Cadillac desert:The American West and Its disappearing water
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Chapter 1: A Country OF Illusion
This chapter provides historical context into the settlement of California. Reisner gives insight into important historical figures such as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their expedition to explore the frontier. He explains how the fashion fad of beaver hats were a huge contributor to the settlement of the west, many mountain men trekked westward in search of the ever elusive beaver pelt that was for some reason the greatest fashion craze in the 1820's. Reisner goes into detail about many of the hallowed pioneers of the west such as Jedediah Smith who was the first to open the doors to California; and John Wesley Powell's insane scientific quest to explore the wild, wild West, an entire 12 pages are dedicated to Powell and his expedition. Reisner explains the significance of the Homestead Act of 1862 that pulled people to the West, 160 acres of land for a minimum filing fee and 5 years continuous residence of that land.
Chapter 2: The Red Queen
In this chapter Reisner describes the bitter battle for water between the Owens Valley and Los Angeles. William Mulholland was an Irish immigrant who made his home and fortune in Los Angeles, he became part of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Fred Eaton was the superintendent of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, during his time there he became good friends with Mulholland and began to groom him to be his successor. In their quest to bring water to Los Angeles they began buying land and consequently water rights from the Owens river that they would divert through aqueducts. When Fred Eaton was denied the amount of money he wanted to sell his water rights to the city of Los Angeles, he became embittered and settled on a ranch with a reservoir. Mulholland was then made superintendent of the LADWP and he became water crazed, and his already prideful demeanor was increased. In his dehydrated state he claimed that the St. Francis Dam was safe despite obvious signs that it would collapse at any minute. When the dam broke hundreds of people drowned to death and Mulholland went from being admired to being hated by the people.
Chapter 3: First Causes
In the 1880's there was a terrible blizzard in South Dakota and other midwestern states that was later on followed by a severe drought. Thus many people began migrating west in the hopes of settling by a paradise surrounded by running water and fertile land. Neither the government or private enterprise could satiate this quixotic dream of the garden of eden. Francis Griffith Newland took it upon himself to bring water to the people through the 1888 Truckee Irrigation Project that ultimately failed due to a lack of beneficiaries and congressional support. As part of his New Deal projects, president Theodore Roosevelt used any means possible to keep the Reclamation Service alive despite its many failed attempts to provide water to arid lands.
Chapter 4: An American Nile
In this chapter, Reisner describes the transformation of the Colorado River basin. He discusses the erosion and siltation and the early water diversions into southern California. He also points out the contrasting political views of the developments during the time. Reisner includes details concerning the issues between farmers getting water for free to grow crops that farmers in the east are paid not to grow. This was seen as a major distortion in U.S economics and was viewed as a direct result of government involvement. This chapter also discusses the construction of the Hoover Dam and the failures and successes of water diversions (such as the 1905 Salton Sea diversion). Another important detail in this chapter is the high costs of agriculture and irrigation in California and the political growth of Congress in the Western U.S.
Still, sometimes bad economics makes for good politics, and so the entire West lined up behind the Colorado River Storage Project of 1956.
Chapter 5: The Go Go Years
In Chapter 5, Reisner informs his audience of the "go-go years" of FDR's administration. He goes into detail on the environmental damage of the West and the corruption of national politics. He talks about the 1929 Great Crash, the Dirty Thirties, the concept and views of pyramid-economics which unveiled some truth about the corruption of politics and the federal dam building program (Hoover, Shasta, Bonneville, Grand Coulee, etc.). It also touches on the second World War and the Bureau of Reclamation.
Chapter 6: Rivals in Crime
In chapter 6, Reisner acknowledges how the main exports of the U.S are crops and food and this is mainly due to the development of many waterways. He also states that many people at the time strongly believed that in order to grow as a country, they needed to develop much more for hydroelectric power and irrigation for farmers. This resulted in the Corp of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, competing for water projects. Reisner described the conflicts between the two powerful organizations in their quest for water projects that would supposedly improve the United States and make it a greater country. However, due to the rivalry between the two, many unnecessary and useless dams were built, which affected both the environment and the economy of the United States. The Corp of Engineers wanted to build the Rampart Dam, which was not only unnecessary, but also would have created the largest reservoir in the entire world and create a massive ecological disaster. The Bureau, however, wanted to build the Devil's Canyon Dam, preventing the construction of the Rampart Dam. Overall, the Corp of Engineers and the Bureau on Reclamation fought over many pointless water projects, all the while wasting taxpayer dollars.
