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The Arid Lands

4.2/5 ( ratings)

“One of the most significant and seminal books ever written about the West, . . . the classic statement of the terms on which the West could be peopled.”—Wallace Stegner . John Wesley Powell's arid lands report was the first to argue that the American West could not support a conventional system of agriculture and that its lands could not sustain unlimited development. He recognized that water was a more precious resource than land, that rainfall could never support agriculture in the region, and that controlled irrigation offered the best use of its natural resources.

Years of drought have proved the value of his advice, which was not well received by an expansionist nation. Despite opposition from the timber, cattle, and mining industries, Powell's work led to the first assessments of the available water supplies and to the consolidation of government surveys and policies under one administration.

Language: English

Pages: 202

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Bison Books

Release: December 01, 2004

ISBN: 080328781X

ISBN 13: 9780803287815

The Arid Lands

4.2/5 ( ratings)

“One of the most significant and seminal books ever written about the West, . . . the classic statement of the terms on which the West could be peopled.”—Wallace Stegner . John Wesley Powell's arid lands report was the first to argue that the American West could not support a conventional system of agriculture and that its lands could not sustain unlimited development. He recognized that water was a more precious resource than land, that rainfall could never support agriculture in the region, and that controlled irrigation offered the best use of its natural resources.

Years of drought have proved the value of his advice, which was not well received by an expansionist nation. Despite opposition from the timber, cattle, and mining industries, Powell's work led to the first assessments of the available water supplies and to the consolidation of government surveys and policies under one administration.

Language: English

Pages: 202

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Bison Books

Release: December 01, 2004

ISBN: 080328781X

ISBN 13: 9780803287815

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