Damning The Dam: The St. Louis District Corps of Engineers and The Controversy Over the Meramec Basin Project from its Inception to Its Deauthorization.

摘要

The official history of the St. Louis District, Corps of Engineers, notes that "the period after 1960 was a time of marked change in Corps' activities, policies, and priorities." The Meramec Project certainly contributed to this time of change. Although it embroiled the District in an unwanted public controversy, it at the same time underlined the growing importance of environmental issues prompting a serious reassessment of the Corps' civil works priorities. From an historical perspective, this environmental awareness had been an element in Corps planning for a number of years, but the Meramec Project was a notable turning point in the District's adaptation to this changing national priority. History is not only a record of the past, but also a guide for the future. In this light, Damning the Dam recounts a past episode that also has relevance for the present and the future.