Damning Dams

An inevitable part of many 1950s science documentaries was an awestruck tribute to our ability to "tame nature"--by building huge dams and controlling the flow of mighty rivers. There are an estimated 800,000 dams on the planet and 40,000 large dams--an incredible 20,000 in China alone.

The really big dams are the largest structures ever built by man, engineering marvels as awe-inspiring as the great pyramids of Egypt. And they rival the pyramids for the sheer magnitude of construction: It took 5,000 workers on 24-hour shifts for five years to build the colossal Hoover Dam.

Want the full story? Subscribers may log in here Subscribe to E (immediate access to this and all other content) Free Trial Issue (immediate access to this and all other content) Order This Back Issue