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Cornell University Press - David Soll

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297 pages

English

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Supplying water to millions is not simply an engineering and logistical challenge. As David Soll shows in his finely observed history of the nation's largest municipal water system, the task of providing water to New Yorkers transformed the natural and built environment of the city, its suburbs, and distant rural watersheds. Almost as soon as New York City completed its first municipal water system in 1842, it began to expand the network, eventually reaching far into the Catskill Mountains, more than one hundred miles from the city. Empire of Water explores the history of New York City's water system from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century, focusing on the geographical, environmental, and political repercussions of the city's search for more water. Soll vividly recounts the profound environmental implications for both city and countryside. Some of the region's most prominent landmarks, such as the High Bridge across the Harlem River, Central Park's Great Lawn, and the Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County, have their origins in the city's water system. By tracing the evolution of the city's water conservation efforts and watershed management regime, Soll reveals the tremendous shifts in environmental practices and consciousness that occurred during the twentieth century. Few episodes better capture the long-standing upstate-downstate divide in New York than the story of how mountain water came to flow from spigots in Brooklyn and Manhattan.Soll concludes by focusing on the landmark watershed protection agreement signed in 1997 between the city, watershed residents, environmental organizations, and the state and federal governments. After decades of rancor between the city and Catskill residents, the two sides set aside their differences to forge a new model of environmental stewardship. His account of this unlikely environmental success story offers a behind the scenes perspective on the nation's most ambitious and wide-ranging watershed protection program.

Sujets

Histoire

Nueva York

Local history

History of the Americas

New York

Informations

Publié par	Cornell University Press
Date de parution	26 mars 2013
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780801468070
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,7500€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

EmpîreofWater

AnEnvîronmentaandPoîtîcaHîstoryo te New York Cîty Water Suppy

DAV ï D S O L L

C O R N E L L U N ï V E R S ï T Y P R E S S ItHaca&London

Copyrîgt©2013byCorneUnîversîtyArîgtsreserved.Exceptorbrîequotatîonsînarevîew,tîsbook,orpartstereo,mustnotbereproduced în any orm wîtout permîssîon în wrîtîng rom te pubîser. or înormatîon, address Corne Unîversîty Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, ïtaca, New York 14850.

îrstpubîsed2013byCorneUnîversîtyPressPrîntedînteUnîtedStatesoAmerîca

LîbraryoCongressCataogîng-în-PubîcatîonDataSo, Davîd, 1971– Empîre o water: an envîronmenta and poîtîca îstory o te New York Cîty water suppy / Davîd So. p. cm. ïncudes bîbîograpîca reerences and îndex. ïSBN 978-0-8014-4990-1 (cot: ak. paper) 1. Water-suppy—Envîronmenta aspects—New York (State)—New York— Hîstory. 2. Water-suppy—Poîtîca aspects—New York (State)—New York—Hîstory. 3. Watersed management—New York (State)—New York—Hîstory. 4. Water-suppy engîneerîng—New York (State)—New York—Hîstory. ï. Tîte.

TD225.N5S65 2013 363.6’1097471—dc23

2012033792

CorneUnîversîtyPressstrîvestouseenvîronmentayresponsîbesuppîersandmaterîastote uest extent possîbe în te pubîsîng o îts books. Suc materîas încude vegetabe-based, ow-VOC înks and acîd-ree papers tat are recyced, totay corîne-ree, or party composed o nonwood ibers. or urter înormatîon, vîsît our websîte at www.cornepress.corne.edu. Cot prîntîng 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

Preace

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ïNTRODUCTïONEvoutîon o a Water System he 1 CHAPTER ONE rom Croton to Catskî11 CHAPTER TWO Up Country37 CHAPTER THREEDeays, and te Deaware Drougt, 68 CHAPTER OURto te Supreme Court Back 97 CHAPTER ïVE he Water System and te Urban Crîsîs125 CHAPTER SïXRîse o Watersed Management he 148 CHAPTER SEVENte Watersed Agreement ïmpementîng 177 EPïLOGUE Puttîng Poîtîcs în ïts Pace206

