What Do I Read Next?
Marc Reisner and Sarah Bates from the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund provide a thoughtful examination of western water policies and propose reforms in their book Overtapped Oasis: Reform or Revolution for Western Water (1989).
In his 1991 book, Game Wars: The Undercover Pursuit of Wildlife Poachers, Reisner delves into the issue of poaching through the experiences of detective Dave Hall, who operates from Alaska to Louisiana. This book highlights a growing public concern about hunting due to increased environmental awareness and conflicts between sportsmen and Native Americans over treaty rights.
The United States Society on Dams is composed of professionals dedicated to building and maintaining dams. Their website, located at http://www2.privatei.com/~uscold (as of March 2001), provides current information on U.S. dams.
The Army Corps of Engineers manages the U.S. dams inventory, accessible at http://crunch.tec.army.mil/nid/webpages/nid.cfm (as of March 2001), as mandated by the original Water Resources Act and its 1996 amendment. This site offers maps of all American dams.
Donald Worster's 1984 book, Rivers of Empire: Water, Aridity, and the Growth of the American West, explores water infrastructure in the West, drawing on Karl Wittfogel's concept of a "hydraulic society." Worster argues that dams and water diversions helped the U.S. achieve its goal of controlling nature.
Last Oasis, written by Sandra Postel in 1992 and published by the Worldwatch Institute, focuses on how policy shifts and new technologies can enhance the water supply and environmental conditions in the West. Postel collaborated with Reisner on the film adaptation of his work.
Historian Richard White's 1995 book, The Organic Machine: The Remaking of the Columbia River, serves as a model for applying ecological regionalism to historical topics. White examines the evolving relationship between humans, salmon, and the river.
Water shortages are a worldwide issue. Rivers often cross international borders, with water-rich regions being sparsely populated and densely populated areas facing water scarcity. Marq De Villiers addresses the global water crisis in his 2000 book, Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource.
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