From Hetch Hetchy to the Cuyahoga: How Rivers Shaped the American Environmental Movement

Abstract

Rivers are common natural features through which the environment is experienced. They provide important economic benefits to society, and the spatial organization of watersheds makes them uniquely vulnerable to environmental change. For these reasons, the history of the U.S. environmental movement can be read as the history of society’s relationship with rivers. Here, an overview of this history is presented using five rivers that represent critical turning points in U.S. environmentalism. The Tuolumne River in the Hetch Hetchy Valley was an early battleground between differing visions of river aesthetics and recreation. The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon was a symbol of the last remaining wilderness. The infamous burning of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland is widely credited with increasing awareness of pollution that led to the first Earth Day and landmark federal environmental legislation. The controversy over the Tellico Dam on the Little Tennessee River was an early sign of strong backlash against new environmental laws. Finally, the ongoing revitalization of the Los Angeles River, the paradigmatic urban stream, represents the promise and pitfalls of the environmental movement of the future.