Revision 9/10/2009 6:12 PM
Location: Boulder Islands
Depth: 120ft to bottom of buoy lines 140ft to bottom of tunnels (depending on Lake elevations this site maybe shallower or deeper.)
Points of interest: 4 piles of crushed aggregate with concrete tunnels through the center of the piles. Other sites include stairwells, conveyor belts, rail tracks, steel towers, etc.
Directions: Dive site is located on the North West side of Boulder Islands. Buoy lines with floats (assuming park service or boaters have not cut them) are set in 20 ft of water on piles # 1 and # 4. Use some sort of “cheat stick” to grab the tie up line under the water or just free dive down to tie up your boat. Lots of boat traffic in the summer so beware.
Dive: (Pile # 1 buoy) From your anchor line drop down to a depth of 120ft. The anchor line leads to the start of a tunnel. DO NOT ENTER THIS TUNNEL! There is a block in the back and is the only one that does not go through. String line leads you south towards Piles # 2 and # 4. String also leads west towards other items at the site.
(Pile # 4 buoy) From your anchor line drop down to a depth of 120ft. The anchor line leads to the start of a tunnel. This tunnel is one of the easiest tunnels to swim through (fewest obstructions). String leads north towards piles (# 3 and # 1). String also leads west towards other items at the site.
Great dive site in Lake Mead! This is the Gravel Screening Plant used in the building of Hoover Dam. River rock was extracted from dry beds over on the Arizona side of the river, transported by rail to this area, sorted into 4 different piles based on size, washed with water that was de-silted in the Water Clarifier "batch plant", and then transported again by rail to the dam site where it was mixed with cement and poured. These piles are huge - You just can’t get a feel for their size until you drop down on them.
This area has been under water since 1936, but is now within recreational dive depth, yet has only been seen by a relatively small number of divers.
If you visit the Aggregate Piles, please respect that they have historical significance, and do not damage, destroy, take objects, or leave your mark in any way.
http://www.missionscuba.com/lake-mead/lake-mead-dive_aggregate-piles.htm http://www.lakemeadtechnicaldivers.com/main.html