The River Stops Here

by Ted Simon

The River Stops Here is an exhilarating tale of classic American heroism, the unforgettable story of one man's battle to save a valley and a way of life. Richard Wilson turned his back on a comfortable life in Southern California to settle with his wife and children in Round Valley, a remote miracle of nature in the mountains north of San Francisco. He built a cattle ranch there because he believed in the value of living on the land. He worked hard to be accepted by the valley's long-time farmers and ranchers because he knew he'd found a community where he wanted to stay. Then, in 1967, the State of California announced its plan to flood Round Valley - the farms, the town, the homes - under 11 billion tons of water, to turn it into a vast reservoir to feed the ever-expanding, always-thirsty south. Richard Wilson vowed to stop them. So began an extraordinary battle that pitted him and a small band of followers against some of the most powerful forces in the state: the great corporate fa