Encounters With the Archdruid: Narratives About a Conservationist and Three of His Natural Enemies

The third of Brower’s opponents is the rugged Floyd Elgin Dominy, a cattle rancher in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. 35 years prior, Dominy worked as a county agent in Wyoming during the Great Depression and Drought, helping destitute ranchers by paying them to shoot their dying cattle. Dominy, originally from Nebraska, grew up in a farming family constantly challenged by the region’s unpredictable weather and lack of water.

In Campbell County, Wyoming, Dominy witnessed the struggles of farmers and ranchers due to scarce water. Without waiting for federal approval, he began building dams to store water using a Fresno scraper drawn by horses. He created ponds and reservoirs, transforming the dry landscape. Dominy lived modestly and worked incessantly, inspiring the community to help build dams and drastically improving the water situation, which earned him national recognition.

For conservationists, dams are the ultimate environmental evil, surpassing even oil spills and urban sprawl in their destructiveness. Dams are perceived as symbols of nature’s degradation, particularly because they destroy rivers, which are seen as vital metaphors of existence. David Brower argues that opposing a dam equates to supporting a river.

Brower’s aversion to dams stems from childhood experiences and historical events, notably the construction of the Hetch Hetchy Dam, which flooded a valley comparable to Yosemite. As a boy, Brower witnessed this destruction. As an adult, he fought against similar projects, playing a crucial role in preventing dams at the confluence of the Green and Yampa rivers and in the Grand Canyon, which were proposed by the Bureau of Reclamation. His efforts united diverse conservation groups and utilized intense publicity campaigns. Despite Brower’s successes, his philosophy is that there is no lasting victory in conservation, as future generations will have to continue to fight.

Dominy, now the Reclamation Commissioner for the Department of the Interior in Washington, DC, has a longstanding rivalry with conservationist Brower, whom he sees as a selfish preservationist. Dominy’s office contains symbolic objects, such as portraits of Richard Nixon, a model of a bulldozer, and a picture of the Hoover Dam, reflecting his pride in American engineering achievements. Defending dam construction, Dominy argues that human intervention in nature is necessary for progress, as it brings economic and environmental benefits. He expresses frustration with preservationists like Brower, whom he finds unreasonable and difficult to debate.

McPhee arranges for a rafting trip to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, to bring Bower and Dominy together. Despite their differences, Bower and Dominy settle into a routine of intense daily debates, followed by camaraderie. Dominy discusses the benefits of hydroelectric power, while Brower humorously suggests flashlight batteries as the best power source. The three are joined by a group from Arizona and Nevada, who mostly favor Dominy for his jovial nature.

The discussion continues as they explore the Grand Canyon. Brower emphasizes the importance of preserving natural wonders, such as the Canyon. He also asserts the inevitability of the dams filling up with mud, while Dominy vehemently denies it.

Later, they tour Dominy’s project, the Glen Canyon Dam. As they descend 500 feet into the dam, Dominy proudly explains its operations, including its generating units and the controlled water releases. They descend further to the dam’s base, encountering water leaks and cracks. Dominy reassures Brower that these are manageable with a repairing system. At the bottom, Dominy shows the visitors a unique lawn at the dam’s base that he calls “the football field” (194), emphasizing the aesthetic and functional aspects of the structure.