by Zak Podmore
Torrey House Press
8/27/2024, paperback
SKU: 9781948814966
Award-winning journalist Zak Podmore brings to life the magnificent terrain and complex politics of the Colorado River, its dying reservoirs --and the surprising revelation that the inevitable loss of Lake Powell could be a turning point for more a sustainable future.
After decades of drought, the American West is stretched to the breaking point. A changing climate and design flaws in the Glen Canyon Dam have pushed the once-massive Lake Powell reservoir to the brink of collapse--putting at risk millions of people who depend on the Colorado River for water, agriculture, and electricity. Now, as Glen Canyon reemerges, its surprising ecological rebirth reminds us that nature's capacity to heal may well outpace our own imaginations.
Environmental journalist Zak Podmore explores the complex challenges ahead and reframes the inevitable loss of Lake Powell as a turning point for a more sustainable future. Through an arresting mix of science and storytelling, Life After Dead Pool debunks the notion that the West's water challenges are unsolvable and invites us to secure a future where the Colorado River once again runs free.
Reviews:
"A chronicle of both personal and ecological redemption by a gifted writer and observer, as well as a stirring affirmation that, even in a world suffering from terminal burnout, seeds can take root, flowers can blossom, and hope abides." -- Kevin Fedarko, The Emerald Mile and A Walk in the Park
"Life After Dead Pool is a fascinating account of how climate change and drought are forcing a radical reimagining of western water management. Investigative journalist Zak Podmore gives us solace, insight, and maybe even hope. -- David Quammen, Spillover and The Heartbeat of the Wild
About the Author:
Zak Podmore is an award-winning author and journalist who has spent more than a decade writing about water and conservation issues in the western United States. He is the author of Confluence: Navigating the Personal & Political on Rivers of the New West, and his work has appeared in Outside, USA Today, National Geographic Traveler, The Salt Lake Tribune, and elsewhere. He lives in Bluff, Utah.