Stephen Grace – författare

From gold rushes to urban renewal projects, It Happened in Denver includes twenty-five fascinating stories about events that shaped the Mile High City.

In the scramble to claim water rights in the West during the fevered days of early emigration and expansion, running out of water was rarely a concern, and the dam building fever that transformed the West in the 19th and 20th centuries created a map of the region that may be unsustainable. Throughout the arid American West, metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver need water. These cities are growing, but water supplies are dwindling. Scientists agree that the West is heating up and drying out, leading to future water shortages that will pose a challenge to existing laws.

Dam Nation looks first to the past, to the stories of the California gold rush and the earliest attempts by men to shape the landscape and tame it, takes us to the “Great American Desert” and the settlement of the west under the theory that "rain follows the plow," and then takes on the ongoing legal and moral battles in the West. Author Stephen Grace, is a novelist, a storyteller, and the author of several non-fiction books on Colorado. He weaves the facts into a compelling narrative that informs, entertains, and tells an important story.

A compelling book about the water crisis facing the West, grounded in history and important for residents as well as readers nationwide. This narrative weaves together the stories of human folly and grandiose endeavor that shaped the states and reveal the background of the critical economic and political issue that is how water is used and misused today.

Written by Stephen Grace, the companion book to The Great Divide, a film by Havey Productions, is a sweeping, magnificently illustrated story of Colorado water from the region’s first inhabitants to the incoming settlers and developers to modern environmentalists. Times and places are covered from the archaeological remains of ancient Native American reservoirs, the first and longest operating water right in Colorado, important innovations in irrigated agriculture, the stunning dams that create reservoirs for storage and recreation, and the natural beauty of Colorado’s wild places.The book, based on the film, will be a natural source for viewers who seek additional knowledge beyond the film, but it will also stand alone for readers who desire a basic but engaging entrance into the world of Colorado water. A vast array of breathtaking photographs, both archival and contemporary serve as attractive illustrations and a supplemental way to tell the story, along with descriptive captions.