BOOK REVIEW by www.watermagazine.com

WATER ON THE GREAT PLAINS: Issues & Policies

Peter J Longo and David W. Yoskowitz - Editors
Published by Texas Tech University Press
Details: www.ttup.ttu.edu

This 200 page book is a collection of ten stimulating essays on the topic of water in the Great Plains of North America which stretch from Texas to Alberta. The essays traverse disputes, culture, history and debates arising, and collectively call for wise management to preserve available water supplies. The key questions include: How will water policy be made? Will water continue to flow uphill toward money or will public interest drive water allocation and use?

The foreward to the book notes "...local and state governments have attempted to allocate water rights, but their efforts have been piecemeal and often short-sighted. In the absence of a coherent policy for protecting water resources, supplies are depleted, and what is left becomes more and more polluted by industrial, agricultural, and biological waste products. In fact, the Great Plains is on the brink of a water crisis, a silent crisis that threatens the health of people, environments, and economies...."

As I sat here in New Zealand reading this book, I wondered how relevant and interesting it would be for me, and for readers not immersed in Great Plain water issues. In fact I found it fascinating. The chapter exploring how water disputes have been represented and portrayed in cinema - in films many of us will have seen - was enthralling. Chapters dealing with indigenous peoples' actions and responses were also of considerable interest. The local Indian populations have had to use more than bows and arrows to protect their water rights. But of greatest interest for me was the continuing reference to the importance and relevance of well-organised community campaigns to protect water rights.

The chapter contents of the book include:
Each essay includes a detailed reference list, as well as significant quotes from a variety of sources. Read together, these essays paint a picture of a varied landscape and of the historic and political background to the water allocation disputes of today. The general thrust of the book is that litigation over water consumes vast amounts of energy and resource without necessarily arriving at a good robust outcome. The preferred method of dispute resolution is through intergovernmental cooperation.

The use of primary material, extracts from court decisions, and detailed accounts of actual water disputes, make this book practical and down to earth. It is not a theoretical tome. In an anthropological way it builds on the history of past water disputes, and tentatively points out the way forward. This is a book more noted for the questions it raises, than for the answers it provides. That said, it is constructive and helpful to understand and appreciate the history of past disputes. If we can't learn from history, then we are all doomed to repeat it. As the book says, "...change the names of the places and the actors, and the issues could be found in Australia, Africa, or the Middle East. What will continue to distinguish the citizens of the Great Plains is their response to the continuing questions about water."

WATER ON THE GREAT PLAINS: Issues & Policies is 200 pages long and is available in hard cover. It was first published in 2002. The isbn is 0-89672-459-X. To order it readers should contact Texas Tech University Press, Box 41037, Lubbock, Texas 79409-1037 USA. Tel 1-800-832-4042. Books can also be ordered on their website at www.ttup.ttu.edu or by e-mail

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Joel Cayford
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