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Deadbeat Dams: Why We Should Abolish the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Tear Down Glen Canyon Dam
America is facing a water crisis, and nowhere is this more evident than in the West where significant problems abound. How are we responding to this rapidly growing crisis? We're not. Deadbeat Dams reveals the desperate need to change western water policies and exposes the public to the lack of common sense, corruption, and utter waste of taxpayers' money that the author witnessed over a long government career spanning four decades. The faults of the present system of federally assisted water management efforts is amply detailed, and an agenda for reform is provided that can be used as ammunition by a new generation of water reformers.
- GenresNonfictionEnvironment
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 5, 2015
I was hoping this book would explain what the various effects would be of removing dams like Glen Canyon. Alas, that was not the case.
The main problem I had with this book is that the author makes his case for why the Bureau of Reclamation should be abolished and why several dams should be removed, that is he cites what he believes are the benefits of such actions. However, he never talks about the other side of the ledger--what are the costs, what are the downsides?
The esteemed management consultant Peter Drucker was fond of saying, "If you have no case against, you have no case for." That perfectly applies to this book.
Surely if you cut off water subsidies to Big Agra food prices would not remain the same. Surely if you remove Glen Canyon dam in order to restore the Colorado River to it's natural state--and to fill up Lake Mead for the benefit of Las Vegas--there also have to be some negatives.
But the author doesn't go into those areas. And it's a small book. It could have been twice as long and gone into the costs as well as the benefits. This would have given it much more credibility.
Another point which lowered its credibility for me was his constant reference to the beneficiaries of past water policies as the Water Nobility. He defined the term briefly in the beginning but by the end of the book they were like the Boogey Man to me. Naming names along the way would have made it much more real for me.
This country is clearly headed for some tough times when it comes to water, and true statesmen are needed to tell us all how it is and what the hard decisions are that we need to make. Unfortunately, I didn't feel this book was a step in that direction. But I did give it three stars because at least I felt a little better informed.
The main problem I had with this book is that the author makes his case for why the Bureau of Reclamation should be abolished and why several dams should be removed, that is he cites what he believes are the benefits of such actions. However, he never talks about the other side of the ledger--what are the costs, what are the downsides?
The esteemed management consultant Peter Drucker was fond of saying, "If you have no case against, you have no case for." That perfectly applies to this book.
Surely if you cut off water subsidies to Big Agra food prices would not remain the same. Surely if you remove Glen Canyon dam in order to restore the Colorado River to it's natural state--and to fill up Lake Mead for the benefit of Las Vegas--there also have to be some negatives.
But the author doesn't go into those areas. And it's a small book. It could have been twice as long and gone into the costs as well as the benefits. This would have given it much more credibility.
Another point which lowered its credibility for me was his constant reference to the beneficiaries of past water policies as the Water Nobility. He defined the term briefly in the beginning but by the end of the book they were like the Boogey Man to me. Naming names along the way would have made it much more real for me.
This country is clearly headed for some tough times when it comes to water, and true statesmen are needed to tell us all how it is and what the hard decisions are that we need to make. Unfortunately, I didn't feel this book was a step in that direction. But I did give it three stars because at least I felt a little better informed.
September 2, 2019
I read this book for a course while I was completing my masters degree. It's about how we need to evolve past the traditional dam concept and how hard it is when dams are so ingrained in our government system. The book discusses the ecological, environmental and exorbitant monetary damage dams have cause in the United States and how they are actually not really needed. And instead of building more or repairing old dams, we should instead remove dams altogether as the environmental and economic benefits of dam removal are tremendous.
The book discusses many other subjects such as taxes, hubris, the american dream, the anthropocene and mans forever dream of controlling nature.
I thought what made this book really interesting was the author. He was the commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation which is responsible for managing various natural resources throughout the United States. And he is coming out saying that what the BOR was doing was not efficient, wasted drastics amounts of time and money. So the story coming from someone who was not only on the inside, but was in charge of almost everything was great. I would recommend anyone interested in dams, lives near a dam, or interested in salmon and river regimes would probably like this book.
The book discusses many other subjects such as taxes, hubris, the american dream, the anthropocene and mans forever dream of controlling nature.
I thought what made this book really interesting was the author. He was the commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation which is responsible for managing various natural resources throughout the United States. And he is coming out saying that what the BOR was doing was not efficient, wasted drastics amounts of time and money. So the story coming from someone who was not only on the inside, but was in charge of almost everything was great. I would recommend anyone interested in dams, lives near a dam, or interested in salmon and river regimes would probably like this book.
February 6, 2024
More of an extended zine than a book. There is some good coverage of the "Water Nobility" and how difficult it is to overcome pork-barrel politics in terms of water projects. However, the e-book has some significant flaws, one being that page counts and progress markers don't exist after 40% of the way through the book and you can't navigate by chapter--it's like one long pdf. He also didn't go into the science of dam removal and the benefit/cost analysis enough for it being the title of the book. Would have helped credibility a lot more.
Still pretty informative about how ineffective the Bureau of Reclamation is and provided some modern updated context to how dumb and expensive a lot of our water infrastructure is. So many people consider water practically a "free" resource and this really needs to change. I learned a lot from the parts about how implementing water conservation is less sexy than building dams and pipelines but far more effective from a water planning/economic perspective. Also, the chapter about sandwiching unappetizing water projects in an "Indian blanket" is just.....so typical US government.
His thesis that people should care a lot more about water issues but don't because it's boring applies to a lot of issues (lol), but the way that the water lobby has been able to fly under the radar and continuously receive billions of dollars of subsidies per year without igniting the ire of any major constituent groups (and even the widespread endorsement of "subsidy-wary" Republicans) is really an interesting (if painful) case study in legislative strategy/lobbying and should be taught in colleges.
Still pretty informative about how ineffective the Bureau of Reclamation is and provided some modern updated context to how dumb and expensive a lot of our water infrastructure is. So many people consider water practically a "free" resource and this really needs to change. I learned a lot from the parts about how implementing water conservation is less sexy than building dams and pipelines but far more effective from a water planning/economic perspective. Also, the chapter about sandwiching unappetizing water projects in an "Indian blanket" is just.....so typical US government.
His thesis that people should care a lot more about water issues but don't because it's boring applies to a lot of issues (lol), but the way that the water lobby has been able to fly under the radar and continuously receive billions of dollars of subsidies per year without igniting the ire of any major constituent groups (and even the widespread endorsement of "subsidy-wary" Republicans) is really an interesting (if painful) case study in legislative strategy/lobbying and should be taught in colleges.
July 7, 2023
I agree! Anyone who quotes Marc Reisner, or namechecks Jimmy Carter-- great! We simply need a rethinking of how we settle the West, and what we do there. I love dams as complex, contradictory symbols of America, but the go-go years are over. I will point out that people simply disagree on the terminology. Conservation to some means using all the water before it gets to the ocean; for others, it means keeping the water in the rivers for the wildlife. We can't even agree on the most basic words. Yikes!
November 4, 2024
Good message about dam removal, but seemed like a bit of a rant. I think there could have been more examples of dam removal and proposals. There also could have been a bit more to build the case for dam removal that would resonate with the public. Interested in more books like this that propose the removal of dams!
Did Not Finish
September 13, 2022I had such high hopes for this and the debate over dams... This book has very little science in it and instead seems to just be personal thoughts with nothing backing it up. Personally I feel that anyone that wants to debate something needs facts to back themselves up....
July 10, 2021
I knew it was bad but... This needs to change and Mr. Beard has shown us how.
January 4, 2016
An eye opening book that I wish everyone would read!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews