Gila : the life and death of an American river /

Arizona's Gila River and its tributaries once formed the most important water system in the Southwest. Today, it has been bled dry; its wildlife and vegetation have been mostly destroyed and the lower river is on the EPA Superfund cleanup roster. McNamee ( Named in Stone: An Arizona Anthology ) reviews the geology and history of the Gila and chronicles its decline in a sad, familiar story of human impact on Western lands. Mining operations stripped mountains, diverted rivers and chewed up forests. Large-scale ranching, inappropriate agriculture, dams and profligate use of water have added to the river's demise. McNamee charges that Phoenix has the highest rate of water consumption in the nation, at one-fourth the cost of water in New York City; golf courses use up to one million gallons a day. To restore the river, he calls for reforesting the highlands, appropriate agriculture, removal of the dams and new federal policies. This is important reading for environmentalists. Photos. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

In this popular environmental history McNamee, the book columnist for Outside magazine, gives a well-crafted account of the birth, life, and death of one of the Southwest's major rivers. This chronological approach works well in tracing the development, decay, and ultimate desiccation of the Gila River. The work adds dimensions not found in earlier historical accounts of the river and demonstrates an environmental consciousness not found in Edwin Corle's Gila: River of the Southwest (1951), which was written at a time when conquering and subduing the wilderness was an acceptable approach. McNamee's book does share much the same passion for the river as does Ross Calvin's River of the Sun (1946), though McNamee's work spares the reader some of Calvin's florid prose. The lack of notes is offset by a lucid bibliographic essay. Highly recommended for general readers and undergraduates.-- Daniel Liestman, Seattle Pacific Univ. Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.