Explores the story of Federal contributions to dam planning, design, and construction.

Donald Pisani's history of perhaps the boldest economic and social program ever undertaken in the United States, shows in fascinating detail how ambitious government programs fall prey to the power of local interest groups and the federal system of governance itself.

On cover: Reclamation, Managing Water in the West. Tells the history of the Bureau of Reclamation from 1902-1945.

Water may seem innocuous, but as a universal necessity, it inevitably intersects with politics when it comes to acquisition, control, and associated technologies. While we know a great deal about the socioecological costs and benefits of modern dams, we know far less about their political origins and ramifications. In Concrete Revolution, Christopher Sneddon offers a corrective: a compelling historical account of the US Bureau of Reclamation’s contributions to dam technology, Cold War politics, and the social and environmental adversity perpetuated by the US government in its pursuit of economic growth and geopolitical power. Founded in 1902, the Bureau became enmeshed in the US State Department’s push for geopolitical power following World War II, a response to the Soviet Union’s increasing global sway. By offering technical and water resource management advice to the world’s underdeveloped regions, the Bureau found that it could not only provide them with economic assistance and the United States with investment opportunities, but also forge alliances and shore up a country’s global standing in the face of burgeoning communist influence. Drawing on a number of international case studies—from the Bureau’s early forays into overseas development and the launch of its Foreign Activities Office in 1950 to the Blue Nile investigation in Ethiopia—Concrete Revolution offers insights into this historic damming boom, with vital implications for the present. If, Sneddon argues, we can understand dams as both technical and political objects rather than instruments of impartial science, we can better participate in current debates about large dams and river basin planning.

First Published in 1989. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Author Beard is the former Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and knows the inside story of the waste of taxpayer money. The Bureau is responsible for building and operating water projects across the West, such as Hoover, Glen Canyon and Grand Coulee Dams.

Many hydrological, geochemical, and biological processes associated with water reclamation and reuse are poorly understood. In particular, the occurrence and effects of trace organic and inorganic contaminants commonly found in reclaimed water necessitates careful analysis and treatment prior to safe reuse. Water Reclamation and Sustainability is a practical guide to the latest water reclamation, recycling, and reuse theory and practice. From water quality criteria and regulations to advanced techniques and implementation issues, this book offers scientists a toolkit for developing safe and successful reuse strategies. With a focus on specific contaminant removal techniques, this book comprehensively covers the full range of potential inorganic/organic contaminating compounds and highlights proven remediation methods. Socioeconomic implications related to current and future water shortages are also addressed, underscoring the many positive benefits of sustainable water resource management. - Offers pragmatic solutions to global water shortages - Provides an overview of the latest analytical techniques for water monitoring - Reviews current remediation efforts - Covers innovative technologies for green, gray, brown and black water reclamation and reuse