Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner

Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner "The story of the American West is the story of a relentless quest for a precious resource: water. It is a tale of rivers diverted and dammed, of politcal corruption and intrigue, of billion-dollar battles over water rights, of ecologic and economic disaster. In Cadillac Desert Marc Reisner writes of the earliest settlers, lured by the promise of paradise, and the ruthless tactics employed by Los Angleles politicians and business interests to ensure the city's growth. He documents the bitter rivalry between two government giants, the Bureau of Reclamation and the US Army Corps of Engineers, in the competition to transform the West" --back cover Softcover, 582 pages