Damming the Delaware: The Rise and Fall of Tocks Island Dam

by Richard C. Albert

The Delaware is one of the smallest U.S. rivers, yet its drainage area serves more than 10% of the nation's population. In spite of complex water problems which rival those of the Colorado River, the Delaware remains one of the last undammed rivers in the country. Damming the The Rise and Fall of Tocks Island Dam is an exceptional case study of the critical and continuing issues that affect the water supplies, energy resources, and recreation of more than twenty million people. This book is a definitive study of two hundred years of water management along the Delaware River. The history of the Tocks Island Dam Project is traced from an early 1783 antidam treaty, through the highly emotional environmental controversy in the 1970s, to the historical Good Faith agreement of the 1980s. The story involves the water politics of four states, two major U.S. cities, and the federal government plus the influence of the environmental movement over major public works projects. Damming the Delaware is of more than just historical value. It is an exceptional synthesis of public record that will be invaluable as both a political case study and as a permanent reference for all future studies of the Delaware or other rivers.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1987

Reviews

[Patrick Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book before starting a job in water resources. I thought it was informative and provided a nice history of the project. Arguments for and against the Tocks dam are explained.