River republic : the fall and rise of America's rivers / Daniel McCool.
McCool, Daniel, 1950-
2012
GB1215 .M34 2012 (Mapit)
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Title River republic : the fall and rise of America's rivers / Daniel McCool.
Author McCool, Daniel, 1950-
ISBN 9780231161305 (alk. paper)
0231161301 (alk. paper)
Imprint New York : Columbia University Press, c2012.
Language English
Description xvi, 388 p. : ill., map ; 24 cm.
Call Number GB1215 .M34 2012
Dewey Decimal Classification 333.91/620973
Summary Overview: Daniel McCool not only chronicles the history of water development agencies in America and the way in which special interests have abused rather than preserved the country's rivers, he also narrates the second, brighter act in this ongoing story: the surging, grassroots movement to bring these rivers back to life and ensure they remain pristine for future generations. The culmination of ten years of research and observation, McCool's book confirms the surprising news that America's rivers are indeed returning to a healthier, free-flowing condition. The politics of river restoration demonstrates how strong grassroots movements can challenge entrenched powers and win. Through passion and dedication, ordinary people are reclaiming the American landscape, forming a "river republic" of concerned citizens from all backgrounds and sectors of society. As McCool shows, the history, culture, and fate of America is tied to its rivers, and their restoration is a microcosm mirroring American beliefs, livelihoods, and an increasing awareness of what two hundred years of environmental degradation can do. McCool profiles the individuals he calls "instigators," who initiated the fight for these waterways and, despite enormous odds, have succeeded in the near-impossible task of challenging and changing the status quo. Part I of the volume recounts the history of America's relationship to its rivers; part II describes how and why Americans "parted" them out, destroying their essence and diminishing their value; and part III shows how society can live in harmony with its waterways while restoring their well-being-and, by extension, the well-being of those who depend on them.
Bibliography, etc. Note Includes bibliographical references and index.
Record Appears in On-Campus Resources > Books
All Resources
Preface
Acknowledgments
Green River / William Cullen Bryant
Map: Selected sites
Part 1: Fall:
1: Crumbling edifice:
Disjuncture
Instigators
Glen
Water hubris
2: Planters, sawyers, and snags: the U S Army Corps of Engineers:
Building strong
Not just peanuts
Rusting rebar
Big boo-boo
Under siege
Invitation
3: Manless land: the bureau of reclamation:
Water science
Inland empire and the fifty princesses
Dinosaur
Dominy
Sugar city
Turning the corner
Blueprint for reform
Pendulum and the rogue
Water
Heritage of conflict
Part 2: Dismembarment:
4: Handout horticulture: farming and the Feds:
Argo-industrial complex
Fish traps
Dying 4 water
Crops, capitalism, and context
5: Falling waters: hydropower and renewable energy:
Smolts and volts
Scenic and the sacred
Bucket of ashes
6: Rivers into waterways: barging, locks, and dams:
Tallstacks
Cooking the data
Dinner buckets and party barges
National duty
7: Black water rising: the myth of flood control:
Storm of Good Friday
Galloway
House-a-fire
Coon-ass
House of death floats by
8: Downstream dilemma: water pollution:
Toxics run through it
Song of the Chattahoochee
Too many federal toilets, not enough senators
Superfund river
Pure river of water of life
Part 3: Resurrection:
9: River city: urban riverscapes:
Belle Isle
River of the angels
River of democracy and the emerald necklace
Great multitude of fish
Pleasantness of the river
10: Net losses: habitat and endangered species:
Alphabet gumbo
God bless America
Ten thousand years of fishing
Foot deep with fish
Other side of the river
Show me the money
11: Playground on the move: river recreation:
Moving-water recreation
Agents of change
Lunkers and extreme instant shade
Water warriors
12: River commons:
Kitty Clyde's sister
Black-side up
Katrina syndrome
Amenity rivers
Instigators redux
Lotic dreams
Notes
Index.

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