The River Stops Here: How One Man's Battle to: Save His Valley Changed the Fate of California

In the late 1960s, the Dos Rios Dam on the Eel River was the largest proposed water project in California. Simon ( Jupiter's Travels ) shows that before the environmental movement was launched, in a state seemingly controlled by water interests and governed by Ronald Reagan, only the relentless efforts of one person, wealthy rancher Richard Wilson, derailed the building of the Dos Rios Dam and by so doing redefined California's environmental agenda. ``Largely as a result of Richard's energy and determination, it was never again possible for a major water project to be planned in California without the environmental and social cost being evaluated first.'' The specifics of the battle to defeat the Eel River proposal are nicely set within the broader context of Southern California's thirst for the north's water. Simon handles the historical chapters in a much drier fashion, however, which considerably slows this otherwise fast-paced book. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour. (Sept.)