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Reviews
Watershed: The Undamming of America
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By Elizabeth Grossman
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Counterpoint, New York, 2002. Notes, bibliography, index. 256 pages. $26.00 cloth.
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Reviewed by Jeff Crane
Culver-Stockton College, Canton, Missouri
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American environmentalism has always been a complex movement, and
in recent decades it has grown increasingly multifaceted with the
rise of the environmental justice movement and the use of easements
and land trusts to preserve ecosystems or at least block further
ecological deterioration. In Watershed, Elizabeth Grossman
has provided a useful guide to one of the most important developments
in contemporary American environmentalism. She describes a general
trend toward restoration of deteriorated landscapes and ecosystems
and, more specifically, the removal of dams nationwide to restore
streams, rivers, and their aquatic ecosystems. Grossman's book provides
a national portrait of this river restoration movement by looking
at dam removal efforts in Maine, Florida, Washington, Wisconsin,
and other states.
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1
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Beginning in Maine, the author examines successful dam-removal efforts, particularly the remarkable success of the Edwards Dam removal on the Kennebec River and the consequent returns of impressive fish runs. Grossman closes the book with the fight over the Lower Snake River dams in Washington State, leaving readers at the focus of recent efforts and the possible limit of the current dam removal and river restoration movement. |
2
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The book is an effective general overview of an important movement. Each chapter focuses on a single region, providing a basic historical background of dam construction and the use of the river before and after damming, cataloging the subsequent ecological effects, and describing efforts to remove the dam and the results. The Snake River discussion is one of the stronger chapters. Grossman effectively describes the debate over removal of the four Lower Snake River dams and captures the complexity in the conflict. Her coverage would have been much stronger, however, if she had more effectively used Keith Petersen's River of Life, Channel of Death, a comprehensive study of the damming of the Lower Snake River and the dams' effects on salmon and steelhead runs. While Petersen's book is cited in the bibliography, there is no reference to it in the chapter endnotes, and Grossman overlooks important historical details such as fisheries biologists' predictions of salmon and steelhead destruction, which Peterson discusses in great detail. |
3
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In the chapter on the Elwha River and Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, Grossman describes a natural and economic landscape in which Port Angeles residents strive to convert a struggling economy based on resource extraction into one focused on an outdoor adventurer's urban center, replete with espresso, books, and Goretex fashion. While she paints an effective general picture, her evaluation of the efforts to remove the dams on the Elwha is limited. Grossman does not adequately describe the process by which a coalition of activists crafted an ingenious solution that both guaranteed the continuation of cheap power for the Daishowa-owned paper mill and gained the support of a disparate range of interested groups, including activists, the dam owners, the Port Angeles Advisory Council (including members of the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce), and numerous federal and state agencies. While focusing on the participation of the S'Klallam Indians in the effort, Grossman gives scant attention to the efforts of other activists and leaders, such Rick Rutz, Jim Baker, Polly Dyer, and Congressman Al Swift, who were integral to the passage of the Elwha River Restoration Act. |
4
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These criticisms should not deter readers. Watershed is a thoughtful and well-written book that effectively describes an important environmental movement that deserves more media attention. Environmental activists in particular should find the book of interest for the models it provides for environmental efforts on a local scale. The journalistic style, the clear writing, and the use of interviews and anecdotes will make this an enjoyable and informative book for a wide range of readers. |
5
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