This study focuses on the development of water resources in the Trinity River basin for navigation, flood control, water supply, recreation, and allied purposes. Special emphasis is given to the development of the upper Trinity River basin through the influence of community leaders in Dallas and Fort Worth. A desire harbored for generations by upper basin residents for creating a navigable waterway on the Trinity River coalesced in the twentieth century into a well organized movement for all facets of water resources development. Sources include correspondence, speeches, and promotional materials of civic leaders, politicians, and other citizens, as well as works by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

"The Tennessee Valley Authority is a world example of the full development of a river basin in soil conservation, flood control, navigation, electric power, afforestation, and recreation... Many river basin areas in the United States have created planning commissions to further develop the advancement of their own watershed problems. The Trinity Improvement Association is the planning commission for the Trinity River watershed area... In Chapter II a factual resume of the Tennessee Valley Authority will be given, and this chapter will be used as a basis of comparison for the development of the Trinity River Basin. Chapter III covers the problem of soil conservation and flood control within the watershed area; Chapter IV deals with the industrial and municipal use of water and the resources of the tributary area; Chapter V contains a brief history of the canal movement on the Trinity, the feasibility of such a canal, and miscellaneous developments; and Chapter VI contains the conclusions that it seems appropriate to draw. " -- leaf 1.