Science Be Dammed

Release on 2021-08-17 | by Eric Kuhn

Science Be Dammed is an alarming reminder of the high stakes in the management—and perils in the mismanagement—of water in the western United States.

Author: Eric Kuhn
Publisher: University of Arizona Press
ISBN: 0816543232
Category: Political Science
Page: 288
View: 695

Science Be Dammed is an alarming reminder of the high stakes in the management—and perils in the mismanagement—of water in the western United States. It seems deceptively simple: even when clear evidence was available that the Colorado River could not sustain ambitious dreaming and planning by decision-makers throughout the twentieth century, river planners and political operatives irresponsibly made the least sustainable and most dangerous long-term decisions. Arguing that the science of the early twentieth century can shed new light on the mistakes at the heart of the over-allocation of the Colorado River, authors Eric Kuhn and John Fleck delve into rarely reported early studies, showing that scientists warned as early as the 1920s that there was not enough water for the farms and cities boosters wanted to build. Contrary to a common myth that the authors of the Colorado River Compact did the best they could with limited information, Kuhn and Fleck show that development boosters selectively chose the information needed to support their dreams, ignoring inconvenient science that suggested a more cautious approach. Today water managers are struggling to come to terms with the mistakes of the past. Focused on both science and policy, Kuhn and Fleck unravel the tangled web that has constructed the current crisis. With key decisions being made now, including negotiations for rules governing how the Colorado River water will be used after 2026, Science Be Dammed offers a clear-eyed path forward by looking back. Understanding how mistakes were made is crucial to understanding our contemporary problems. Science Be Dammed offers important lessons in the age of climate change about the necessity of seeking out the best science to support the decisions we make.

Language: en
Pages: 288

Science Be Dammed

Authors: Eric Kuhn, John Fleck

Categories: Political Science

Type: BOOK - Published: 2021-08-17 - Publisher: University of Arizona Press

Language: en
Pages: 272

Tributary Voices

Authors: Paul A. Formisano

Categories: Nature

Type: BOOK - Published: 2022-04-26 - Publisher: University of Nevada Press

The Colorado River is in crisis. Persistent drought, climate change, and demands from urbanization threaten this life-source that provides water to more than forty million people in the U.S. and Mexico. Coupled with these challenges are our nation’s deeply rooted beliefs about the region as a frontier, garden, and wilderness

Language: en
Pages: 1040

Large Rivers

Authors: Avijit Gupta

Categories: Science

Type: BOOK - Published: 2022-03-28 - Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

An updated treatment of management and geomorphology of large rivers around the world The newly revised Second Edition of Large Rivers: Geomorphology and Management delivers a thoroughly updated exploration of the form and function of major rivers. The book brings together a set of papers on the large rivers of