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Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West
Award-winning journalist rafts down the Green River, revealing a multifaceted look at the present and future of water in the American West.
The Green River, the most significant tributary of the Colorado River, runs 730 miles from the glaciers of Wyoming to the desert canyons of Utah. Over its course, it meanders through ranches, cities, national parks, endangered fish habitats, and some of the most significant natural gas fields in the country, as it provides water for 33 million people. Stopped up by dams, slaked off by irrigation, and dried up by cities, the Green is crucial, overused, and at-risk, now more than ever.
Fights over the river’s water, and what’s going to happen to it in the future, are longstanding, intractable, and only getting worse as the West gets hotter and drier and more people depend on the river with each passing year. As a former raft guide and an environmental reporter, Heather Hansman knew these fights were happening, but she felt driven to see them from a different perspective—from the river itself. So she set out on a journey, in a one-person inflatable pack raft, to paddle the river from source to confluence and see what the experience might teach her. Mixing lyrical accounts of quiet paddling through breathtaking beauty with nights spent camping solo and lively discussions with farmers, city officials, and other people met along the way, Downriver is the story of that journey, a foray into the present—and future—of water in the West.
The Green River, the most significant tributary of the Colorado River, runs 730 miles from the glaciers of Wyoming to the desert canyons of Utah. Over its course, it meanders through ranches, cities, national parks, endangered fish habitats, and some of the most significant natural gas fields in the country, as it provides water for 33 million people. Stopped up by dams, slaked off by irrigation, and dried up by cities, the Green is crucial, overused, and at-risk, now more than ever.
Fights over the river’s water, and what’s going to happen to it in the future, are longstanding, intractable, and only getting worse as the West gets hotter and drier and more people depend on the river with each passing year. As a former raft guide and an environmental reporter, Heather Hansman knew these fights were happening, but she felt driven to see them from a different perspective—from the river itself. So she set out on a journey, in a one-person inflatable pack raft, to paddle the river from source to confluence and see what the experience might teach her. Mixing lyrical accounts of quiet paddling through breathtaking beauty with nights spent camping solo and lively discussions with farmers, city officials, and other people met along the way, Downriver is the story of that journey, a foray into the present—and future—of water in the West.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
October 17, 2018
I mean, I wrote it, but I think it's pretty good.
February 1, 2021
An important, if longer than strictly necessary, read. Hansman's nature writing is beautifully descriptive, chock full of vivid images and nature scenes that immediately spark the urge to follow her onto the river. Her verb choices were often particularly ingenious; it sounds odd, but her application of visceral action words to her ecological surroundings really makes her landscape come alive (think: winds that "scrub" instead of blow and a river that "leaps" and "dives" instead of flowing).
Unfortunately, her writing loses some of its sharpness when it comes to talking about how being on the river changed her understanding of it. She gets caught up on the same ideas and winds up repeating herself more often than not, drawing out conclusions and rewording the same sentences until the ideas lose their novelty. About three-quarters of the way in, Hansman muses that "no one is really in the wrong, there's just not enough water for them all to be right," which is both an accurate summary of her interviews and the conclusion it's taken her nearly 150 pages to cleanly articulate.
Additionally, while I certainly learned lots of new information about (not to mention a new appreciation for) the Green--and while her range and depth of interviews are to be applauded, I was somewhat let down by the single chapter representing Indigenous issues. For someone who spent a whole section empathizing with the oil industry in the name of hearing both sides, it was disappointing to see her skim over Indigenous water rights as a "complicated" issue and only perfunctorily interview the few Native spokespeople she could reach. I would've loved to see her give Indigenous voices the same weight as the cattle ranchers and rafting companies upstream in order to flesh out what's meant to be a snapshot of the whole river.
Overall 3.5
Unfortunately, her writing loses some of its sharpness when it comes to talking about how being on the river changed her understanding of it. She gets caught up on the same ideas and winds up repeating herself more often than not, drawing out conclusions and rewording the same sentences until the ideas lose their novelty. About three-quarters of the way in, Hansman muses that "no one is really in the wrong, there's just not enough water for them all to be right," which is both an accurate summary of her interviews and the conclusion it's taken her nearly 150 pages to cleanly articulate.
Additionally, while I certainly learned lots of new information about (not to mention a new appreciation for) the Green--and while her range and depth of interviews are to be applauded, I was somewhat let down by the single chapter representing Indigenous issues. For someone who spent a whole section empathizing with the oil industry in the name of hearing both sides, it was disappointing to see her skim over Indigenous water rights as a "complicated" issue and only perfunctorily interview the few Native spokespeople she could reach. I would've loved to see her give Indigenous voices the same weight as the cattle ranchers and rafting companies upstream in order to flesh out what's meant to be a snapshot of the whole river.
