Extended Abstract: Valuating National Parks and the Aesthetics of Reclamation

This research examines technical reports issued regarding potential dam deconstruction to better understand what role the perception of natural beauty plays in technical communication regarding wilderness restoration and dam efficacy. Using discourse analysis methods, the research focuses on the O'Shaughnessy Dam located within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada of Central California, U.S.A. This case study provides a framework to better understand the role aesthetics play when technical writers discuss the implications of dam removal, resource allocation, and irreparability.