When constructed in the 1930s, Hoover Dam was built to contain the Colorado River and create Lake Mead—the world’s 16th-largest man-made lake in the world. Lake Mead has since amassed its own underwater world full of train tracks, shipwrecks, plane wreckage, cement tunnels, a bus, and a variety of other “treasures.” Take a look at this breathtaking underwater world hiding beneath Lake Mead.
In 1931, construction began on Hoover Dam to tame the Colorado River, prevent flooding into California’s Imperial Valley, and to increase much-needed jobs in the area.
Gary Bembridge/Flickr
Lake Mead is considered to be one of the best freshwater dives in the entire world with its 700 miles of shoreline and incredible depths of over 500 feet in some areas.
Tom Hart/Flickr
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center (SRC) and Lake Mead dive staff are being briefed before a dive.
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center/Facebook
A sunken barge is discovered beneath Lake Mead.
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center/Facebook
An archaeologist/diver taking notes on more discovered underwater “treasure” residing under Lake Mead.
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center
A diver taking detailed notes about a found automobile ferry engine underneath the lake.
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center/Facebook
The remains of a bus deep below Lake Mead.
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center/Facebook
Here, divers are documenting the remains of a car ferry at the bottom of the lake.
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center/Facebook
The remains of a B-29 Superfortress bomber that has been resting in Lake Mead since 1948.
Brett Seymour/Facebook
In 1948, 26-year-old pilot Robert Madison flew his modified B-29 Superfortress with a crew of four others on a low-level pass over the northern part of Lake Mead.
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center/Facebook
During the flight, Madison misjudged the plane’s height and struck the water, wrenching three of the four engines from the plane. The fourth engine caught fire before the plane sank.
Brett Seymour/Facebook
Luckily, the crew of five all survived with a broken arm the only injury.
Brett Seymour/Facebook
This WWII-era bomber currently resides at 170 feet beneath the lake’s surface.
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center/Facebook
The remains of the aggregate washing facility for the concrete used to build Hoover Dam and train tracks can be seen.
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center/Facebook
National Park Service
Check out this amazing video of the B29 bomber dive. Other treasures are hiding beneath Lake Mead’s surface. Take a look at this footage of the remains of a PBY-5A plane wreckage from 1949 and the fascinating photographs of Wreck Alley by Steve Fannell of Lake Mead Technical Divers.
Gary Bembridge/Flickr
Tom Hart/Flickr
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center/Facebook
National Park Service Submerged Resources Center
Brett Seymour/Facebook
National Park Service
From concrete tunnels to train tracks to sunken planes to a downed boat to a lost bus and more, Lake Mead is hiding an underwater world of historical artifacts that provide a glimpse into the state’s illustrious history and tragedies. Who (beside divers) knew of this hidden world underneath the seemingly calm waters of Lake Mead? Have you been on any dives and seen these amazing historical artifacts? Please share your thoughts and comments below.
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