Western politicians who feared that the next drought could be disastrous undermined those attempts. For example, Jimmy Carter’s administration attempted to stop these practices but failed. In the past, various politicians have tried to curb water distribution policies. As a result, many environmentally damaging projects resulted from these agencies’ rivalry with each other. These agencies were led by people who were so focused on their own goals that they didn’t care about environmental concerns. The main goal was to increase America’s global power, but they ended up creating two agencies: the Bureau of Reclamation and the Corps of Engineers. The Great Depression and World War II had an impact on the development of water projects. The Colorado River has been damaged by agricultural and irrigation operations with no regard for their economic or environmental impact. One example is Los Angeles’ theft of Owens Valley’s water, which led to a loss for both parties involved. He shows how politics and money have influenced water policy in the West.

In Chapter 2-4, Reisner examines the history of water projects in California. From these first two chapters, it’s clear that Americans haven’t conquered the desert rather, we’re living together with an uneasy truce that is turning against us because our communities and farmland are unsustainable. Later on in those same chapters, Reisner talks about Powell Geographic Expedition and other expeditions that explored the desert. The opening chapters of the book explore how the American West was settled, including a Spanish conquistador who stumbled upon land while looking for gold. Reisner condemns America’s obsession with asserting control over nature, determining that it has led to many environmental disasters, the deterioration of some of America’s greatest bodies of water, and destruction of rural communities (especially Native American communities). This revisionist history focuses on our desire to constantly expand into the desert and how we built water projects such as dams and aqueducts to allow us to do so. The book’s title, Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water, contains an ideological dualism in that one word stands for luxury while the other describes a harsh environment. There’s also a 1993 edition with updates on Western water issues. It was published in 1986 and has been praised by many people, including The Modern Library, National Book Critics’ Circle Award, and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). 1-Page Summary of Cadillac Desert Overall SummaryĬadillac Desert by Marc Reisner is a book about the water supply in the American West.

Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner