Water is for fighting over : and other myths about water in the West / John Fleck.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fleck, John, 1959- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Water-supply--West (U.S.).

Water-supply.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (264 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : Island Press, [2016]

Summary:

When we think of water in the West, we think of conflict and crisis. In recyears, newspaper headlines have screamed,"Scarce water and the death of California farms," "The Dust Bowl returns," "A 'megadrought' will grip U.S. in thecoming decades." Yet similar stories have been appearing for decades and the taps continue to flow. John Fleck arguesthat the talk of impending doom is not only untrue, but dangerous. When people get scared, they fight for the last drop ofwater; but when they actually have less, they use less. Having covered environmental issues in the West for a quarter century, Fleck would be the last writer to discount theserious problems posed by a dwindling Colorado River. But in that time, Fleck has also seen people in the Colorado RiverBasin come together, conserve, and share the water that is available. Western communities, whether farmers and city-dwellers or US environmentalists and Mexican water managers, have a promising record of cooperation, a recordoften obscured by the crisis narrative. In this fresh take on western water, Fleck brings to light the true history of collaboration and examines the bondscurrently being forged to solve the Basin's mdire threats. Rather than perpetuate the myth "Whiskey's for drinkin', water's for fightin' over," Fleck urges readers to embrace a new, more optimistic narrative--a future where the Colorado continues to flow.

Contents:

Intro

About IP

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Rejoining the Sea

Chapter 2. Water Squandered on a Cow

Chapter 3. Fountains in the Desert

Chapter 4. Negotiating the Rapids

Chapter 5. Arizona's Worst Enemy

Chapter 6. Averting Tragedy

Chapter 7. Turning Off LA's Tap

Chapter 8. So Cal Cuts Back

Chapter 9. The Great Fallowing

Chapter 10. Emptying Lake Mead

Chapter 11. Who's Left Out?

Chapter 12. A Beaver Returns to the Delta

Chapter 13. Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

IP Board of Directors.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-61091-680-8

OCLC:

958293311