Water Use Conflicts in the West

Book excerpt: Conflicts among water users still occur in the American West. Environmentalists, who want water to be left in the rivers to preserve threatened species, compete with urban & agricultural users for the West's limited water resources. Native American water rights are also receiving more attention. This study analyzes the policy tools slated for use in California, estimates the costs of those reforms to agriculture in the state, & discusses the implications of using those policy tools in the rest of the West. Policy changes introduced in California could serve as models for changes throughout the West. Charts & tables.