The Great Divide
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- $34.99
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- $34.99
Publisher Description
Written by Stephen Grace, the companion book to The Great Divide, a film by Havey Productions, is a sweeping, magnificently illustrated story of Colorado water from the region’s first inhabitants to the incoming settlers and developers to modern environmentalists. Times and places are covered from the archaeological remains of ancient Native American reservoirs, the first and longest operating water right in Colorado, important innovations in irrigated agriculture, the stunning dams that create reservoirs for storage and recreation, and the natural beauty of Colorado’s wild places.
The book, based on the film, will be a natural source for viewers who seek additional knowledge beyond the film, but it will also stand alone for readers who desire a basic but engaging entrance into the world of Colorado water. A vast array of breathtaking photographs, both archival and contemporary serve as attractive illustrations and a supplemental way to tell the story, along with descriptive captions.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this companion book to the documentary film The Great Divide, Grace (Dam Nation), a Boulder resident, investigates the precarious state of water in Colorado who owns it and who is entitled to it and the battles waged over its control. The "most coveted" water in the U.S. flows from the Centennial State to 18 other states and Mexico: "Tens of millions of people, billions of dollars of agricultural production, and trillions of dollars of economic activity all depend on rivers born in Colorado's mountains." The Continental Divide splits the state into unequal halves; "80 percent of the state's water originates on the West Slope, but more than 80 percent of Colorado's population resides on the East Slope." Grace charts the substantial history of Coloradan water management, discussing pre-Columbian Ancestral Puebloans, gold miners who poured in after 1858, and post Homestead Act (1862) pioneers who "found Colorado blessed with fertile soil and abundant sunshine but cursed with dryness." He also details the construction of several dams in the West. Grace possesses deep insight and a strong sense of place; this presentation, coupled with Havey's remarkable photos and occasional archival images, is exceptional. Color photos.
