This collection contains articles, reports, correspondences and legal documents gathered by Carla M. Bard. Bard was an environmental activist and expert on water quality issues. She was the first woman to serve as a chairperson on the California State Water Resources Control Board and later became active in issues concerning the San Joaquin River. Agencies mentioned in this collection include the Ecosystem Restoration Program Plan and California/Federal (CALFED) Bay-Delta Program.

The collection consists of correspondence, reports, designs, specifications, and photographs, relating to dams, dam sites, and hydroelectric power plants in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, British Columbia, and Mexico.