During the first two decades of the twenty-first century, the whole messy truth about the legacy of last century’s big dam building binge has come to light. What started out as an arguably good government project has drifted oceans away from that original virtuous intent. Governments plugged the nation’s rivers in a misguided attempt to turn them into revenue streams. Water control projects’ main legacy will be one of needless ecological destruction, fostering a host of unnecessary injustices.

The estimated 800,000 dams in the world can’t be blamed for destroying the earth’s entire biological inheritance, but they play an outsized role in that destruction. Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Crazy World is a kind of speed date with the history of water control — its dams, diversions and canals, and just as importantly, the politics and power that evolved with them. Examples from the American West reveal that the costs of building and maintaining a sprawling water storage and delivery complex in an arid world—growing increasingly arid under the ravages of climate chaos—is well beyond the benefits furnished. Success stories from Patagonia and the Blue Heart of Europe point to a possible future where rivers run free and the earth restores itself.

Steve Hawley is a writer and filmmaker from Hood River, Oregon. He is the writer and co-producer of an award-winning documentary, Dammed to Extinction (2019) and the author of

Recovering a Lost River (Beacon Press, 2011.) He’s also a contributor at The Drake, Outlaw, and the Columbia Insight.

Patagonia Books is intended as a way to advance a love of books as well as nature and a reflective life. They publish a select number of titles on wilderness, wildlife, and outdoor sports that inspire and restore connection to the natural world. They also present books that raise awareness about not only the environmental challenges our world faces, but suggest ways that we can work together to slow the disintegration of our planet. They believe that books are still the most important medium for passing our values to the next generation.

Tom Maloney is the executive director of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, a non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring the natural landscapes of the Ojai Valley.

Bart’s Books is the world’s largest outdoor bookstore, serving the Ojai community since 1964. We believe that there is a book for everyone, and that reading is the catalyst for a connection amongst passionate people. Bart’s hosts a collection of over 130,000 used and new books, ranging from rare out-of-print gems to well loved paperbacks. Our curated event series brings authors to our courtyard for engaging conversations.