In conjunction with the arrival of the Smithsonian “Waterways” exhibit at the Sun Valley Museum of History, the library will host a series of talks related to water issues in our region.
The “Waterways” exhibit is on display at the Sun Valley Museum of History, 180 1st St., in the Forest Service Park, Ketchum, from July 16 to August 28.
The Snake River, its massive underground aquifer, and the development of thriving human communities are tightly woven through the land and history of southern Idaho. Each one affects the other. Today there are many conflicts over the rights and uses of groundwater in the Snake River Plain.
How did the legal and economic rivalries over such a seemingly vast resource develop? What does the changing perception and use of groundwater tell us about our own societies? Examining the human history with the Snake River Aquifer through science, law, policy, technology, and culture reveals the depth of human interdependence with water and helps us to better understand our most vital contemporary issues.
Dr. Kevin Marsh joined the faculty at Idaho State University in August 2003. He teaches Environmental History, Idaho History, U.S. History and Culture, Modern United States, and the History Seminar. He serves as chair of the History Department and as editor of Idaho Yesterdays, the peer-reviewed journal of the Idaho State Historical Society.