Overall 3.5
April 30, 2022
This is the author’s memoir about her rafting trip down the Green River, tributary of the Colorado, and the conversations she had with residents along the way. She mixes in expert commentary and a bit of nature writing, as well as relating her own insecurities about the trip. This book is dry, rambling, and not particularly well organized. Most of this material is already well-known to people who live in the western US. Those unfamiliar with these issues can probably find the same information in other, better written sources.
February 29, 2024
The first half of this book HOOKED me. The second half felt more like repetition and ragging on the oil & gas industry. First, of all, understand that I work in the financial side of the oil & gas industry, so I'm exposed to a lot of the things the author discusses and that also brings an inherent bias, as it's my livelihood.
Heather Hansman is a journalist who made a decision to raft down the Green River in the western US solo over a period of a few months. This 700+ mile stretch brought her first to the upper basin where the population is largely made up of agricultural workers. I thought this entire portion was very very interesting. It was all new information to me! As someone who grew up in Texas and now I'm in northeast Oklahoma, "water rights" were something I had never heard of and gaining the knowledge of that and the intricacies of how valued water is in that sparsely populated region of the country was very revealing. Especially when I found out about the part of the law that forces someone to give up their access to water for not using it! Who knew?!
Now, I'm also a historian by training/schooling and I'm well aware that there are major population centers along all the rivers and important ports all over the world. I never understood how important water was when it was framed this way, and I think that's why I was so enraptured at the beginning. I was just trying to wrap my mind around it all! Then, as she continued down the river and we got to the portion of the book about the fish, I also thought it was really cool to see how these scientists were coming to understand the ecosystems of the rivers and doing restoration work on the river through the life cycles and behaviors of the aquatic life. It was also shocking to me that there are FISH that live upwards of 60 years?!!?!? LOL wild!
The second portion of the book, she gets into the more political side of the river and water rights. I could appreciate some of her points and I enjoyed her interviews with locals, but some of it wasn't making sense to me. She quoted others a few times (paraphrasing here) that there are no good guys or bad guys when it comes to the river because they're all just trying to do what they see as best. This grace was extended to everyone but the O&G populations in the area. There is a TON of work that goes in to making the industry safe and operators are typically held pretty accountable (granted, I don't work with wells in the east as I do with them in the central US so that could be different dependent upon the state governing bodies to some extent). Also, in the same way as the other people out there living off the river, people in the energy industry are also just trying to make a living and provide for the population of the US in the way that their careers allow them to. We cannot villainize a group of people just because we don't like what they do. Anyways, I'm hopping off that soapbox now.
This was a good and informative read that I would recommend to anyone who wants to know more about the subject matter, but by the end, it's pretty dry (*ba dum ching*).
Heather Hansman is a journalist who made a decision to raft down the Green River in the western US solo over a period of a few months. This 700+ mile stretch brought her first to the upper basin where the population is largely made up of agricultural workers. I thought this entire portion was very very interesting. It was all new information to me! As someone who grew up in Texas and now I'm in northeast Oklahoma, "water rights" were something I had never heard of and gaining the knowledge of that and the intricacies of how valued water is in that sparsely populated region of the country was very revealing. Especially when I found out about the part of the law that forces someone to give up their access to water for not using it! Who knew?!
Now, I'm also a historian by training/schooling and I'm well aware that there are major population centers along all the rivers and important ports all over the world. I never understood how important water was when it was framed this way, and I think that's why I was so enraptured at the beginning. I was just trying to wrap my mind around it all! Then, as she continued down the river and we got to the portion of the book about the fish, I also thought it was really cool to see how these scientists were coming to understand the ecosystems of the rivers and doing restoration work on the river through the life cycles and behaviors of the aquatic life. It was also shocking to me that there are FISH that live upwards of 60 years?!!?!? LOL wild!
The second portion of the book, she gets into the more political side of the river and water rights. I could appreciate some of her points and I enjoyed her interviews with locals, but some of it wasn't making sense to me. She quoted others a few times (paraphrasing here) that there are no good guys or bad guys when it comes to the river because they're all just trying to do what they see as best. This grace was extended to everyone but the O&G populations in the area. There is a TON of work that goes in to making the industry safe and operators are typically held pretty accountable (granted, I don't work with wells in the east as I do with them in the central US so that could be different dependent upon the state governing bodies to some extent). Also, in the same way as the other people out there living off the river, people in the energy industry are also just trying to make a living and provide for the population of the US in the way that their careers allow them to. We cannot villainize a group of people just because we don't like what they do. Anyways, I'm hopping off that soapbox now.
This was a good and informative read that I would recommend to anyone who wants to know more about the subject matter, but by the end, it's pretty dry (*ba dum ching*).
