March 2025 Phil Williams interview – reflections on the Stanislaus, and on dams and rivers

In this eight minute interview, Phil Williams talks about the fraud by the Army Corps of Engineers in their 1982 decision to hold back water at New Melones Dam, forcing flooding upstream into the Stanislaus Canyon, when they knew they could release enough to retain the river’s viability. He also talks about how modern water management is trapped by old decisions, instead of modernizing practices with what we know now about watersheds, flood plains and water allocation. He ends how the rest of his water management career evolved, and how he was constantly involved in conflicts with dams and rivers all over the U.S. – and even internationally. Phil helped develop International Rivers Network in the mid-1980s to address global issues like the Stanislaus.  (Music: Little Idea by Scott Holmes Music – https://scottholmesmusic.com)