Abstract
This chapter introduces the argument and the topic of the book. The project examines the role of unauthorized water use in the American West, covering the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. It lays out the argument that there will be a coming demand for “water accountability,” and introduces the major points the book covers, (1) the capacity of western states to protect water rights through mainly their response to unauthorized water use in their jurisdictions, and (2) “water accountability,” which constitutes the continuum of pressure on state agencies to enforce water rights and take steps to protect those rights through a variety of means. The chapter argues that status quo responses to unauthorized water use (or water theft) are largely inadequate, and illustrate the focal point of the state’s role in protecting property rights.
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Castellano, I.M. (2020). The American West Responds to Climate Change. In: Water Scarcity in the American West. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23150-7_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23150-7_1
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