A documentary project
The story of modern water use in the western USA.
The SouthWestern United States is home to 40.6 million people.
Western expansion is not just a thing of the past, the population explosion of the American city, town and suburb brings impressive figures.
agricultural users
The west was settled relatively recently in comparison with other parts of the world. Agriculture and ranching were some of the first businesses in these newly settled areas…
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When the populations were low and demand was light, agricultural users began irrigating and cultivating the arid west, few could predict the demand and supply challenges that would later arise. Our domestic food chain and rural communities are front and center in the modern water conversation.
western expansion
With bright sunny days, mild temperatures, swaths of open inexpensive land and numerous recreational resources it is no wonder people continue to migrate to the West.
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The culture of water usage and pricing in the United States is as American as apple pie… there has seemed to be plenty to go around. Golf courses, swimming pools, lawns and showers are thirsty assets and a hallmark of our society. Populations grow and so does the demand on fresh water.
Municipal needs
New housing and populations must fit in around an already established usage base and culture, one that has become accustomed to usage amounts established from decades outdated baselines and a time of different climate.
legal frameworks
Until recently, very few outside of the business of water management concerned themselves with the legal and historical workings of water law, compacts and disputes. But as scarcity grows the systems that govern how we use water are being tested.