People
interacted a great deal with their environment in the West. People blasted tunnels through
mountains in order to build railroads. Large mining companies also used water pressure in order
to tear down mountainsides in order to quickly find ore. This work was dangerous and led to the
death of many railroad workers and miners. It also led to considerable damage that helped to
fuel the national park movement. Loggers cutting ancient trees on hillsides also left many
Western localities at the mercy of mudslides.
In order to provide water for
cities and irrigation, many sought to divert rivers using dams. These dams provide recreational
facilities for the area, but they also interrupt fragile ecosystems, as they disturb fish
migration habits.
Large-scale agriculture ruined the grassland on the Plains
that had existed for centuries. In the early-twentieth century, wheat speculators came West in
droves looking for quick profits. When the bottom fell out of the wheat market, they left,
leaving the topsoil at the mercy of the elements.
The 1930s saw drought come
to the region as well as high winds. These created the Dust Bowl, blowing away priceless topsoil
and creating sand dunes in the Midwest. Many places even today cannot support agriculture due to
this lack of topsoil.
Though the West is one of the most vital economic zones
in the United States, its development has come at a cost to the physical landscape. The natural
beauty of the West combined with the boundless capitalism of the Gilded Age helped to fuel the
need for the national park service so that everyone can enjoy the West in relatively pristine
conditions.
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