River Republic

Guest: Daniel McCool, author of the book, “River Republic, The Fall and Rise of America's Rivers.” He is director of the Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program and a professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Utah "Eventually,” wrote Norman Maclean, “all things merge into one, and a river runs through it." They feed and fascinate us. We use them to transport freight and fill reservoirs. And we’ve nearly ruined them with our single-minded focus on damming and diverting them, says Dan McCool. He’s director of the Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program at the University of Utah and author of the book “River Republic: The Fall and Rise of America’s Rivers.” McCool points out that we’ve destroyed over half the nation’s wetlands and polluted the majority of our rivers. At the same time, over half of the U.S. is experiencing extremely dry conditions – and in many cases deepening drought. When water is in short supply, it’s difficult to prioritize wetlands and fish habitat above thirsty crops and communities.