This thoroughly engaging, concise book tells the story of California's most precious resource, tracing the journey of water in the state from the atmosphere to the snowpack to our faucets and foods. Along the way, we learn much about California itself as the book describes its rivers, lakes, wetlands, dams, and aqueducts and discusses the role of water in agriculture, the environment, and politics. Essential reading in a state facing the future with an overextended water supply, this fascinating book shows that, for all Californians, every drop counts.
New to this updated edition:
* Additional maps, figures, and photos
* Expanded coverage of potential impacts to precipitation, snowpack, and water supply from climate change
* Updated information about the struggle for water management and potential solutions
* New content about sustainable groundwater use and regulation, desalination, water recycling, stormwater capture, and current proposals for water storage and diversion
*Additional table summarizing water sources for 360 California cities and towns
David Carle is a former park ranger and the author of California Natural History Guides about water, fire, air, and soil (UC Press), as well as other books in water history and management, including Drowning the Dream: California’s Water Choices at the Millennium and Water and the California Dream. His most recent UC Press book is Traveling the 38th Parallel: A Water Line around the World (2013).
“We can only hope that, someday, such a guide is available for every state in the West.”—High Country News
"This book provides a valuable overview of the problems facing California, but it has implications for the rest of the country. Highly recommended."—Choice
“It’s a comprehensive look at a very complicated subject and a fascinating journey about water.”—Mammoth Times
“The type of book you would hope to see in every welcome basket for every lawmaker coming to Sacramento for the first time. Anyone living in or interested in California should reach such a book.”—Journal Of The American Water Resources Association
352 pp.5.5 x 8.25Illus: 29 maps, 8 line illustrations,
9780520287907$29.95|£25.00Paper
Dec 2015