That was just the first section I read. Glancing through other parts, I discovered the politics and behind the scenes moves that both helped and hurt the Bureau. You can meet the men who ran it and what happened to them. Some of them had long careers and were well respected. Others were up and comers who got on the wrong side of an issue that ended their upward mobility. The book discusses the visions of National Reclamation, what the purpose was behind creating the Bureau, what they hoped to accomplish and the reality they faced when they began. It talks about the limits of the program, the problems they ran into and the choices they made. One chapter talks about the Great Depression. This was actually a bright spot in history for the Bureau. The government was interested in creating jobs quickly and discovered by pumping money into this sector construction jobs were made. Dams, tunnels and other water projects were obvious choices when looking to spend money. Not everyone agreed of course and this document will tell you who was against the government getting involved.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the information in Reclamation. There is so much inside the covers of this book. Not just names and dates but actual people and their stories are told and are accompanied by photos. In the back, there is a timeline for the Bureau, a list of who was in charge when, a bibliography and an index to quickly find information. Come by and check it out!