October 24, 2022
A lot of really interesting and important information, and many different perspectives, but that is really repetitive to the point it becomes slightly frustrating
April 8, 2024
In "Downriver" author Heather Hansman takes a 700 mile, two month float of the Green River from Rock Springs, Wyoming to the Green's confluence with the Colorado in Canyonlands National Park. Mostly alone.
If you've read much non-fiction about the American West you've probably encountered John McPhee. If you liked the way McPhee builds his narratives, you'll like Hansman's as well. They're very similar.
On the trip Hansmen encounters and talks with various water stakeholders. She also includes a lot of history, both human and geologic. We will learn about the Green and water in the west through a weaving of history, politics, economics, environmental concerns, and a an entire system of water management that's based on a gross overestimation of how much water there actually is.
We also get a lot of the author's feelings and sensibility around the incredibly complex story of water in the West.
Overall, this is an excellent book on the subject. Water use in the West is a microcosm of a world filling with more problems centered around water. And like everywhere else, there's seldom clear cut lines of "good guys/bad guys."
It is possible to manage many of these issues in the case of the Green River. What's lacking is the incentive to make the major changes and adjustments or in the current system. Neither conservation or flexibility is encouraged by the current regulations. And in the American West where water rights rule the roost, many stakeholders have economic power but don't posses any water rights. Think recreational like fishing guides or the fish in the river themselves. And in many cases, such as the Colorado River Compact between the State stakeholders, no voice or consideration was given at all to the Native American stakeholders, who have some of the most senior water rights. But bad faith dealings from the Feds and, particularly state legislators (looking at you, Utah), has resulted in tribes with water available but can't be used due to a century long lack of any any sort of capital investment. Worth noting that of the vast number of dams and water projects built here from post war to the end of the 20th century, not a single one of those projects ended up on Native lands.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the American West and the issues we face going forward. Likewise, anyone interested in the growing issue of water availability. "Downriver" is, in the end, an optimistic book. The author is confident these issues can be resolved without anyone completely loosing out. I hope she's right. We'll see.
If you've read much non-fiction about the American West you've probably encountered John McPhee. If you liked the way McPhee builds his narratives, you'll like Hansman's as well. They're very similar.
On the trip Hansmen encounters and talks with various water stakeholders. She also includes a lot of history, both human and geologic. We will learn about the Green and water in the west through a weaving of history, politics, economics, environmental concerns, and a an entire system of water management that's based on a gross overestimation of how much water there actually is.
We also get a lot of the author's feelings and sensibility around the incredibly complex story of water in the West.
Overall, this is an excellent book on the subject. Water use in the West is a microcosm of a world filling with more problems centered around water. And like everywhere else, there's seldom clear cut lines of "good guys/bad guys."
It is possible to manage many of these issues in the case of the Green River. What's lacking is the incentive to make the major changes and adjustments or in the current system. Neither conservation or flexibility is encouraged by the current regulations. And in the American West where water rights rule the roost, many stakeholders have economic power but don't posses any water rights. Think recreational like fishing guides or the fish in the river themselves. And in many cases, such as the Colorado River Compact between the State stakeholders, no voice or consideration was given at all to the Native American stakeholders, who have some of the most senior water rights. But bad faith dealings from the Feds and, particularly state legislators (looking at you, Utah), has resulted in tribes with water available but can't be used due to a century long lack of any any sort of capital investment. Worth noting that of the vast number of dams and water projects built here from post war to the end of the 20th century, not a single one of those projects ended up on Native lands.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the American West and the issues we face going forward. Likewise, anyone interested in the growing issue of water availability. "Downriver" is, in the end, an optimistic book. The author is confident these issues can be resolved without anyone completely loosing out. I hope she's right. We'll see.
April 20, 2019
As someone who has spent a lifetime on western rivers, grew up in the Age of Stegner and Abbey, and have dedicated the rest of my career to preserving these last remaining wild spaces, Downriver is a terrific glimpse of the complicated rope that is western water. Through her journey down the Green, Hansman thoughtfully, bashfully, and delicately weaves together many of the characters and issues that shape the west. Simultaneously, she exposes her fears and insecurities, while giving us a glimpse into the awe and adventure that only a remote western river can provide.
There are many books on the shelf that scream for turning the hands of time back to when our rivers were not influenced by the hand of man, or unilaterally promoting simple fixes to enormously complex problems. Unfortunately that time is mostly behind us, but due to many of the people who Hansman profiles in this book, as well as the kind of people rolling up their sleeves to engage in the hard work of compromise and collaboration, many of the traditional barriers are coming down. Hansman’s book, and her trip, are a testament to honest perseverance, and dedication, to the work being done to preserve the west’s last, best, wild rivers.