Chapter 7: Dominy
This chapter describes a man named Floyd Dominy, who was born in Hastings Nebraska and had a disliking for money. He studied economics and played a major role in the construction of approximately 300 dams during the Great Drought. He then got employed in the Bureau of Reclamation and soon became commissioner of the Bureau. The Bureau was placed under the orders of the president, meaning that they had to follow hi orders but with Dominy in power, no one could control the actions of the Bureau. This was mainly due to Dominy's socializing with eastern congressmen which allowed the Bureau the power to do what it wanted. Dominy didn't use his power to move the U.S in the right direction for economic and environmental benefits. In fact he mainly disregarded conservation movements unless conflicts arised with them. This continued on until Prsident Nixon was finally able to fire him from his position in an attempt to put the bureau back in order.
Chapter 8: The American Nile 2
In chapter 8, Reisner talks about the water development in Arizona. First he gives some history of the Hohokam Indians that built great cities and complex irrigation systems but suddenly disappeared. He then discussed California's plan to obtain Arizona's water and how they they prevented Arizona's construction of an aqueduct until they resolved the Gila River conflict. With an increasing population due to immigration, the leaders in Arizona worried whether there would be enough water to provide for them influx of people. For the time being they used groundwater to support the people but that was a finite source so the United Western Investigation got involved to solve the problem. The plan of the organization was to direct water from northern California (ideally from the Kalanath River) through dams and tunnels. The plan was never done because Californians wouldn't allow it to be buil since they saw it as a replacement for the water from Arizona and they still had plans for the Colorado River and Glen Canyon Dams. SOme people such as Brower and others in the Sierra Club fought against the Bureau and their attempts to develop more dams that would harm the environment. Reisner also went over the Central Arizona Project and the possible bankruptcy it might cause for farmers.
This chapter provides historical context into the settlement of California. Reisner gives insight into important historical figures such as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their expedition to explore the frontier. He explains how the fashion fad of beaver hats were a huge contributor to the settlement of the west, many mountain men trekked westward in search of the ever elusive beaver pelt that was for some reason the greatest fashion craze in the 1820's. Reisner goes into detail about many of the hallowed pioneers of the west such as Jedediah Smith who was the first to open the doors to California; and John Wesley Powell's insane scientific quest to explore the wild, wild West, an entire 12 pages are dedicated to Powell and his expedition. Reisner explains the significance of the Homestead Act of 1862 that pulled people to the West, 160 acres of land for a minimum filing fee and 5 years continuous residence of that land.
Chapter 2: The Red Queen
In this chapter Reisner describes the bitter battle for water between the Owens Valley and Los Angeles. William Mulholland was an Irish immigrant who made his home and fortune in Los Angeles, he became part of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Fred Eaton was the superintendent of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, during his time there he became good friends with Mulholland and began to groom him to be his successor. In their quest to bring water to Los Angeles they began buying land and consequently water rights from the Owens river that they would divert through aqueducts. When Fred Eaton was denied the amount of money he wanted to sell his water rights to the city of Los Angeles, he became embittered and settled on a ranch with a reservoir. Mulholland was then made superintendent of the LADWP and he became water crazed, and his already prideful demeanor was increased. In his dehydrated state he claimed that the St. Francis Dam was safe despite obvious signs that it would collapse at any minute. When the dam broke hundreds of people drowned to death and Mulholland went from being admired to being hated by the people.
Chapter 3: First Causes
In the 1880's there was a terrible blizzard in South Dakota and other midwestern states that was later on followed by a severe drought. Thus many people began migrating west in the hopes of settling by a paradise surrounded by running water and fertile land. Neither the government or private enterprise could satiate this quixotic dream of the garden of eden. Francis Griffith Newland took it upon himself to bring water to the people through the 1888 Truckee Irrigation Project that ultimately failed due to a lack of beneficiaries and congressional support. As part of his New Deal projects, president Theodore Roosevelt used any means possible to keep the Reclamation Service alive despite its many failed attempts to provide water to arid lands.
