A view of Lake Tahoe to south from Tahoe City, California on the north shore. This alpine lake is located on the border of California and Nevada at an elevation of 6,225 feet and was formed during the Ice Age over 2 million years ago. With an average depth of 1,000 feet and maximum depth of 1,645 feet, Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States after Crater Lake in Oregon. In the winter, skiers and snowboarders visit many of the ski resorts surrounding the lake including Squaw Valley and Heavenly, which hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. In the summer, fishing, boating, camping, and other water sports are very popular.

The Parker Dam is located on the border of California and Arizona, some 155 miles south of the Hoover dam. This arch gravity dam was completed in 1938 and is constructed of concrete. The Parker Dam is the deepest dam in the world with a length of 856 feet and a width of 320 feet, of which 235 feet is located below the bed of the river. Parker Dam generates power and supplies water for most areas of Southern California. The reservoir created behind Parker Dam is known as Lake Havasu.