The Hoover Dam. THE HOOVER DAM! This whole thing is about the Hoover dam? Come on.
The Hoover Dam was built by business, under orders from politicians, using money coerced from the citizens. That's the story. Period.
And as RWE smartly noted, such a project couldn't be built today without decades of legal wranglings initiated by tree hugging lefties trying to protect the ever popular
Salt Harvest Marsh Mouse or some other cuddly rodent.