Chapter 4: An American Nile
In this chapter, Reisner describes the transformation of the Colorado River basin. He discusses the erosion and siltation and the early water diversions into southern California. He also points out the contrasting political views of the developments during the time. Reisner includes details concerning the issues between farmers getting water for free to grow crops that farmers in the east are paid not to grow. This was seen as a major distortion in U.S economics and was viewed as a direct result of government involvement. This chapter also discusses the construction of the Hoover Dam and the failures and successes of water diversions (such as the 1905 Salton Sea diversion). Another important detail in this chapter is the high costs of agriculture and irrigation in California and the political growth of Congress in the Western U.S.
Still, sometimes bad economics makes for good politics, and so the entire West lined up behind the Colorado River Storage Project of 1956.
Chapter 5: The Go Go Years
In Chapter 5, Reisner informs his audience of the "go-go years" of FDR's administration. He goes into detail on the environmental damage of the West and the corruption of national politics. He talks about the 1929 Great Crash, the Dirty Thirties, the concept and views of pyramid-economics which unveiled some truth about the corruption of politics and the federal dam building program (Hoover, Shasta, Bonneville, Grand Coulee, etc.). It also touches on the second World War and the Bureau of Reclamation.
Chapter 6: Rivals in Crime
In chapter 6, Reisner acknowledges how the main exports of the U.S are crops and food and this is mainly due to the development of many waterways. He also states that many people at the time strongly believed that in order to grow as a country, they needed to develop much more for hydroelectric power and irrigation for farmers. This resulted in the Corp of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, competing for water projects. Reisner described the conflicts between the two powerful organizations in their quest for water projects that would supposedly improve the United States and make it a greater country. However, due to the rivalry between the two, many unnecessary and useless dams were built, which affected both the environment and the economy of the United States. The Corp of Engineers wanted to build the Rampart Dam, which was not only unnecessary, but also would have created the largest reservoir in the entire world and create a massive ecological disaster. The Bureau, however, wanted to build the Devil's Canyon Dam, preventing the construction of the Rampart Dam. Overall, the Corp of Engineers and the Bureau on Reclamation fought over many pointless water projects, all the while wasting taxpayer dollars.
Chapter 7: Dominy
This chapter describes a man named Floyd Dominy, who was born in Hastings Nebraska and had a disliking for money. He studied economics and played a major role in the construction of approximately 300 dams during the Great Drought. He then got employed in the Bureau of Reclamation and soon became commissioner of the Bureau. The Bureau was placed under the orders of the president, meaning that they had to follow hi orders but with Dominy in power, no one could control the actions of the Bureau. This was mainly due to Dominy's socializing with eastern congressmen which allowed the Bureau the power to do what it wanted. Dominy didn't use his power to move the U.S in the right direction for economic and environmental benefits. In fact he mainly disregarded conservation movements unless conflicts arised with them. This continued on until Prsident Nixon was finally able to fire him from his position in an attempt to put the bureau back in order.
Chapter 8: The American Nile 2
In chapter 8, Reisner talks about the water development in Arizona. First he gives some history of the Hohokam Indians that built great cities and complex irrigation systems but suddenly disappeared. He then discussed California's plan to obtain Arizona's water and how they they prevented Arizona's construction of an aqueduct until they resolved the Gila River conflict. With an increasing population due to immigration, the leaders in Arizona worried whether there would be enough water to provide for them influx of people. For the time being they used groundwater to support the people but that was a finite source so the United Western Investigation got involved to solve the problem. The plan of the organization was to direct water from northern California (ideally from the Kalanath River) through dams and tunnels. The plan was never done because Californians wouldn't allow it to be buil since they saw it as a replacement for the water from Arizona and they still had plans for the Colorado River and Glen Canyon Dams. SOme people such as Brower and others in the Sierra Club fought against the Bureau and their attempts to develop more dams that would harm the environment. Reisner also went over the Central Arizona Project and the possible bankruptcy it might cause for farmers.