Overview

Jim O'Donnell sets off from his childhood home in Pueblo, Colorado exploring the history, ecology, and commodification of Fountain Creek--challenging us to reexamine how we relate to the world around us and how we might break free to a brighter future. ""Every stream in the American West deserves a biographer as affectionate, thorough, and lyrical as Jim O'Donnell."" --BEN GOLDFARB, Crossings From its headwaters high up Colorado's legendary Pike's Peak to suburban concrete-lined canals, Fountain Creek has endured nearly everything humans could do to a single watershed. It has been dammed, diverted, drained, poisoned, restored, exploited, ignored--and yet it has survived. Journalist and archaeologist Jim O'Donnell grew up exploring among the beavers and discarded beer bottles that have long populated Fountain Creek. Irreverent, deeply knowledgeable, and endlessly curious, O'Donnell guides us through the contradictions and complexities of one of the most heavily urbanized areas in one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. Fountain Creek is at once a reflection of our ever-changing relationship to the natural world and a challenge for each of us to reexamine the many ways we are connected to the world around us, to water, and to each other.

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Reviews

"""Life After Dead Pool is a chronicle of both personal and ecological redemption by a gifted writer and observer, as well as a stirring affirmation that, even in a world suffering from terminal burnout, seeds can take root, flowers can blossom, and hope abides."" --KEVIN FEDARKO, The Emerald Mile""Those who cherish the great wild canyons of the West may take solace, insight, and hope from this fascinating account of how climate change and drought are forcing a radical reimagining of western water management. Life After Dead Pool reminds us that, despite human doltishness, nature abides."" --DAVID QUAMMEN, Breathless""Life After Dead Pool teases apart complicated issues at the Glen Canyon Dam: water management, Indigenous rights, and political, economic, and ecological concerns, all in the context of history and culture. With captivating storytelling, lively characters, and in-depth research, Podmore engages with these questions, offering surprising conclusions, a refreshing approach, and solutions outside of a traditional binary.""--SHELF AWARENESS ""An inveterate explorer of the American Southwest, Podmore has crafted an intimate look at the dramatic changes unfolding in the canyons of Lake Powell, and in doing so, he engagingly challenges most of the historical and contemporary wisdom of Southwestern water policy. None of the prominent stakeholders escape scrutiny. But Podmore is no simple critic. He outlines several exciting future policy paths with realistic optimism."" --MARK UDALL, former U.S. Senator ""Through writing that is both personal and immaculately reported, Podmore offers a fresh take on the present and future of the Colorado River, beyond nostalgia, as he witnesses long-buried canyons emerge and flower with native plants. Life After Dead Pool offers a visionary and practical plan on how the river can, once again, redeem the region."" --DAVID GESSNER, All the Wild That Remains ""Podmore gives a detailed and compelling account of the origins of the Indigenous peoples in what would come to be known as the Colorado River Basin--and guides us through the present-day social and political terrain of a rapidly dwindling Lake Powell. By taking us deep into lost and reemerging landscapes of Glen Canyon, Podmore deepens our understanding and calls us to action to protect the greatest resource we have in the desert--water."" --CALVIN CROSBY, The King's English Bookshop owner ""Both a cure and instigator for sandstone and river-induced canyon-itis, Zak Podmore explores a future without Glen Canyon Dam through the lens of a journalist and the soul of an adventurer. The future of water management in the West starts with asking tough questions, and Podmore investigates the issue's centerpiece."" --MORGAN SJOGREN, Path of Light ""While water may be one of the West's most intractable issues, intrepid journalist Zak Podmore offers us a hopeful and practical solution, shared from the seat of his kayak on a years-long journey through a dying reservoir. Around every bend is more proof of a new paradigm as Podmore interviews a host of experts, shares a fascinating history, and bears witness to a robust natural ecosystem."" --ANNETTE MCGIVNEY, Resurrection ""Beautifully written and thoughtfully organized, Life After Dead Pool is a must-read for anyone who has even briefly reflected on what Glen Canyon was before the dam was built, what it is now, and what it could be in the future."" --ERIKA M. BSUMEK, The Foundations of Glen Canyon Dam ""An invaluable chapter in the history book of the Colorado River, Zak's ability to cut through the lithifying layers of water policy, transnational politics, and climate change science resonates on every page."" --DAVID EVERITT, Back of Beyond Books owner ""In a world fraying at the seams, Podmore studies a colossal human mistake and finds reasons for hope."" -- PHILIP CONNORS, A Song for the River ""In balancing the thrill of a canyon's resurrection with the challenge of managing a dwindling river, Podmore leaves us in the best place possible in a fraught world. Fully informed, welcomed into an engaged community of researchers, and sitting in a circle in the Cathedral in the Desert, singing."" --STEPHEN TRIMBLE, Red Rock Stories and The Capitol Reef Reader ​​​""Podmore's viewpoint on the current condition of the Colorado River Basin is one only gained through years of watching the Basin change with his own eyes--it is a gift for him to share his perspective with the rest of us."" --EVAN SCHERTZ, Maria's Bookshop owner"

