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Where the Water Goes
Where the Water Goes: Life and Death Along the Colorado River | David Owen
16 posts | 13 read | 16 to read
A brilliant, eye-opening account of where our water comes from and where it all goes The Colorado River is a crucial resource for a surprisingly large part of the United States, and every gallon that flows down it is owned or claimed by someone. David Owen traces all that water from the Colorado's headwaters to its parched terminus, once a verdant wetland but now a million-acre desert. He takes readers on an adventure downriver, along a labyrinth of waterways, reservoirs, power plants, farms, fracking sites, ghost towns, and RV parks, to the spot near the U.S.-Mexico border where the river runs dry. Water problems in the western United States can seem tantalizingly easy to solve: just turn off the fountains at the Bellagio, stop selling hay to China, ban golf, cut down the almond trees, and kill all the lawyers. But a closer look reveals a vast man-made ecosystem that is far more complex and more interesting than the headlines let on. The story Owen tells in Where the Water Goes is crucial to our future: how a patchwork of engineering marvels, byzantine legal agreements, aging infrastructure, and neighborly cooperation enables life to flourish in the desert, and the disastrous consequences we face when any part of this tenuous system fails.
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Kenyazero
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Mehso-so

An interesting read, but a bit disappointing. Very informative, and introduced me to interesting topics about water laws, conservation, and man-made networks that move water around. Very in-the-box thinking, though. The author comes off as anti-conservation, pointing out ways infrastructure uses it to consume more water and thus it's bad. Also way less discussion about the social (life) dynamics of water use than I anticipated.

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rsteve388
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#NFN2020 I am proud to announce the winners of this year's NFN2020!!

1st Place: @Mitch with 560 pts
2nd Place: @BayouGirl85 with 470 pts
3rd Place: @tdrosebud with 325 pts

Congratulations to you all. I'll be In touch with awards shortly (in the next two.hours or so)

BayouGirl85 I had a blast reading nonfiction this past month. 😁 4y
NeedsMoreBooks Congratulations! 4y
MallenNC Thanks for doing this challenge! I had fun reading nonfiction. 4y
See All 14 Comments
Bookwormjillk Thanks for hosting this. Loved knocking so much nonfiction off my TBR 4y
Mitch Oh - thank you so much! I had such fun doing this - I‘ve never read so much non fiction and I tackled so many thanks from my shelves. It was sooooo good. Thank you for keeping us all motivated! 4y
Mitch I also had lots of fun finding the time to listen more podcasts. Discovered some great new ones that I‘m now subscribed to and I‘m now in the routine of listening xxx 4y
rsteve388 @Mitch That's awesome! 4y
tdrosebud Thank you! I had fun, thank you for hosting! 4y
Chrissyreadit @BayouGirl85 @tdrosebud @Mitch congratulations!!!!! What was your favorite Non Fiction book? Mitch what podcasts did you add? 🙌👏🙌👏🙌🎉🌟🎉 4y
BayouGirl85 @Chrissyreadit Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey 4y
Chrissyreadit @BayouGirl85 thanks! That‘s on my tbr. I LOVE him ❤️❤️❤️❤️ I‘m glad to hear it‘s a good book! 4y
BayouGirl85 @Chrissyreadit his perspective on life is interesting. (edited) 4y
Mitch @Chrissyreadit Oh my goodness so many - Homemade , Fresh Air, Greetings from Somewhere, In The Dark, Ologies, Ramblings.... 4y
Chrissyreadit @Mitch thank you! There are always so many amazing things to listen to. 4y
34 likes14 comments
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rsteve388
Pickpick

This book was informative about the multiple issues regarding the Colorado really be and what steps we will need to fix them. There isn't one answer that will.fox all the problems. There will need to be some give and take if we are to continue to live in the American West.

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rsteve388

I am so.excited about all.the podcasts that you are all.listening to.

I am struggling with reading physical books and am loving my Audiobooks. Cause I can listen while scrolling on my phone.

#NFN20

Texreader Yea I love my audiobooks too. I can scroll on the phone, do crafts, gardening, and it makes housework bearable 4y
Smarkies I agree. When I can't concentrate I default to audiobooks and podcasts. Someone reading / talking to me seems less stressful. 4y
20 likes2 comments
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rsteve388
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#NFN20 #NFN #TIL.

The Army Corps of Engineers believes in the late 60's that atomic bomba could be an economical way to.release natural.gas, instead of using fracking equipment... They tried about four times before giving up... What the hell....

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rsteve388
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Beautiful Cover #7Covers7Days. #Day4

Megabooks Love this one! 5y
14 likes1 comment
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GeekGrl82
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Pickpick

Here I am at Shadow Mountain Reservoir, part of the headwaters of the Colorado river. This is an interesting book, part travelogue, part history, part ecology, part water law 101. The answers for how to deal with the over used Colorado are not easy, but something will have to happen eventually.

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BookishMarginalia
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#CurrentlyListening to this fascinating #microhistory highly recommended by @WanderingBookaneer

131 likes5 stack adds
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Floresj
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Pickpick

The first third of this one was fantastic- part water law, part Colorado history, part river exploration. (I‘m biased as I loved reading about rivers we rafted.) the middle third was a little slow, but picked up again at the end. Made me rethink conservation policies- (some seem like they are, but aren‘t and just make you feel like a good person.) Glad I read it, just wasn‘t wowed.

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Brooke_H
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Pickpick

This is a fascinating look at the Colorado River and how it and its tributaries have helped shape our country. I never knew water could be so interesting. The chapter on the Salton Sea was especially worth a read. I had to knock off one star for the depressing ending, though.

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erincb82
Pickpick

A fascinating look at a complex issue. Also, points to the author for mentioning Dillon Reservoir that my great grandfather did the survey work for and the Denver Water Board where my grandpa worked for over 30 years.

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Jennie748
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Pickpick

This was detailed and fascinating and not dry at all! Highly recommend!

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Jennie748
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Driveway reading while the youngest plays before it's too hot. This book is fascinating!

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bookculture
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This weather (and all the books that came out today, including this stunner!) got us like 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

100 likes5 stack adds