The Effects of the Anti-Dam Movement on the Environmental Protection in American West

摘要

This paper examines the far-reaching influence of anti-dam movement on the protection of environment in the second half of the 20th century in American West. It first introduces the historical background of dams built along the Colorado River-the most important river in the West, especially the construction of Hoover Dam and Glen Canyon Dam. Then, the criticism of dams on the Colorado is examined with the emphasis on the anti-dam movement resulting from the awareness of the negative ecological impacts on the Colorado. In the conclusion, the author demonstrates the unparallel historical significance of the anti-dam movement in the environmentalism in developing the American West.