yet, the cash strapped city, that is laying off workers, is expected to pick up the tab.  Indeed…the LA Times raised a good quesiton, should the taxpayers be expected to pick up the tab for the memorial service? You make the call.
On This Date In History: This is a tale filled with politics so it’s confusing. Back in 1902, Arthur Powell Davis, an engineer with the Bureau of Reclamation, came up with an idea for a dam along the Colorado River at a place called Boulder Canyon. Herbert Hoover, an engineer by education himself, was Secretary of Commerce in 1921 and he made it a priority to support a high dam at Boulder Canyon. Plans were set for the project to be begun in 1922. Well, there was Congress to contend with and water rights and states rights…lots of politicians. So the project didn’t get started until This Date in 1930. By that time, coincidentally, Herbert Hoover was the 31st President. It was also the beginning of the Great Depression and Hoover wanted to be re-elected. While work started on July 7, the official ceremony commemorating the beginning wasn’t until September when Hoover’s Secretary of the Interior, Ray Wilbur, declared the project would be known as the Hoover Dam. It was appropriate since Hoover had been instrumental over the years in getting the project going. But, Hoover also wanted the project to bear his name to remind people of all the jobs he had created. It didn’t work. Hoover lost badly to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Frank Didn't Think Herb Deserved a Dam Named For Hiim

As the project was getting started, it was determined that geologically it was better suited down the river in Black Canyon. Nevertheless, it was still called the Boulder Canyon Project and on May 8, 1933, Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes(father of the current Democrat politician with the same name) declared that the name of the project would no longer be known as Hoover Dam, but instead Boulder Dam. FDR had been in office for a few months and erasing any mention of Hoover perhaps was high on the priority list of helping the US to be fearless against “fear itself.” This of course even though the dam was being built in Black Canyon. In 1947, President Harry Truman signed a resolution of the Congress changing the name back to Hoover Dam….but the town built for all of the workers is still Boulder City. When I was a kid we stayed in a motel in Boulder City that looked like it was from the set of National Lampoon’s Vacation. Christie Brinkley didn’t show up though.

Here’s a link to all sorts of stuff about Hoover Dam including a bunch of photos from the 1930′s. Notice that it is called the Boulder Dam Project..AKA Hoover Dam. There are some things of which some people will not let go, Congressional resolution and Presidential signature or not!

Weather Bottom Line:  There is a little wrinkle in the forecast. I saw this yesterday but didn’t mention it because it seemed so pedestrian.  But, we have a weak front trying to come down late Tuesday.  The 18Z GFS Monday indicates a tenth of an inch of rain late Tuesday.  The NAM has some moisture but no rain.  The other models are equally as non-commital.  As of Monday night, the official forecast makes no mention of rain and for most people, that will be probably correct. But, I betcha we will see a number of clouds with some scattered showers.  After this guy goes back on the retreat, we will get a southerly component to the windflow and the temperatures will rise to the low 90′s by the end of the week and humidity levels will continue to rise, probably to a rather uncomfortable level by the end of the week.

California Wildfires In Pictures; Hoover or Boulder? July 7, 2008

Click Here for a National Interactive Radar that you can use to zoom in to street level, track and see analysis for any part of the country.

The above is the July 6th version of the severe outlook for Tuesday July 8.

Our weather looks pretty good to start the week. An upper disturbance will wander through the flow across the lower Great Lakes and an appendage of instability may be far enough southto work with afternoon heating to kick off a few Monday afternoon isolated t’storms. If they do go, they’ll most likely be confined to the northern half of the viewing area. Tuesday night a front will slowly plod our way and rain chances will go up accordingly. Note the severe threat is well to our northwest where the boundary will be moving during the heat of the day. There may be some late day renegade t’storms but primarily the threat will be for Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. We should see improvement by Wednesday afternoon that will translate to a good Thursday. The front comes back as a warm front Friday morning marking the return of heat and humidity for much of the weekend. Another front comes down for late Sunday…or so it seems right now.

California Wild Fires: The map to the left is for Tuesday afternoon and evening. In our area you see rain moving with a cold front that doesn’t have great prospects for severe weather but will have the potential to bring some decent rain. Out west though, you see the way the contour lines are oriented is for a general offshore flow, which means dry and hot air coming down out of the mountains. Not really a Santa Anna wind which typically comes from the southwest but the end result is the same. No real help in the near term.

Here is a slide show from KTAR which is in the Phoenix area. I suppose since that region has numerous links to California that they decided to enhance their coverage. I’m not sure how long this link will be good, but I would think that it would be good for the near term. It has well over 100 shots.

California Wildfires Slide Show KTAR

Here is a slideshow from the NYTimes. Not as many shots but they have an artistic edge to them.

NYTimes California Wildfire Slide Show

Here are some more from the Big Sur Fire.

NYTimes Big Sur Wildfire Slide Show

On This Date In History: This is a tale filled with politics so it’s confusing. Back in 1902, Arthur Powell Davis, an engineer with the Bureau of Reclamation, came up with an idea for a dam along the Colorado River at a place called Boulder Canyon. Herbert Hoover, an engineer by education himself, was Secretary of Commerce in 1921 and he made it a priority to support a high dam at Boulder Canyon. Plans were set for the project to be begun in 1922. Well, there was Congress to contend with and water rights and states rights…lots of politicians. So the project didn’t get started until This Date in 1930. By that time, coincidentally, Herbert Hoover was the 31st President. It was also the beginning of the Great Depression and Hoover wanted to be re-elected. While work started on July 7, the official ceremony commemorating the beginning wasn’t until September when Hoover’s Secretary of the Interior, Ray Wilbur, declared the project would be known as the Hoover Dam. It was appropriate since Hoover had been instrumental over the years in getting the project going. But, Hoover also wanted the project to bear his name to remind people of all the jobs he had created. It didn’t work. Hoover lost badly to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

As the project was getting started, it was determined that geologically it was better suited down the river in Black Canyon. Nevertheless, it was still called the Boulder Canyon Project and on May 8, 1933, Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes(father of the current Democrat politician with the same name) declared that the name of the project would no longer be known as Hoover Dam, but instead Boulder Dam. FDR had been in office for a few months and erasing any mention of Hoover perhaps was high on the priority list of helping the US to be fearless against “fear itself.” This of course even though the dam was being built in Black Canyon. In 1947, President Harry Truman signed a resolution of the Congress changing the name back to Hoover Dam….but the town built for all of the workers is still Boulder City. When I was a kid we stayed in a motel in Boulder City that looked like it was from the set of National Lampoon’s Vacation. Christie Brinkley didn’t show up though.

Here’s a link to all sorts of stuff about Hoover Dam including a bunch of photos from the 1930′s. Notice that it is called the Boulder Dam Project..AKA Hoover Dam. There are some things of which some people will not let go, Congressional resolution and Presidential signature or not!