Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America's Fresh Waters

by Robert Glennon

The Santa Cruz River that once flowed through Tucson, Arizona is today a sad mirage of a river. Except for brief periods following heavy rainfall, it is bone dry. The cottonwood and willow trees that once lined its banks have died, and the profusion of birds and wildlife recorded by early settlers are nowhere to be seen. The river is dead. What happened? Where did the water go.
As Robert Glennon explains in Water Follies, what killed the Santa Cruz River -- and could devastate other surface waters across the United States -- was groundwater pumping. From 1940 to 2000, the volume of water drawn annually from underground aquifers in Tucson jumped more than six-fold, from 50,000 to 330,000 acre-feet per year. And Tucson is hardly an exception -- similar increases in groundwater pumping have occurred across the country and around the world. In a striking collection of stories that bring to life the human and natural consequences of our growing national thirst, Robert Glennon provides an occasionally wry and always fascinating account of groundwater pumping and the environmental problems it causes.

Robert Glennon sketches the culture of water use in the United States, explaining how and why we are growing increasingly reliant on groundwater. He uses the examples of the Santa Cruz and San Pedro rivers in Arizona to illustrate the science of hydrology and the legal aspects of water use and conflicts. Following that, he offers a dozen stories -- ranging from Down East Maine to San Antonio's River Walk to Atlanta's burgeoning suburbs -- that clearly illustrate the array of problems caused by groundwater pumping. Each episode poses a conflict of values that reveals the complexity of how and why we use water. These poignant and sometimes perverse tales tell of human foibles including greed, stubbornness, and, especially, the unlimited human capacity to ignore reality.

As Robert Glennon explores the folly of our actions and the laws governing them, he suggests common-sense legal and policy reforms that could help avert potentially catastrophic future effects. Water Follies, the first book to focus on the impact of groundwater pumping on the environment, brings this widespread but underappreciated problem to the attention of citizens and communities across America.

Genres: Environment, Nonfiction, Science

328 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2002

Reviews

[Sydney Doidge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was appropriately technical (although there were some basic explanations in the beginning, Glennon didn't dumb anything). As it was written in 2002, it was interesting to be able to follow up on the books predictions - several majors changes have occurred in Arizona, and the Santa Cruz is still holding up, thankfully. But the reliance on groundwater for new development is sadly unchanged. I particularly enjoyed Glennon's case studies on the east coast, where water is abundant. Most of my water knowledge is in the west, and I was surprised to realize that the majority of water use in some states actually goes to the population not agriculture. I also appreciated the policy exposure, helping me understand why some of these issues are so intractable when the recently developed law (100 years ago - in terms of human settlement and history) holds sway and so unfit for the task.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great review of the water pumping by Perrier and Nestlé. A special chapter important to people in the southeast Florida Georgia area. Hopefully, one of the qualifiers doesn’t collapse and become a giant sinkhole, and get by salt water. Scary book about water down in the southeast. But excellent read on water rights.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have recently read a variety of books on water use and water problems in the past year. However, Robert Glendon’s book has been my favorite by far. The book focuses primarily on issues of water usage related to groundwater, and presents an interesting look at these practices across the US. From the water conscious West to the water rich East, the book chronicles compelling stories of the misuse and misunderstanding of how we use our water. I feel like I have learned more from this book than I could have hoped going in. My only wish is that the book would have updated cases and information as the timeline of the book extends only to 2002. However I would still highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about water usage in the West and especially the complex trade offs that are often unnoticed when enacting water policies.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am interested in the fate of freshwater in this country and how are actions are causing pollution and destroying habitats. However, I couldn't get into this book. The case studies all seemed to blend together and after awhile it felt like I was just rereading the same thing over and over.

I am not a big nonfiction person. I need "characters" or at least something similar to connect to when reading. I think some of my attitude towards this book is due to the lack of a "character" to follow throughout each of the case studies.

[Sophie L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good variety of case studies. Was able to translate complex water laws into digestible chapters and explanations. Managed to incorporate science in a way that wasn't overwhelming but certainly thoroughly explained the difference state and federal governments were working with. The right balance of hope and despair for an environmental book...definitely needs to be updated though as 2002 is almost too far in the past to be useful except for as an example of where we were as a state/country.

