The River Stops Here: Saving Round Valley, A Pivotal Chapter in California's Water Wars [Paperback]

Ted Simon (Author), Robert Gottlieb (Afterword), Ruth Langridge (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 2001

A vivid chapter in the saga of the California water wars, The River Stops Here 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 compelling story.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A tense, fascinating morality tale." - Marc Reisner, New York Times Book Review "The River Stops Here is a great story, chronicles an exciting chapter in California's water wars and offers heartening evidence that a single person, trusting his best instincts, can start a chain of events that overcomes the amassed might of the established powers. In these cynical times, that's a message we all need to hear." - Harold Gilliam, San Francisco Chronicle "The River Stops Here is a triumph - well conceived, elegantly arranged, and eminently fair. In short, the battle against the Dos Rios Dam produced two happy endings, the second of which is this fine book." - Steve Oney, Audubon"

About the Author

Ted Simon is a journalist and the author of several travel books including the international bestseller Jupiter's Travels.

Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; First Edition edition (May 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520230566
• ISBN-13: 978-0520230569
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,637,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Land, Water, Intrigue..... and the Villain is hung out to dry, November 27, 2007

By 

CD Cover - See all my reviews

This review is from: The River Stops Here: Saving Round Valley, A Pivotal Chapter in California's Water Wars (Paperback)

A colorless subject, Water; an arcane topic, Irrigation. Not the usual recipe for a rousing read. But hold on to your bookmark! This is a fascinating tale, with feisty characters so vividly wrought that they jump from the page. The writing is as lyrical and eloquent as in any novel you'll find on the shelf. If you love reading about "the winning of the west," live in Northern or Central California, or drink from the tap in Southern California (thus exempting leotarded runners clutching designer water), you have a great story famously told, waiting in this soft covered gem. Mulholland move over!

5.0 out of 5 stars Real politics, January 4, 2011

By 

Thomas L. Jeffers "TLJ" (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The River Stops Here: Saving Round Valley, A Pivotal Chapter in California's Water Wars (Paperback)

What's especially good about this book is its account of how people succeed and fail at making their ideas count in the political arena--and of how they conceive those ideas in the first place. Whether it be material interest (the need to profit from land, water, or other resources), cultural values (wanting to protect a rancher's, a Native American's, or a naturalist's way of life), or aesthetic sensitivity (the beauty and balance of nature, which requires people to defend it), Ted Simon describes and animates the passions surrounding the debate over the Dos Rios Dam proposal of the late 60s, and in the process limns a parable that can inform us as we struggle with similar issues now. His portraits of the rancher Richard Wilson, the secretary of natural resources Norman "Ike" Livermore ("the man in the middle"), dam-proponent William Gianelli, and of course Ronald Reagan, the state's governor, are exceptionally well wrought. A book to read with care.