... and the Desert Shall Rejoice

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"...and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose," prophesied Isaiah (35:1), and it came to pass through the irrigation of arid lands. This book examines irrigation communities in southeastern Spain and the western United States, focusing on water resource institutions in the huertas of Valencia, Murcia-Orihuela, and Alicante, as well as the Kings River service area in California, northeastern Colorado, and Utah Valley. The authors analyze how these communities address goals such as conflict resolution, popular participation, local control, economic growth, income distribution justice, and equity. While some objectives are complementary, many are competitive, leading to trade-offs that shape the character of each irrigation community. Water distribution policies may be based on time, place, or legal precedents, reflecting the unique circumstances of each area. Surprisingly, despite differences, all communities share similarities that transcend time, culture, technology, and political ideology. They have largely circumvented central government control, maintaining collective independence. The authors note that local control remains dominant, with organized farmers effectively managing their resources despite federal regulations. The book employs sophisticated computer simulations to compare irrigation procedures, measuring the costs and benefits of water storage and distribution, of interest to engineers and agricultura