California has had a unique historical relationship with water among U.S. states. With the temporal variability of its Mediterranean climate, combined with the geographic variability of its rainy north and desert south, management and manipulation of water flows have been imperative to California's path from early settlement to the most populous state in the nation, and its place among the largest economies in the world. The story of water development in California provides compelling examples of environmental politics, the social and environmental consequences of redistributing water, and the relationships between water, food, energy, and climate.

This course provides the historical, scientific, legal, institutional, and economic background needed to understand the social and ecological challenges of providing water for California’s growing population, agricultural economy, and other uses - all of which are made more complex by climate change. We will look at past and current debates around cases ranging from local issues on the American River to statewide issues that converge in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. We will likely organize field trips to engage with these cases directly and have guest lectures from California water practitioners. This is a lecture-style course with extensive readings, a midterm, three short essays, and a final exam.