Simon (Jupiter's Travels, 1980) chronicles the David-and-Goliath
struggle over the fate of a California river valley. Back in the
mid-1960s, the Army Corps of Engineers targeted Round Valley in
Northern California for inundation. The purpose was flood control
on the Eel River, the corps claimed, thinly disguising their
mission to send water south to the thirsty (and politically
powerful) ranchers of the San Joaquin Valley. California's
Department of Water Resources and the Metropolitan Water District,
bureaucratic bullies used to getting their way, also liked the
idea. The future looked bleak for the pretty, classically
proportioned valley, with its cozy sense of place and sedate
country pace. But Richard Wilson wasn't happy about the prospect of
his farm lying under 300 feet of water, his valley just another
notch on the corps's belt. So he engaged the behemoths in battle.
It didn't hurt that Wilson had a hefty bankroll he could dip into
whenever needed or that he could turn to friends like Dean Witter
(yes, the investment house really is named after one person) and
Ike Livermore, then-governor Reagan's close adviser. But why
quibble? Wilson's cause was just and his instincts true - dams
aren't worth their salt when it comes to flood control, as a
presidential commission has just recently confirmed. In the end,
after much blood, sweat, and tears (and a healthy dose of good
luck), Wilson brought the arrogant agencies and bureaucracies to
their knees. Simon's reporting of the fight is well paced for all
its detail, although much of the deep background material could
have been left on the editing floor without hurting the story. An
immensely gratifying tale in which small-town America gives its
comeuppance to a bloated, blustering federal agency with a
self-appointed mission to subdue nature. (Kirkus Reviews)
A vivid chapter in the history of the California water wars, this
book documents state and federal plans to flood the largest, most
fertile valley in Mendocino County to send water south to Los
Angeles. The eventual success of Richard Wilson, a rancher in Round
Valley, to stop the project is the heart of this story. The book
features an afterword by Robert Gottlieb and Ruth Langridge.
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