Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement

by Tim Palmer

A dam proposal sparked the first great conservation battle in the United States when John Muir fought to safeguard Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. Since then, people have worked to preserve free-flowing rivers from Florida to Alaska, and in doing so, they have changed the way natural resources are managed in America.

In Endangered Rivers , Tim Palmer traces the growth of this movement and he chronicles the development of a national consciousness that values our rivers as lifelines for wildlife, fisheries, parks, wilderness, recreation, and communities.

Based on careful research and hundreds of interviews, Palmer's information-packed narrative is regarded as a classic in the field of conservation. The first edition of this book is now updated and includes two new chapters that chart the course of conservation during the past twenty years and explore how the movement to protect rivers will likely change in the twenty-first century. This book will fascinate all who care about rivers and it will engage those who seek to understand environmental history, resources management, and the evolution of government programs in response to people's changing needs.

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Tim Palmer is the award-winning author of many books about rivers, conservation, and adventure travel. He is a photographer of America's natural landscapes and a dynamic public speaker with inspiring slide shows about a range of environmental topics.

Reviews

[Jessica DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent volume. The text sometimes gets bogged down because it feels like Palmer is trying to fit as many examples in as possible. However, I did learn about some dam events that I did not know about and that are relevant to my research. The text is also organized well by way of sub-headings.

[Stephen M. Theriault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although now somewhat dated, this summary really categorizes the fight between nascent environmental groups and big business and big government. Thank the Lord we've finally come to appreciate a natural, free-flowing, ecologically healthy river systems. Interesting note that one congressman, who recently died, named Bob Edgar, was honest and courageous enough to point out and vote against the pro-dam folly. If we were all this heroic the world would be a much better place.