There are many books on the shelf that scream for turning the hands of time back to when our rivers were not influenced by the hand of man, or unilaterally promoting simple fixes to enormously complex problems. Unfortunately that time is mostly behind us, but due to many of the people who Hansman profiles in this book, as well as the kind of people rolling up their sleeves to engage in the hard work of compromise and collaboration, many of the traditional barriers are coming down. Hansman’s book, and her trip, are a testament to honest perseverance, and dedication, to the work being done to preserve the west’s last, best, wild rivers.
January 30, 2020
I didn't have any expectations going in to this book. It was a topic that I'm interested in and had good reviews so I gave it a go. Turns out, it was fantastic. Like a lot of the nonfiction I "read," I consumed this as an audiobook. Certainly a different experience than turning pages - in fact, there were passages I wanted to write down, so I've requested a hard copy from the library so I can grab those.
Anyhow, this was a great overview of the complex layers that impact water use and rights in the west. The author does a nice job looking at various points of view, while also confronting her own biases. She has some deep thoughts about the nature of "wilderness" and the open spaces of the West and some killer facts about water consumption and what that really means. She also doesn't cast villains, which is refreshing. The whole thing is counterpointed with her own "adventure" story of running the Green River on a semi-solo trip. It made a nice back-and-forth.
By the end of the book, some of the messages felt a little played out and repetitive, but I was invested enough in her story that I was able to overlook it. I think this makes a great introduction for those who haven't thought much about the overall "basin" view of watersheds and rivers.
This book was very easy to listen to and absorb. Though, I do have a quibble with the woman reading it. Though she certainly was a dynamic (non-annoying reader), when narrating a book about boats and rivers, it's really risky to mispronounce "bow" (wrong case usage) in the very earliest parts of the book. She also went on to mispronounce "slough" (again, like bow, this is a homograph, different pronunciations mean different things!) and "minutiae." So, that was a little rough for a snob like me... ;)
Anyhow, this was a great overview of the complex layers that impact water use and rights in the west. The author does a nice job looking at various points of view, while also confronting her own biases. She has some deep thoughts about the nature of "wilderness" and the open spaces of the West and some killer facts about water consumption and what that really means. She also doesn't cast villains, which is refreshing. The whole thing is counterpointed with her own "adventure" story of running the Green River on a semi-solo trip. It made a nice back-and-forth.
By the end of the book, some of the messages felt a little played out and repetitive, but I was invested enough in her story that I was able to overlook it. I think this makes a great introduction for those who haven't thought much about the overall "basin" view of watersheds and rivers.
This book was very easy to listen to and absorb. Though, I do have a quibble with the woman reading it. Though she certainly was a dynamic (non-annoying reader), when narrating a book about boats and rivers, it's really risky to mispronounce "bow" (wrong case usage) in the very earliest parts of the book. She also went on to mispronounce "slough" (again, like bow, this is a homograph, different pronunciations mean different things!) and "minutiae." So, that was a little rough for a snob like me... ;)
December 19, 2020
I found Hansman's success in getting a sweet raft trip/book deal all in one to be the most remarkable aspect of this book. From her analysis, I take away that western water management practices are precarious and the future is bleak (plus some cool ideas about Wild and Scenic River designations and the Endangered Species Act). In general, I tuned out after her uncritical reference to "manifest destiny" as the reason she traveled west.
June 21, 2019
This is a decent introduction to water issues in the west, but I found it lacking in detail. The author's personal journey didn't conclude in a meaningful way that inspired change in individual water use.
April 2, 2024
“We save what we love, and we love what we know…”
Water conservation is about incentives, balance, accountability, flexibility, and vigilance. Culture is hard to communicate, we all have different values and risk levels that we don’t consciously consider when it comes to water rights- however it’s important to find a stance and recognize sacrifices here are for the greater good. 🏜️
Water conservation is about incentives, balance, accountability, flexibility, and vigilance. Culture is hard to communicate, we all have different values and risk levels that we don’t consciously consider when it comes to water rights- however it’s important to find a stance and recognize sacrifices here are for the greater good. 🏜️
September 14, 2020
Grateful for Heather to do all the hard digging so I could easily learn more about where our water comes from. Read this if you need another reason to be frustrating with the Utah legislature.
I appreciate her no frills but down to earth writing style.
I appreciate her no frills but down to earth writing style.
July 20, 2019
Living in southwest Colorado, we are fully aware of the issues of water and uncontrolled growth in the region. This is an excellent and well researched book from Heather Hansman and her float trip down the Green RIver from the headwaters in northern Wyoming to the confluence with the Colorado River in Utah. The conversations she had on her trip with the folks who are dependent on the river: ranchers, farmers, rafting companies, fishing outfitters, towns, cities, and, of course, fossil fuel development are diverse and often conflicted. She documents the issues concerning water rights, who owns the water, climate change and changing conditions of precipitation patterns, gas and oil and their wasteful use of water plus the pollution of aquifers and streams where drilling waste is dumped to save a buck. The book is informative, educational, and frightening as to where the dwindling resource of water will come from to supply the continued growing sprawling development of desert cities and their golf courses.
