A River Lost: Life and Death of the Columbia

Thisisabookabouthowwell-intentionedAmericansdammeduptheColumbia,"GreatRiveroftheWest,"fulfillingdreamsofcheapelectricityandgardensflourishinginthedesert.Itisalsoanarrativeofexploitation:ofNativeAmericans,ofendangeredsalmon,ofnuclearwaste,andofariver-oncewild-tamedtopuddledremains.Harden'sstoryisajourneyofrediscovery.Hishometown,MosesLake,Washington,oncebonedry,couldnothaveexistedwithoutgargantuanirrigationschemes.Hisfather,aDepressionmigranttrainedasawelder,helpedbuilddams-includingGrandCoulee-andlaterworkedatthesecretHanfordplutoniumplant.Nowheandhisneighbors,whohadthoughtofthemselvesaspatriots,stoodaccusedofkillingtheriver.AsBlaineHardentraveledthethousandmilesoftheColumbia-bybarge,bycar,andsometimesonfoot-hisownpastseemedbothforeignandfamiliar.Hemetruggedindividualists(albeitwithgovernmentsubsidies),ferventenvironmentalists,andNativeAmericansreducedtoconsumingcannedsalmon.Healsoencounteredanewlyascendantpoliticalforcewhosemoresubtleagendawastopreserveandconserveforitsownpleasureandrecreation.