Building the ultimate dam

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.