July 20, 2019
I thought it was okay. It outlined the various competing demands on Western rivers and how some are trying to cope and manage with them. It offers no solutions, just kind of a stream of consciousness as the author learned more.
March 27, 2019
Heather's writing elegantly blends her personal experiences with critically important information about the state of water in the west. As someone who hasn't spent nearly as much time on rivers as she, I find myself thinking about water conservation much more frequently than I once had (since I'm a native New Englander, where water is much more plentiful), and wondering what I can do to make an impact and help in some small way.
This is a must read, especially for those who love the outdoors, those who care about climate change and what it means for our future, or those who worry about ecosystems and the impact humans can have on natural environments. Downriver is the type of book that makes you feel smarter while you read, but is also hard to put down because you are eagerly waiting to find out what happens next on Heather's journey.
Read it - you won't be disappointed.
This is a must read, especially for those who love the outdoors, those who care about climate change and what it means for our future, or those who worry about ecosystems and the impact humans can have on natural environments. Downriver is the type of book that makes you feel smarter while you read, but is also hard to put down because you are eagerly waiting to find out what happens next on Heather's journey.
Read it - you won't be disappointed.
July 1, 2019
DownRiver was an educational book for me. As someone who does not live in the west, reading about the power struggles over water was interesting. The fact that the author dovetailed these facts of water management with her own journey down the Green River made it even more personal.
Heather Hansman started traveling by water down the Green River in Wyoming and ended it 730 miles later in Utah. During that time, she was exposed not only to her personal trials but also to the strong opinions of others. It opened her eyes to how water management can be dependent on the environment, the economy and jobs, and politics. This book touches on all and she does a good job of explaining those many views.
My only criticism would be that the story seemed disjointed at times. Suddenly a friend of family member would join in her water journey. Also, although the opinions and facts were important to the book they didn't always connect with where she was on her quest. Overall, this book was interesting and educational.
Heather Hansman started traveling by water down the Green River in Wyoming and ended it 730 miles later in Utah. During that time, she was exposed not only to her personal trials but also to the strong opinions of others. It opened her eyes to how water management can be dependent on the environment, the economy and jobs, and politics. This book touches on all and she does a good job of explaining those many views.
My only criticism would be that the story seemed disjointed at times. Suddenly a friend of family member would join in her water journey. Also, although the opinions and facts were important to the book they didn't always connect with where she was on her quest. Overall, this book was interesting and educational.
November 5, 2020
Loved this book! Super accessible and such an important topic. anyone who moves to the west must read to understand their impact on the environment as well as those who have lived here for generations. My only wish is that this book talked even more about Native water rights.
October 1, 2024
This was definitely an interesting read. You get a good perspective of the importance of water conservation but also the difficulties of making the necessary changes with water rights and all the important things water is needed for.
September 12, 2023
An excellent introductory piece to the complicated world of western policy. Dissecting the issue piece by piece with stakeholders met during the trip down river certainly helped make the issue easier to grasp. Hansman did an excellent job framing the story through a lens of humanity, both her own and the subjects she interviewed and spoke with.
Overall a really great book brought slightly down only by slight pacing issues and topic shifts that were a tad jarring. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to cannonball into water policy or to see a first hand account of life rafting a major river.
Overall a really great book brought slightly down only by slight pacing issues and topic shifts that were a tad jarring. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to cannonball into water policy or to see a first hand account of life rafting a major river.
July 27, 2025
Good introduction to water rights, usage, and conservation through the lens of rafting down the Green River
November 27, 2019
Downriver is a great read on a issue of existential importance to the West. Hansman makes a complicated subject engaging and enjoyable. She's such a good travel companion that I wished I could be out on the river with her -- in fact, I kind of felt like I was! Her lucid writing makes the complexities of water rights comprehensible and relevant. With climate change and drought putting ever more pressure on our rivers, Downriver is a necessary read. I'm grateful to Hansman for also making it a compelling one.
June 28, 2022
This book brings together adventure, vulnerability, and big water issues. These aspects are combined for a full picture, approachable way to look at water conservation. I really enjoyed the rounded perspective you gain from hearing about fish, dams, recreation, oil/gas, development/cities, ranchers and agriculture.
May 28, 2019
Really interesting, beautiful book I’m so glad I read. The author had a really good article in High Country News, and I sought out her book after that. As a Salt Lake City resident with a love for Utah’s wild places and a constant worry of what our city’s rapid growth means for those wild places, the book really appealed to me.
The book is a weaving together of her mostly solo journey the length of the Green River, and broader questions around water usage in the arid west. It’s interesting, compelling, educational, wonderful. I strongly recommend.