Notes215 Bîbîograpy251 ïndex275

Preface

îe ï was wrîtîng tîs book, severa peope înquîred about my motîvatîons W or exporîng te îstory o New York Cîty’s water suppy. ï never man-aged to answer te questîon to my compete satîsactîon, nor, ï îmagîne, to teîrs. Noneteess, ï am certaîn about one tîng: uncoverîng te întrîcacîes o govern-ment—îts many movîng parts, dîverse personaîtîes, and dueîng înterests—made tîs an especîay ascînatîng topîc to researc. Oneoteirstdocumentstatïcameacrossînmyresearcwasasongbyengîneers o te Board o Water Suppy, te entîty te cîty estabîsed to construct a new water system în te eary twentîet century. ï soon reaîzed tat tese songs (ît turned out tat tere were dozens o tem) were învauabe sources because tey were wrîtten by and or board empoyees and as suc ofered unîque însîgts înto teîr vaues and desîres. Government was not sîmpy a bunc o aceess bu-reaucrats; ît was aso engîneers toîîng în te Catskî Mountaîns wo onged or “Broadway wît a îts sîgts.” hrougout tîs book, ï requenty reer to te “cîty” or to varîous government agencîes. Noneteess, government îs not monoîtîc, and ï ave trîed to îgîgt te issures tat dîvîde most pubîc bodîes. ï aso ocused on partîcuar îndîvîdu-as wo payed an outsîze roe în sapîng pubîc decîsîons. hîs îs a story o aws, courts, and egîsatures, but ît îs aso a story o îndîvîduas, pubîc and prîvate, wo caenged government to act în te pubîc înterest. Manypeopeentaandînmyefortstotracetejourneysoteîndîvîduasand governments wo înluenced te deveopment o te cîty’s water system. My irst debt îs to te wrîters wo came beore me. here are severa u-engt works on New York Cîty’s water suppy; în addîtîon, many autors ave devoted portîons o books to te cîty’s water network. Dîane Gausa’sLîquîd Assets, andWater-WorksbookcedroduypenanoBeKîvbya,arPoaînGnddedîvorp,bauteauî bot a detaîed summary o te cîty’s water suppy îstory and împortant actua

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vîîî

Preface

detaîs. Many scoars cannot avaî temseves o suc compreensîve overvîews o teîr topîc. Sortyaterembarkîngonmyresearc,ïencounteredasîgnîicantstumbîngbock—because o post-9/11 securîty concerns, ï was not permîtted to use te arcîves o te cîty’s Department o Envîronmenta Protectîon, te prîmary mu-nîcîpa reposîtory o înormatîon on te water network. At te tîme, ï worrîed tat te absence o suc sources woud make ît dîIcut to te te envîronmenta îstory o te water system în rîc detaî. ortunatey, tese concerns proved un-ounded, în arge part due to te abundance o materîas stored în varîous arcîves and îbrarîes. ïapprecîatetesupportandguîdanceoteNewYorkStateArcîves,wereï served as a Larry J. Hackman eow în 2008. James ots and îs staf eped me ocate useu materîas. heîr dedîcatîon to preservîng state records îs a mode o pubîc servîce. ï woud aso îke to tank James Stîmpert and staf members în specîa coectîons at te Eîsenower Lîbrary at Jons Hopkîns Unîversîty, were ï conducted researc în te Abe Woman Papers. he papers are a prîceess store-ouse o înormatîon on water suppy deveopment and sanîtary engîneerîng în te Unîted States. hey provîded a ascînatîng beînd-te-scenes perspectîve on te cîty’s water suppy decîsîons în te 1950s. ï am aso grateu to te Rockeeer Arcîve Center or îts support. heîbrarîesandarcîvesoteCatskîMountaînregîonwereîndîspensabe.heîr newspaper cîppîng ies, tourîsm brocures, and oter materîas greaty en-rîced my knowedge and ave (opeuy) enîvened tîs book. he records o commîssîon earîngs or reservoîr damage cases maîntaîned by Uster County (te Asokan Reservoîr Arcîves) and Hartwîck Coege (te Board o Water Suppy Transcrîpts) are a îstorîan’s deîgt, provîdîng înormatîon on many as-pects o te waterworks expansîon experîence. Syvîa Rozee, town cerk o Oîve, generousy gave me access to te town’s rîc coectîon o documents reated to te constructîon o te Asokan Reservoîr. hanks aso to Edyte Ann Quînn at Hartwîck Coege, wo took an înterest în my project and generousy sared materîas se coected rom Catskî pubîcatîons. hebook’sinatwocaptersdraweavîyonpersonaîntervîews.VîrgînîaSceer and Nancy Burnett deserve enormous credît or avîng te oresîgt and dedîcatîon to record întervîews wît most o te key igures în te 1997 Watersed Memorandum o Agreement negotîatîons. hese întervîews, apty tîtedBeHînd tHe Scenes, greaty enrîced my understandîng o tîs crîtîca perîod în te cîty’s water suppy îstory. hey aso enabed me to conduct more rewardîng întervîews wît severa o tese same îndîvîduas. MyunderstandîngodeveopmentssîncetesîgnîngoteWatersedMem-orandum o Agreement (1997–present) was decîsîvey saped by te extensîve

