Water Resources

An overview of U.S. water law for a general audience, covering key doctrines like riparian rights, prior appropriation, and groundwater rules. It explains federal roles in water management and explores how water law intersects with environmental protection, energy policy, and watershed management. The book concludes with a discussion of water rights as private property and the legal challenges posed by environmental regulations.

Explores how the Mayo people of northwestern Mexico navigated shifting access to the Fuerte River between 1927 and 1970. By engaging with irrigation laws, land reform, and cooperatives, they defended their land and cultural identity. James V. Mestaz highlights how the Mayo adapted hydraulic technology while preserving traditional rituals tied to the river. This environmental and social history reveals how water access shaped Indigenous resistance, identity, and relations with the Mexican state, offering a vital lens on modernity, resource control, and cultural survival in 20th-century Mexico.

The "Law of the River" is a complex framework of compacts, treaties, laws, and court decisions governing use of the Colorado River. As drought and climate change push the river system toward crisis, planned water cutbacks are drawing urgent attention to these laws. With the 2022 centennial of the foundational Colorado River Compact, the legal and political stakes are especially high for lower basin states like California, whose major cities depend heavily on this water source. Understanding and re-evaluating the "Law of the River" is increasingly vital for regional water security and management.

This book explores humanity’s deep yet often overlooked relationship with water, from its ancient origins to its mysterious forms hidden deep within Earth. Once thoughtlessly abundant, water is now entering an era of scarcity due to mismanagement, climate change, and overuse. Through vivid storytelling—from Las Vegas to Australia—the author illustrates both the urgency and the hope in rethinking how we value and use water. Despite looming crises, innovative solutions exist, and with a shift in our mindset, we can ensure a sustainable water future. The book challenges readers to appreciate water’s vital role and act before it’s too late.