As soon as I put it down I started googling OARS trips on the Yampa and the Green to explore with my kids. :-)
Strongly recommend.
The book is a weaving together of her mostly solo journey the length of the Green River, and broader questions around water usage in the arid west. It’s interesting, compelling, educational, wonderful. I strongly recommend.
As soon as I put it down I started googling OARS trips on the Yampa and the Green to explore with my kids. :-)
Strongly recommend.
November 6, 2022
This NPR-style look at the west’s water problems is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year. Having lived in Utah for more than 3 decades, and witnessing water litigation, I am stunned that Ms. Hansman could stay so moderate and objective. If there is repetition in this book it is because the same themes pervade the myriad perspectives. I think she sums them all up well when she says (and I’m paraphrasing) that every perspective has some merit; there just isn’t enough water to satisfy everyone’s needs.
If there is a weakness, it is that this book is more kind to some perspectives than is deserved. The approach is more to understand peoples’ connection to the river. I would have liked to see more blood in the water.
If there is a weakness, it is that this book is more kind to some perspectives than is deserved. The approach is more to understand peoples’ connection to the river. I would have liked to see more blood in the water.
June 8, 2020
This is a really interesting book and I like that she's rafting while she's doing all the research for this book. But having read Cadillac Desert before I read this, this book kind of feels like a watered down version (pun intended) if CD. Though she brings in arguments from both sides, she's a little too gentle with everyone involved, almost like she's not trying to persuade the readers of anything. I get that this is a good way of sharing information without sharing dogma but it just wasn't fiery enough for me.
August 28, 2019
I can't get enough of these western river/ water policy books. Equal parts unnerving and fascinating. It doesn't hurt to have an emotional attachment to some of these canyons mentioned in the book.
Paraphrasing one of my favorite lines - " If you divide the amount of public land by the American population, it breaks down to about 30 acres per person. Who knows, these canyons could be yours." - BLM ranger speaking to a group before they launch into Desolation Canyon.
Paraphrasing one of my favorite lines - " If you divide the amount of public land by the American population, it breaks down to about 30 acres per person. Who knows, these canyons could be yours." - BLM ranger speaking to a group before they launch into Desolation Canyon.
October 17, 2020
How to ruin a river rafting trip and become an avowed conservationist. Nothing elegiac here - the author muddles through the silted-up dilemma presented by hot drought and the Colorado River water distribution laws. Clear, distilled explanation of water use issues in the Upper and Lower Basins.
She finds no answers, but prescribes compromise, flexibility, conservation, and grim realism and calls for action to find solutions to imminent water shortages.
Blame is too late: the law of water appropriation is a shackled hold-over from mining days, and the Colorado River allotment system was a failure from its beginning because the predictions of water available for use were much too high.
Her personal comments are psychologically intriguing. A former river guide, she moved West to continue guiding on the magnificent rivers, but anxiety grows. She's afraid for the safety of the tourists she ferries, and for herself. Her trip on the river is fraught with fears and concerns for her personal safety and seems to mar the beautiful vistas she's earned with her solo trip. She dislikes being alone, and although the trip is described as solo, she has at least 3 sets of companions and meets other rafters, drives the countryside to learn about drilling, stops at small towns, and interviews outfitters and many others.
The old-timer paddlers she meets talk about "the good old days", and worry that the experience of rafting is material and commodified. I think her personal fears are really about her fear for the fate of the earth, and perhaps some other loss that isn't revealed - as she aged she has become much more risk-averse.
It's interesting to compare the tone of Cheryl Strayed's hiking story across the Pacific Crest Trail.
I don't remember her mentioning female safety worries. But there was an implied camaraderie to the trail undertaking; Hansman had to contend with rural-urban conflicts about water use up close as she converses with drillers, farmers, conservationists, scientists, water-rights and land use managers, among many. Probably good reason for the sense of caution that pervades the book.
She's somewhat repetitive; several versions of explanation of the tangled needs and wants of water stakeholders seem to stretch to a glacial neutrality worthy of a Supreme Court justice - No attempts to suggest who's got to go first step up and change existing practices.
Implied, I think, is agriculture, with its 80-90 % water consumption of available totals. Next comes fracking, which is well explained here - the amount of water used and unreturned to the earth is shocking. (The oil shale around the Green holds rich promise, but it's in rock, much harder to extract.)
Recreation industry use seems self-serving. It seems unfair of fishing guides who take eager fisherman out to catch planted rainbow in the cold waters below the dam who complain about flow releases when they must have understood the purpose and practice of dams in the first place.
The most interesting portion of the book seems to downplay the attractiveness of the Dinosaur National Park as a tourist destination. Surely it's a big argument for preservation and wild and scenic river designation.