Preface

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întervîews ï conducted wît pubîc empoyees, îndîvîduas empoyed by nongov-ernmenta organîzatîons actîve în New York Cîty water suppy îssues, and actîvîsts. A compete îst o întervîewees appears în te bîbîograpy. Warren Lîebod o te New York Cîty Department o Envîronmenta Protectîon and Tara Coîns o te Watersed Agrîcutura Councî were partîcuary generous wît teîr tîme. ïwasortunatetoaveteopportunîtytoworkwîtMîcaeMcGandyandSara Grossman at Corne Unîversîty Press. Mîcae’s consummate proessîon-aîsm and expert guîdance were te perect it or a irst-tîme autor. ï aso ap-precîate te epu eedback o Martîn Meosî and an anonymous revîewer on an earîer drat o tîs book. ïwaspartîcuaryortunatetoavemanyscoarstoconsutasïresearcedandwrote tîs book. Davîd Stradîng took an aspîrîng envîronmenta îstorîan under îs wîng and ofered exceent guîdance. Hîs wrîtîngs on te connectîons between New York Cîty’s water system and Catskî resîdents were an înspîratîon. ï greaty apprecîate te tîme and înteîgence e contrîbuted to tîs book. Brîan Donaue ofered a vîgorous bend o scoarsîp and actîvîsm. Hîs support, edîtorîa sug-gestîons, and wîde range o contacts greaty împroved tîs book. Jane Kamensky’s keen sense o narratîve and advîce on a wîde range o persona and proessîona topîcs were an învauabe resource. AnAndrewW.MeonPostdoctoraeowsîpînEnvîronmentaStudîesat Laayette Coege provîded te tîme and resources to revîse te manuscrîpt and conduct addîtîona researc. he oundatîon as contrîbuted enormousy to my deveopment and tat o many young scoars trougout te country. ï aso greaty apprecîate te Meon oundatîon’s inancîa support or tîs book. he eowsîp enabed me to take up resîdence on te banks o te Deaware Rîver wîe ï revîsed te manuscrîpt. or tat and many oter reasons, Laayette was te perect pace to tînk about my researc în te arger context o envîronmenta studîes. Dru Germanoskî, wo ed te coege’s envîronmenta înîtîatîve, was a consîstent source o encouragement. hanks aso to two o my bîggest support-ers at Laayette, D. C. Jackson and Eîsabet Rosen. Your bend o crîtîcîsm and encouragement was te perect recîpe. rîendsandamîyavebeenacrîtîcasourceosupportoverteyears.HowardHacker, Pau Skeît, and Jef God provîded deîgtu îkîng respîtes în a pace ar rom New York Cîty. Martîna and Bernd Leger are wonderu rîends wo un-aîîngy supported me în my quest, even toug ît meant eavîng Massacusetts. Wanda eck and Aan and Loîs Paestîne provîded comortabe omes away rom ome on researc trîps to te New York Cîty area. hey may not ave aways been înterested în te detaîs, but te kîndness o my moter, Susan So, and sîsters, Lîsa and Nancy So, eped sustaîn me. Atoug my ater passed away beore ï began tîs project, îs anaytîca mînd-set and respect or ard work and scoary