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<br /> <br />Preface <br /> <br />The idea for this book emerged gradually over thirty-five years of <br />practice in the charged arena of water politics, water litigation and <br />water development. Countless times I have been asked if there <br />were not something on water that people could read to give them a <br />general background. Sometimes the inquiries have come from legis- <br />lators, newly thrust into the sectional battles over water. Sometimes <br />from a local water district manager, board member, or city official. <br />Sometimes from an engineer or planner, or a lawyer whose practice <br />has never before touched the field of water. Sometimes from a <br />developer who was just beginning to appreciate its water problems. <br />Occasionally even judges have asked for help. <br />Unfortunately the answer always had to be the same-that no <br />handy, comprehensive book was available. Wells Hutchins' "bible" <br />that we all used at one time has long been out of date 1 A two- <br />volume textbook exists, but that is not usually what people have in <br />mind; nor is it current.2 Even less appealing and accessible are <br />the chapters on California water law included in still larger multi- <br />volume national or state sets. <br />Of course, there is no shortage of excellent current material on <br />water issues in law reviews and other periodicals and services. But <br />these writings generally focus on narrow subjects, and often are craft- <br />ed for use principally by lawyers. More general and basic questions <br />about water still receive little comprehensive attention. Where does <br />our water come from? How much water does California have? Are we <br /> <br />1 The California Law of Water Rights by Wells A. Hutchins, published in <br />1956. <br />2 Water for California, Rogers & Nichols, published in 1967, <br /> <br />v <br />