The book suggests a reading (or re-reading) of Wallace Stegner's "Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs", a collection of elegiac and elegant writings on the West. It was the book that made me love the West even more because what it had been was truly gone - because of the issues, time, technology - the things that Hansman follows on her own river journey.
She finds no answers, but prescribes compromise, flexibility, conservation, and grim realism and calls for action to find solutions to imminent water shortages.
Blame is too late: the law of water appropriation is a shackled hold-over from mining days, and the Colorado River allotment system was a failure from its beginning because the predictions of water available for use were much too high.
Her personal comments are psychologically intriguing. A former river guide, she moved West to continue guiding on the magnificent rivers, but anxiety grows. She's afraid for the safety of the tourists she ferries, and for herself. Her trip on the river is fraught with fears and concerns for her personal safety and seems to mar the beautiful vistas she's earned with her solo trip. She dislikes being alone, and although the trip is described as solo, she has at least 3 sets of companions and meets other rafters, drives the countryside to learn about drilling, stops at small towns, and interviews outfitters and many others.
The old-timer paddlers she meets talk about "the good old days", and worry that the experience of rafting is material and commodified. I think her personal fears are really about her fear for the fate of the earth, and perhaps some other loss that isn't revealed - as she aged she has become much more risk-averse.
It's interesting to compare the tone of Cheryl Strayed's hiking story across the Pacific Crest Trail.
I don't remember her mentioning female safety worries. But there was an implied camaraderie to the trail undertaking; Hansman had to contend with rural-urban conflicts about water use up close as she converses with drillers, farmers, conservationists, scientists, water-rights and land use managers, among many. Probably good reason for the sense of caution that pervades the book.
She's somewhat repetitive; several versions of explanation of the tangled needs and wants of water stakeholders seem to stretch to a glacial neutrality worthy of a Supreme Court justice - No attempts to suggest who's got to go first step up and change existing practices.
Implied, I think, is agriculture, with its 80-90 % water consumption of available totals. Next comes fracking, which is well explained here - the amount of water used and unreturned to the earth is shocking. (The oil shale around the Green holds rich promise, but it's in rock, much harder to extract.)
Recreation industry use seems self-serving. It seems unfair of fishing guides who take eager fisherman out to catch planted rainbow in the cold waters below the dam who complain about flow releases when they must have understood the purpose and practice of dams in the first place.
The most interesting portion of the book seems to downplay the attractiveness of the Dinosaur National Park as a tourist destination. Surely it's a big argument for preservation and wild and scenic river designation.
The book suggests a reading (or re-reading) of Wallace Stegner's "Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs", a collection of elegiac and elegant writings on the West. It was the book that made me love the West even more because what it had been was truly gone - because of the issues, time, technology - the things that Hansman follows on her own river journey.
September 25, 2022
4.5 stars
I really love ramble nature/science/journalistic writing about the outdoors and the history of land use and our relationships with wild places, and this definitely fell into that camp for me. Heather Hansman is a journalist and former river-rafting guide who set out along the Green River, a tributary of the Colorado that runs through Wyoming and Utah, as sort of a metaphor/frame story for a larger discussion of the past, present, and future of water in the Colorado.
As a fairly recent transplant to the Western US (though not in the Colorado watershed), I learned a lot about how water rights work in the more arid western states. The water rights system still strikes me as fairly bananas, but I'm really happy to have learned so much about it. I also really loved the nature-writing portions about Hansman's boat trip, and I enjoyed the sort of winding, ramble interspersing of her boat trip with interviews and discussions of the broader context of the Colorado.
One thing that I appreciated in this book was how well Hansman was able to sympathetically explain the points of view of various stakeholders in the Colorado rivers system. I was totally mystified when she first mentioned, for instance, that Wyoming is actively constructing more dams and water-retention systems. However, her explanation of why--given the constraints and legal framework in which Colorado River water is allocated--that makes sense was really interesting, and I feel like I've come away from this book with a much fuller understanding of the complexities of water use in the Upper Basin of the Colorado.
I really love ramble nature/science/journalistic writing about the outdoors and the history of land use and our relationships with wild places, and this definitely fell into that camp for me. Heather Hansman is a journalist and former river-rafting guide who set out along the Green River, a tributary of the Colorado that runs through Wyoming and Utah, as sort of a metaphor/frame story for a larger discussion of the past, present, and future of water in the Colorado.
As a fairly recent transplant to the Western US (though not in the Colorado watershed), I learned a lot about how water rights work in the more arid western states. The water rights system still strikes me as fairly bananas, but I'm really happy to have learned so much about it. I also really loved the nature-writing portions about Hansman's boat trip, and I enjoyed the sort of winding, ramble interspersing of her boat trip with interviews and discussions of the broader context of the Colorado.
