Red Delta: Fighting for Life at the End of the Colorado River [Paperback]

Charles Bergman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2002

The region was sparsely populated by farmers and indigenous people. Its wildlife was little known. And it was in Mexico, invisible to North Americans. Thus, after the Water Treaty of 1944 was signed by the United States and Mexico, the flow of the Colorado River diminished to a trickle in the Mexican delta, transforming a fertile land of green lagoons into a dry wasteland. And nobody seemed to care.

The Mexican delta of the Colorado River is becoming one of the most remarkable environmental stories on the continent. Red Delta combines the powerful story of the delta’s restored natural diversity with clear information on the "river of law" that governs water allotments to it (U.S.—90%, Mexico—10%), presenting a story of hope and recovery. Whether in search of a rare and endangered bird, sifting through the sands of the delta’s badlands for fossils, or visiting a village of the delta’s impoverished Cucapá people, Bergman helps us see the variety and abundance of life in this once-forgotten place.

*Winner of the Washington State Book Award, Benjamin Franklin Award, Finalist for PEN Literary Awards,winner of a Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Water rights are fiercely protected in the desert American Southwest. In cases such as the Colorado River, which drains into Mexico's Gulf of California, these battles can sometimes trigger international arguments. Since the Water Treaty of 1944, the United States has claimed rights to 90 percent of the Colorado's water, reducing the river to a comparative trickle by the time it reaches Mexican soil and as a result adversely affecting the lush delta region. Academic Bergman (Wild Echoes: Encounters with North America's Most Endangered Species) spent three years studying and photographing the endangered delta. His book, developed with the assistance of the activist group Defenders of Wildlife, creates vivid impressions of the species and habitats of the delta's past and its possibly hopeful future. In the second part, Bergman outlines the legal and political strategies for overturning the Treaty of 1944 and encouraging, instead, laws recognizing that nature is not contained within the artificial boundaries of nations. As he notes, there is scientific evidence that, if water rations were more equitably distributed, the delta would flourish once again. Although his prose is occasionally weighed down by dry facts and figures, the author's passion for the environment and his empathy for the people of the delta shine through the text. This issue is more than just a local squabble, and Bergman's book belongs in all strong in-depth and comprehensive environmental collections
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

A Washington State Book Award Winner 2003
Winner of the Benjamin Franklin in Science/Environment
Finalist (Research Nonfiction) PEN USA 2003 Literary Awards

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Fulcrum Publishing; 1st ptg. edition (October 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555914608
• ISBN-13: 978-1555914608
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,256,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Red Delta: Fighting for Life at the End of the Colorado Rive, October 4, 2003

By 

Hank B. Still "wobbly" (sun river oregon) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Red Delta: Fighting for Life at the End of the Colorado River (Paperback)

Deeply felt, and vividly descriptive, this book examines and explains in a clear yet poetic and personal manner the very complex and desparately contested issues concerning the Colorado River and its end at its Delta in Mexico at the Gulf of California.
This is an important story that no one else has told! This is the story of one of the largest and least known man-made environmental catastrophes in history. It is also a story of hope - there are signs of life in the Delta. Parts of it have come back to life with no help from humans. Bergman also lays out the solution to the Delta's woes: "the 1% of the Colorado's water for the Delta" idea. This will rejuvenate the greater Delta with very little effort and at virtually no cost. Bergman tells the poignant stories of the endangered people and cultures of the Delta, and skillfully weaves them in with stories of the endangered and threatened flora and fauna of the Delta and the Gulf of California. A book illustrated with beautiful photographs, thoroughly researched, and passionately executed in every detail. Inspiring! An important book! An instant Colorado River classic! A book no truly committed environmentalist should be without, and an easy way into the issues of Southwest water for the casual reader.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compassionate Environmentalism at its Finest, October 22, 2003

By 

I. Bergman (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Red Delta: Fighting for Life at the End of the Colorado River (Paperback)

Red Delta explores an amazing, almost forgotten section of the world. Through gorgeous photography and evocative writing, Bergman brings the Delta to life -- the land, the animals and the people. It's clear why the book has won three awards - and counting, i'm sure - and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in US water policy, the Delta, or both.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ecological story of fighting for life, January 6, 2003

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Delta: Fighting for Life at the End of the Colorado River (Paperback)

Red Delta is the ecological story of fighting for life at the end of the Colorado River discusses keys to understanding environmental collapse and recovery in the Southwest. The Colorado River Delta was an 'accidental delta' created by developers who never fully realized their goals. Red Delta explores the environmental consequences of that Delta, which may now be realized as an important key to the Colorado natural area surrounding it.