""Fountain Creek takes us on a fascinating tour of an abused and unassuming stream, fed by the effluent of cities and carrying with it centuries of human history. Jim O'Donnell reminds us that--even within earshot of the interstate's roar--water still flows and wildness persists."" --ZAK PODMORE, Life After Dead Pool ""A beautifully told story about an essential body of water and the options for its future as the West gets hotter and drier."" --BETSY GAINES QUAMMEN, True West ""O'Donnell steps cautiously and curiously into Fountain Creek and encourages us all to love our home rivers, even when we're afraid of what we might find."" --LAURA PASKUS, Water Bodies ""Fountain Creek  is a meticulous, heartfelt ode to a chronically mistreated watershed. Every stream in the American West deserves a biographer as affectionate, thorough, and lyrical as O'Donnell. May this book help us find the wisdom to restore Fountain Creek and many other waterways like it."" --BEN GOLDFARB, Crossings ""O'Donnell's compassion for the roaming watercourse is evident with his knowledge of the past and firsthand observations. Through sharp examination and expressive writing, Fountain Creek gives readers deeper respect and understanding of why Fountain Creek is a crucial and vital resource which can not and should not be discounted or ignored."" --JEFFERY PAYNE, Poor Richard's Books ""In his affecting, prismatic, and beautifully-wrought exploration of the past, present, and possible future of the Fountain, O'Donnell reminds us that we have a chance at healing the world at large, if only we look first to places closest to home."" --AMY BRADY, Ice ""What might still flow through these damned-up and dried-out days of ours? Fountain Creek is lovingly navigated and tenderly told by O'Donnell and becomes a baptismal stream for the Anthropocene. This book swims."" --TIM DEE, Four Fields ""Fountain Creek shows how myths of place and belonging influence our interactions with the natural world."" --STERLING SHALLBETTER, Old Firehouse Books ""A quietly beautiful exercise in the glory of natural spaces, O'Donnell's Fountain Creek is a panacea for and an acknowledgement of the hurts and injustices done to the wild world on behalf of humanity's irrepressible ""progress""."" --MOLLY IMBER, Maria's Bookshop

"""Fountain Creek takes us on a fascinating tour of an abused and unassuming stream, fed by the effluent of cities and carrying with it centuries of human history. O'Donnell reminds us that--even within earshot of the interstate's roar--water still flows and wildness persists."" --ZAK PODMORE, Life After Dead Pool ""A beautifully told story about an essential body of water and the options for its future as the West gets hotter and drier."" --BETSY GAINES QUAMMEN, True West ""O'Donnell steps cautiously and curiously into Fountain Creek and encourages us all to love our home rivers, even when we're afraid of what we might find."" --LAURA PASKUS, Water Bodies ""O'Donnell's compassion for the roaming watercourse is evident with his knowledge of the past and firsthand observations. Through sharp examination and expressive writing, Fountain Creek gives readers deeper respect and understanding of why Fountain Creek is a crucial and vital resource which can not and should not be discounted or ignored."" --JEFFERY PAYNE, Poor Richard's Books ""In his affecting, prismatic, and beautifully-wrought exploration of the past, present, and possible future of the Fountain, Jim O'Donnell reminds us that we have a chance at healing the world at large, if only we look first to places closest to home."" --AMY BRADY, publisher of Orion magazine and author of Ice ""Fountain Creek shows how myths of place and belonging influence our interactions with the natural world."" --STERLING SHALLBETTER, Old Firehouse Books ""A quietly beautiful exercise in the glory of natural spaces, O'Donnell's Fountain Creek is a panacea for and an acknowledgement of the hurts and injustices done to the wild world on behalf of humanity's irrepressible ""progress""."" --MOLLY IMBER, Maria's Bookshop"

""Fountain Creek takes us on a fascinating tour of an abused and unassuming stream, fed by the effluent of cities and carrying with it centuries of human history. Jim O'Donnell reminds us that--even within earshot of the interstate's roar--water still flows and wildness persists."" --ZAK PODMORE, Life After Dead Pool ""A beautifully told story about an essential body of water and the options for its future as the West gets hotter and drier."" --BETSY GAINES QUAMMEN, True West ""O'Donnell steps cautiously and curiously into Fountain Creek and encourages us all to love our home rivers, even when we're afraid of what we might find."" --LAURA PASKUS, Water Bodies ""Fountain Creek is a meticulous, heartfelt ode to a chronically mistreated watershed. Every stream in the American West deserves a biographer as affectionate, thorough, and lyrical as O'Donnell. May this book help us find the wisdom to restore Fountain Creek and many other waterways like it."" --BEN GOLDFARB, Crossings ""O'Donnell's compassion for the roaming watercourse is evident with his knowledge of the past and firsthand observations. Through sharp examination and expressive writing, Fountain Creek gives readers deeper respect and understanding of why Fountain Creek is a crucial and vital resource which can not and should not be discounted or ignored."" --JEFFERY PAYNE, Poor Richard's Books ""In his affecting, prismatic, and beautifully-wrought exploration of the past, present, and possible future of the Fountain, O'Donnell reminds us that we have a chance at healing the world at large, if only we look first to places closest to home."" --AMY BRADY, Ice ""What might still flow through these damned-up and dried-out days of ours? Fountain Creek is lovingly navigated and tenderly told by O'Donnell and becomes a baptismal stream for the Anthropocene. This book swims."" --TIM DEE, Four Fields ""Fountain Creek shows how myths of place and belonging influence our interactions with the natural world."" --STERLING SHALLBETTER, Old Firehouse Books ""A quietly beautiful exercise in the glory of natural spaces, O'Donnell's Fountain Creek is a panacea for and an acknowledgement of the hurts and injustices done to the wild world on behalf of humanity's irrepressible ""progress""."" --MOLLY IMBER, Maria's Bookshop

Author Information

Jim O'Donnell is a writer and photographer whose work has appeared in Sierra Magazine, El Palacio, MM Magazine, Ensia, and elsewhere. O'Donnell continues to work as a community conservation activist and wilderness advocate in the American Southwest where he works to protect and restore wetlands and watersheds. Born and raised in southern Colorado, O'Donnell lives in Taos, New Mexico.

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