Rivers by Design

“[Rivers by Design is] a book that makes an important contribution to the body of historical writing on the control of American rivers.” - Jamie Linton>, Journal of Historical Geography

“[Rivers by Design] aids in an understanding of the interactions between various levels of government, as well as relations between the government and the public. It also provides an increased awareness of the processes by which national policy is instituted. Thus, its academic and practical contributions make this book a worthwhile read.” - Brooklynn J. Anderson, Rural Sociology

“[C]ritical reading for specialists in water policy, environmental studies, environmental social science, political ecology, and history. . . . [A]n exciting book.” - Peter C. Little, Electronic Green Journal

“[T]he first comprehensive study of federal flood control policy . . . . O’Neill’s work is welcome and long overdue in the historiography of flood control. The comparative analysis of the Mississippi River and Sacramento River flood control systems will intrigue any reader. O’Neill’s analysis of the political efforts of lobby organizations is excellent, and so too are her descriptions of the debates in Congress . . . . O’Neill’s impressive book is a must have for historians who study federal involvement in internal improvements.” - George S. Pabis, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

“In this book, O’Neill illustrates the parallels between river valley development in the West (Sacramento Valley) and the South (Mississippi Valley), and the political machinations that evolved into a wide range of river-management programs, in particular flood control.” - Brooks A. Kaiser, EH.NET

“The strength of O’Neil’s book is its emphasis on the flow of money that shaped the course of rivers more profoundly than did science or law.” - Todd Shallat, Journal of American History

“This book is of special interest to historians, lawyers, political representatives, and political scientists that work with water and river development. . . . While the Mississippi and Sacramento valleys are most represented, readers generally interested in river development can profit from reading this book.” - Donald E. Agthe, Journal of the American Water Resources Association

“This is a well-organized and timely book.” - Brian Q. Cannon, Agricultural History

“Well written and insightful. . . . Highly recommended.” - M.C. Brown, Choice

“Bold in its interpretation, sweeping in its scope, and judicious in its style, Rivers by Design argues convincingly that federal flood control policy, which culminated in the Flood Control Act of 1936, ended comprehensive resource planning at the federal level. This is an exciting and original study.” - Donald J. Pisani, author of Water and American Government

“Karen M. O’Neill has produced a tour de force—a carefully researched and clearly written analysis of the tangled emergence of the U.S. flood-control system. Her powerful wake-up call to us all is how the federal government, through the Army Corps of Engineers, reengineered the nation’s rivers to promote local economic development at the expense of—rather than with a sensitivity to—environmental values.” - Norris Hundley Jr., author of The Great Thirst: Californians and Water–A History

“Masterfully weaving historical details, Karen M. O’Neill traces the unanticipated expansion of the federal government’s role in ‘controlling’ the Mississippi and Sacramento rivers. In this era of rising hurricane-induced floodwaters, she offers deep insight into the tensions between local and national agencies, and between the state and private interests.” - Allan Schnaiberg, coauthor of Urban Recycling and the Search for Sustainable Community Development