How Did the Hoover Dam Affect Wildlife?
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Animals
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The Hoover Dam ecosystem, a part of the Mojave Desert, is home to a number of animal species, including the bighorn sheep, coyote, ground squirrel, ringtail cat and the endangered desert tortoise. The desert tortoise in particular has suffered the impact of the Hoover Dam through the disruption of nesting grounds and destruction of nests by construction and visitors. The roadrunner, golden eagle and turkey vulture are just a few of the bird species found in the area, and the desert is also home to scorpions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes and lizards. Attempts to avoid altering the bighorn sheep's natural environment guided the original construction plans of the highway and dam, but more considerations of Hoover Dam wildlife were included in the Hoover Dam Bypass Project. The Hoover Dam Bypass Project was initiated in the 1980s to alleviate the impact of road traffic and potential road hazards on area wildlife by providing an alternate river crossing. This project provided Hoover Dam wildlife crossing areas and tortoise protection policies for the construction of the dam, with the hopes of minimizing the impact of new construction on wildlife.
Plants
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The deserts animals in the Hover Dam ecosystem live in a delicate balance that depends on specialized plant life to survive. A range of cactus types, desert flowers and bushes and nettles provide the basis of a fragile food chain. Plant life has been affected by the change in the Colorado River watershed and the harnessing of water flow, the erosion of the riverbanks and the pollution resulting from increased vehicle traffic. The draw of the Lake Mead recreational area and the Hoover Dam visitor center also have increased the human impact of individuals through foot traffic, damage or removal of plants and litter.
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Fish
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Several species of native and introduced fish that live in the Colorado River also have felt the impact of Hoover Dam. The catfish, sunfish and other fishes inhabiting the Hoover Dam ecosystem have been affected by a number of specific aspects of the dam, most notably the change in water temperature. The Hoover Dam turbines lower the water temperature drastically, which resulted in the immediate extinction of several species of warm-water wish after the dam's completion in 1936. Furthermore, introduction of rainbow trout, which are cold-water fish, for recreational fishing has created competition with native species for resources. The impact of Hoover Dam also includes significant yearly erosion of the banks of the river as a result of poured concrete preventing natural silt deposits. This erosion has also affected the feeding and reproductive environments of the native species of fish.
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