Obi Kaufmann, author of the best-selling California Field Atlas, turns his artful yet analytical attention to the Golden State's single most complex and controversial resource: water. In this new book, full-color maps unravel the braided knot of California's water infrastructure and ecosystems, exposing a history of unlimited growth in spite of finite natural resources--a history that has led to its current precarious circumstances. Yet this built world depends upon the biosphere, and in The State of Water Kaufmann argues that environmental conservation and restoration efforts are necessary not only for ethical reasons but also as a matter of human survival. Offering nine perspectives to illustrate the most pressing challenges facing California's water infrastructure, from dams to species revitalization, Kaufmann reveals pragmatic yet inspiring solutions to how water in the West can continue to support agriculture, municipalities, and the environment. Interspersed throughout with trail paintings of animals that might yet survive under a caring and careful water ethic, Kaufmann shows how California can usher in a new era of responsible water conservation, and--perhaps most importantly--how we may do so together.

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

California’s water is at the center of an intense economic and political struggle. A balance between supply and demand must be reached, but it is far from certain that all Californians will get as much water as they want at a price they feel is right. Competition for California Water presents essential information on key issues, including: Costs: What would be the yields and what would be the costs, in dollars as well as less tangible values, of developing new sources of water? Cost-sharing: How much of the cost of water development and distribution should be borne by the general public, and how much by water users and other beneficiaries? Environmental protection: To what extent should environmental values be protected? Conservation: To what extent can the need for new water development be offset by conservation and more efficient use of water? Institutional reform: Can changes in the laws and institutions of California produce a more efficient system of water supply and management? Agriculture: How much increase in cost and/or loss of water can California agriculture bear and still remain competitive? Thirty-one experts on all aspects of this topic project alternative futures for California’s water supply. Written in nontechnical language, Competition for California Water is an invaluable source of information for Californians concerned with the future of their state. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1982.