"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
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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 phenomenonA book in the Californians and Their Environment subseries, dedicated to understanding human influences on the state's ecology and natural resources
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