The title refers to Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between Arizona and Nevada constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression.
The background of red rock desert country is always colorful and fanciful in these mid century classics.
The cue sheet for this cartoon list the following cues by William Lava: "Disaster Plan", "Finale", "Gradual Development", "Hidden Plotter", "Ki-Yip-Ky-Ote", "Shimmering Blaze", "This Oughta Work", "Too Late Ouch", and "Who's Out There". It's unknown which sections they play in, however.
The U. S. had an excellent record of pike vault champions at the time of this short. Coyote wears the very latest spiked track shoes during his attempt, as all pole vaulters did (and still do).
Evil hypnotists and mad scientists were common plot elements at the time. And, as Roadrunner does here, they often outsmarted the perpetrator quite cleverly.