North American Water and Power Alliance Records
name: label: Creator
content: North American Water and Power Alliance.
label: Creator
content: Ralph M. Parsons Corporation (Pasadena, Calif.)
place: label: Place
content: Ogallala Aquifer
label: Place
content: Great Lakes (North America)
topic: label: Topic
content: Lobbying
label: Topic
content: Water-power
label: Topic
content: Water transfer
label: Topic
content: Engineering -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Conservation of natural resources
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Immediate source of acquisition unknown. Found in the Division of Engineering and Industry, now known as the Division of Work and Industry, National Museum of American History.
creator: label: Creator
content: North American Water and Power Alliance.
label: Creator
content: Ralph M. Parsons Corporation (Pasadena, Calif.)
setName: label: See more items in
content: North American Water and Power Alliance Records
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection contains executive reports, promotional material, correspondence, articles and publications documenting the North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA), which was a large-scale, transcontinental water transfer plan designed by the Ralph M. Parsons Corporation in 1964.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA) was a large-scale, transcontinental water transfer plan designed by the Ralph M. Parsons Corporation in 1964.  The Parsons Corporation was founded in 1944 to provide engineering, procurement and construction services for government, petrochemical, and infrastructure clients.  In the early 1960s, Parsons invested its own financial resources to study and develop a conceptual plan for NAWAPA, which would divert fresh water from Alaska to water-deficient areas of seven Canadian provinces, thirty-three U.S. states, and three Mexican states.  The total projected investment was about a hundred billion dollars with construction estimated to take approximately twenty years.  

Although the NAWAPA project was never realized, the Parsons Corporation (http://www.parsons.com) continues to  provide engineering, construction, technical, and management services to private industries and government agencies.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.6 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1964-1990
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Transferred to the Archives Center in 2007 from the Division of Work and Industry, then known as the Division of Engineering and Industry.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1052
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Reports
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Videotapes
label: Type
content: Brochures
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is organized into three series.

Series 1: Plans and Studies, 1964-1989 

Series 2: Correspondence, 1974-1990

Series 3: Reference, 1964-1990
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: processed by Kristin Davidson, intern, 2011.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: A digital surrogate (RDVD 1052.01) of the videotape, North American Water and Power Alliance, exists.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Reports
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Brochures -- 1950-2000
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection contains a promotional video, correspondence, plans, studies, reports, articles, newspaper clippings, and newsletters, which document the North American Water and Power Alliance (NAWAPA), a large scale, transcontinental water transfer plan designed by the Ralph M. Parsons Corporation in 1964 to collect excess water from the northwestern part of the North American continent and distribute it to deficient areas of Canada, the United States and Mexico.  

Series 1: Plans and Studies, 1964-1989, is arranged topically and contains conceptual studies, executive plans, summaries, and papers and presentations about the NAWAPA project.  The conceptual plans (Volumes One, Two and Five), detail the engineering, financial, and sociogeopolitical aspects of the project, while the other materials provide overall background and context for the project's conception. 

Series 2: Correspondence, 1974-1990, is arranged chronologically and contains letters and interoffice memoranda about the NAWAPA project.  The contents of the letters primarily relate to efforts to gain federal government support for the NAWAPA. The majority of the correspondence was created by Joseph Volpe, Jr., Vice-President of Parsons Corporation and W.E. Leonhard, Chairman and CEO of Parsons Corporation. Correspondence from congressional representatives such as Senator Fran E. Moss (D-Utah) and Representative Harold T. (Bizz) Johnson (D-California) are present. There are some tax returns, letters and interoffice memoranda concerning the dissolution of the NAWAPA Foundation Inc., which was a subsidiary of the Parsons Corporation. 

Series 3: Reference Materials, 1964-1990, is arranged topically and contains brochures, articles, publications, newspaper clippings, notes, and audio visual materials documenting the NAWAPA project and water issues. Materials from the National Water Alliance, National Democratic Policy Committee (Water from Alaska), and the Water Policy Report of the Western Governors' Association are represented. The NAWAPA promotional video tape on 1/2" VHS, circa 1964, was originally shot on 16mm color film and produced by the Ralph M. Parsons Corporation. The film depicts still images of landscapes, mostly rivers and reservoirs, and engineering projects such as dams, hydroelectric power plants and irrigation systems. The film is narrated and discusses the importance of the NAWAPA project. A digital surrogate (RDVD 1052.01) of the videotape exists.