A Ditch in Time: The City, the West and Water

This is not some happy tale and it is not some grim environmental disaster nor a screed about how environmentalists are ruining the economy. It is a calm study of how Denver's water system developed, how those who wanted to continue the growth of Denver and its surrounding suburbs dealt with environmentalists. And visa versa. The book examines the conflict inherent to change, the programs that were successful for both those who wanted to build more dams and the programs that worked for those who wanted to stop particular dams, such as Two Forks.I'm not sure that this book would have much appeal for those who live on the East Coast, but water projects for both San Francisco and LA are briefly mentioned by way of example and precedent.Pat Limerick has a light touch and keeps the subject from being ponderous.

I enjoyed learning about the history of the Denver Water Board and how politics and 19th-century expansionist thinking got Front Range and Western slope water where it is today. No bad guys, just people doing what they think is right. I would have liked additional information about how Colorado water planning and planning by other states down stream worked in the large scheme of things, but I realize that wasn't the focus of the book. Definitely recommend if you like Western history.

Book is in great shape. Haven't read it yet but excited to.

Limerick and Hanson have written a page-turner on a topic one might have thought ho-hum. It is so thoroughly researched and the facts so creatively integrated, that the whole picture of finding water and storing it in our arid west is well understood. The viewpoint is objective and balanced. The illustrations useful and memorable. After reading this, Denver, Colorado and western water users will no longer take their excellent water for granted.

This is a fair minded history of the development of Colorado's prior appropriation water system and the colorful players and competition over resources as they developed since the earliest mining rushes. Well-researched and presented in a compelling, enjoyable and readable fashion, it also provides a balanced view of the competing claims and issues debated among pro-development, environmentalist and other interested factions. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the socio-political history of water law and development in Colorado.

Colorado is the highest average elevation state in the nation, sharing it's bountiful snowmelt waters with all of the other 49 states. If you live in Colorado, you should know where your water comes from, where it goes, why it goes there, and what it is used for when it gets there. "A Ditch In Time", by Patricia Limerick, along with "Water Wranglers", by George Sibley, are two excellent 2012 publications for those who care about our water.

Literate, well researched, timely story of Denver Water. The collateral effects of actions taken by Denver Water are many-fold. The role played by the water department of Colorado's largest city in the development of the state shows today in the relationships between the state's region, And the evolution of the modern ecological movement, the ever-growing demand for water and a resource of finite quantities make for a fascinating book.

It is impossible to understand the West without understanding water. The author, a leading authority on the history of the West, paints a captivating tale of the colorful characters and power struggles that made it possible for Colorado to grow and prosper. She brings a complex story down to the level to which is is both fun and highly entertaining. A great read!