Product Description

It takes 8 gallons of water to grow a tomato; 616 gallons to make a burger patty. In fact, the food each of us consumes per day represents an investment of 4,500 gallons of water, according to the California Farm Bureau. In this densely populated state where it rains only six months out of the year, where does all that water come from? 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 for a state facing the future with an already overextended water supply, this fascinating book shows that, for all Californians, every drop counts. * Features 137 color photographs and 27 color maps * Includes a table "Where Does Your Water Come From?" that answers the question for 315 California cities and towns * Provides up-to-date information on water quality in California, covering such timely topics as Giardia, groundwater contamination, fluoride, and the bottled-water phenomenon Illustrations: 130 color photographs, 26 color maps, 7 line drawings, 3 tables

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1357078 in Books
• Published on: 2004-04-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 276 pages

Review
"Prescient and timely. . . Carle's obvious skills as an educator flow through the book as he reels in the reader with engaging hooks. . . The book is broad enough to be widely read and yet specific enough to serve as a text book."--North County Times

"A colorful overview of nature and politics."--Chico Enterprise-record

From the Inside Flap
"This book engages readers at a personal level."--Donald Pisani, author of Water and American Government

"Water is the foundation upon which California's ecosystems and economic vitality rise. This is a must read for anyone living in California, whether they are students, politicians, farmers, environmental activists, or corporate executives."--Arthur Guy Baggett, Jr., Chair, California State Water Resources Control Board

"A comprehensive, readable natural history guide to an extremely complicated subject. It interweaves the historical, human, and technological factors with the ecological and environmental realities."--Pam Lloyd, former Chair of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, S.F. Bay Region

From the Back Cover
"This book engages readers at a personal level."-Donald Pisani, author of Water and American Government "Water is the foundation upon which California's ecosystems and economic vitality rise . . . . This is a must read for anyone living in California, whether they are students, politicians, farmers, environmental activists, or corporate executives."-Arthur Guy Baggett, Jr., Chair, California State Water Resources Control Board "A comprehensive, readable natural history guide to an extremely complicated subject. It interweaves the historical, human, and technological factors with the ecological and environmental realities."-Pam Lloyd, former Chair of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, S.F. Bay Region

Customer Reviews

Essential reading if you live in California
Carle engages one of most contentious and complex issue that our culture ignores - water. So we don't have enough water in California- you probably knew that. This book explores the nuances of California water - nature, culture, agriculture and infrastructure - in an concise volume that is suprisingly enjoyable for a such a dry topic.

There is enough information packed into this little book to serve as a textbook - as such, Carle has created a valuable primmer and users guide for the Golden State.

Introduction to Water
This is a great overview book that carefully breaks down the various issues regarding water in California. The perspective is more political and historical rather than technical and your expectations should be accordingly. There is some scientific content to backup his positions but it is not the focus of the book.The book is well organized and contains plenty of illustrations and graphs. It is obvious the writer is a hippie but this is to be expected from the genre. There is a subtle bias but it is not deceptive and again is to be expected from the genre and perhaps the reader.

Intro To Everything Water
I was assigned this book for a Water Law & Policy class. I absolutely love it. It has SO much information for such a small book.