One thing that I appreciated in this book was how well Hansman was able to sympathetically explain the points of view of various stakeholders in the Colorado rivers system. I was totally mystified when she first mentioned, for instance, that Wyoming is actively constructing more dams and water-retention systems. However, her explanation of why--given the constraints and legal framework in which Colorado River water is allocated--that makes sense was really interesting, and I feel like I've come away from this book with a much fuller understanding of the complexities of water use in the Upper Basin of the Colorado.
April 24, 2023
A little boring at times, but I learned a lot about water use in the west. I think I wanted more of an adventurous and eventful trip down the river, but instead it was meanderingly mild and nondescript.
“Some western cities are getting really good at water conservation. Las Vegas, surrounded by desert and arguably one of the most naturally water disadvantaged cities in the world, reduced its per capita water use by 36% between 2002 and 2017 while gaining half a million more residents, by enforcing landscaping rules, spurring public education campaigns, and paying homeowners $2/sq.ft. To get rid of their lawns. But that’s not the case everywhere. For example, according to the USGS Utah uses more water per capita than anywhere else in the country due to cheap water rates subsidized by bonds… The state has put water conservation goals into place in an attempt to plan for the impact of urbanization on its water use, but the results have been marginal. Utah is still using water at almost twice the national per capita average rate, in part, because there’s no financial or social incentive to save it.”
“How to deal with water losses is a moral question in addition to a legal one because there’s no real trigger for conservation aside from fear and faith in the future. Cutting down demand in a shrinking supply while populations increase is an incredibly complicated social math problem. Understanding the cause of climate change and the ensuing ongoing drought and then actually reacting to it is critical, but the framework that was put in place last century don’t account for losses of water from climate change. It all involves a lot of magical thinking.”
“Some western cities are getting really good at water conservation. Las Vegas, surrounded by desert and arguably one of the most naturally water disadvantaged cities in the world, reduced its per capita water use by 36% between 2002 and 2017 while gaining half a million more residents, by enforcing landscaping rules, spurring public education campaigns, and paying homeowners $2/sq.ft. To get rid of their lawns. But that’s not the case everywhere. For example, according to the USGS Utah uses more water per capita than anywhere else in the country due to cheap water rates subsidized by bonds… The state has put water conservation goals into place in an attempt to plan for the impact of urbanization on its water use, but the results have been marginal. Utah is still using water at almost twice the national per capita average rate, in part, because there’s no financial or social incentive to save it.”
“How to deal with water losses is a moral question in addition to a legal one because there’s no real trigger for conservation aside from fear and faith in the future. Cutting down demand in a shrinking supply while populations increase is an incredibly complicated social math problem. Understanding the cause of climate change and the ensuing ongoing drought and then actually reacting to it is critical, but the framework that was put in place last century don’t account for losses of water from climate change. It all involves a lot of magical thinking.”
July 29, 2021
I love the desert. I love living in Utah, and I've never lived anywhere besides the American West. I never really concerned myself with how big cities in the desert west were provided with water.
I really loved Hansman's narrative of rafting down the length of the green. I enjoyed how she spoke with everyone who had buy in on the water along the way.
The future of water is multifaceted in an increasingly dry west. I have previously thought of relatively simple answers that we just need to quit growing things and raising farm animals in the west since those use the bulk of the water. After reading this book I think it's not so simple. I found her very even handed speaking to everyone from farmers to oil people to the tribes to the rafting companies. The river is a shared resource and, having been to several places she describes (and I hope to go to more of them) I am invested in preserving it. It made me sad that she kept saying that the younger generation is not going on as many multi day river trips, and it made me want to go on more multi day river trips haha. I've rafted by the confluence of colorado and the green twice and those 5 day river trips are some of my most cherished memories.
Overall, I found the book very compelling because she is a great storyteller and was able to humanize all of the different parties who have a stake in the Green River. I was impressed by how even handed she was and would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in learning about water in the west.
I really loved Hansman's narrative of rafting down the length of the green. I enjoyed how she spoke with everyone who had buy in on the water along the way.
The future of water is multifaceted in an increasingly dry west. I have previously thought of relatively simple answers that we just need to quit growing things and raising farm animals in the west since those use the bulk of the water. After reading this book I think it's not so simple. I found her very even handed speaking to everyone from farmers to oil people to the tribes to the rafting companies. The river is a shared resource and, having been to several places she describes (and I hope to go to more of them) I am invested in preserving it. It made me sad that she kept saying that the younger generation is not going on as many multi day river trips, and it made me want to go on more multi day river trips haha. I've rafted by the confluence of colorado and the green twice and those 5 day river trips are some of my most cherished memories.
Overall, I found the book very compelling because she is a great storyteller and was able to humanize all of the different parties who have a stake in the Green River. I was impressed by how even handed she was and would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in learning about water in the west.
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