Building the ultimate dam

the long version

In exploring the vital function of dam building in western development prior to the New Deal, Donald Jackson focuses on the work of John S. Eastwood, a trailblazing engineer in the early twentieth century, who steadfastly promoted the dramatically less expensive - and controversial - multiple arch dam. Placing Eastwood's work within a vibrant cultural milieu - replete with power struggles among engineers, corporate patrons, and government bureaucrats - Jackson illustrates how both technical and nontechnical issues affected the financing, location, and construction of dams. By examining Eastwood's advocacy of a technology that opened up the possibility of water storage - and hence water control - to a wide range of potential users, Jackson offers a fresh and important perspective on how public and private interests intertwine to shape the enduring contours of western water controversy.