[Max Gersh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Glennon brings to light some concerning examples of the over diversion of groundwater throughout the United States. While he continues to present examples that accentuate the issue, we see that these examples come in all different shapes and sizes.

[Katie Licari · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good overview in the hydrology of groundwater pumping and the laws that govern it

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Water Follies is one of the first books I have read about the true impacts that the human population and its' many uses for water has had upon the Earth. My first degree was in Environmental Health, so I have a soft spot for water quality as well as for the sake of the Earth, for our future generations. If you hope to gain knowledge about the uses and misuses of groundwater and surface water, and the economic/legal and environmental turmoil that ensues, this is very interesting. I believe the book does not cover the environmental aspects coming to play more currently, with runoff of agricultural products, as well as the severe weather patterns occurring. Robert Glennon focuses on decreases of aquaculture and aquatic ecosystems - being that water stops flowing readily, but does not address the previously stated agricultural runoff that produces algae blooms that smother the aquatic ecosystems.
I would love to see an updated case study on many of these situations, to see how population growth and water use regulations have affected "scarcity". Worldwide water shortages are predicted to occur as soon as 2040 in terms of some research studies, so I hope that we begin to recognize the true cost of water before it is too late. I really enjoyed the reality and perspectives this book brought to the surface, per say.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glennon's book is a masterful look at conflicts and problems created by groundwater use throughout the country. Less regulated (!) than surface water rights, groundwater pumping creates conflicts and crisis throughout the United States, not just the American West. Through a series of case studies, this book exams the consequences and complications of extensive reliance on groundwater, how groundwater is tied to surface water flows, and the problems this coupling creates due to lack of regulation. Marvelously, it concludes with a section outlining what must be done in the future to address the problems described in the book-- an unfortunate rarity for the genre. More accessible than Cadillac Desert, and just as good, this book should be paired with that one as required reading for anyone with a tap.

[Tom Emanuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever wondered where your water comes from? Robert Glennon takes readers inside the labyrinthine, frustrating, sometimes positively scary world of American water wars from Arizona to Maine, showing how continued population growth, outdated water law, and unrestrained economic "development" are threatening not only our environment but our future development as a country, a people, and a planet. Water will be the big struggle of the 21st century, and Glennon's readable account serves as a good introduction to the beginnings of that struggle for American readers.

[Cc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half way through this book. Very good information that collates well with programs our local League of Women Voters are having on water issues this year. I like the way it is organized into different geographical areas. That put the information into a form that is easier to understand instead of just generalizations. The second half of the book is for a March Book Club.

Finished this book. I was not disappointed. Well written and I loved that he included some solutions, lists of others groups helping and bibliography to help with further research.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely interesting and enlightening. Water is even more precious than oil, and will continue to increase in importance in the US (and rest of world I presume) as we move forward in the 21st century. Learned a lot about how groundwater works, and how it's interconnected with rivers, lakes, and streams. Never really thought about those things, but they are all connected more so than you think.

Highly recommend this book.

[Julie Laporte · Rating 4 out of 5]

MUST READ if you are interested in environmental issues!!!! I would recommend this as a follow-up to When Rivers Run Dry. However, if you live in the SW, and you just can't see yourself reading both, choose this one. A few rivers in the US are discussed...some in great detail, and the water crisis in CA and AZ is examined very carefully. VERY easy to read...it FLOWS, haha! Every US citizen who drinks water should read this. ;)

[Jacob Lines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took three classes from Professor Glennon, and this book is a lot like his classes: erudite, entertaining, full of good humor and good scholarship. Reading about how groundwater pumping is wreaking havoc on our environment is strong medicine. But the excellent storytelling and sound science in this book makes the medicine go down easily. This book is a wake-up call, but not strident; a warning but not insulting; learned but not ponderous. Great book.

[Kat Marciniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it for a class, but was well worth it. Makes you wonder about what resources really are the most important and the most taken for granted.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the gross misappropriation of our most precious resource, water.

[david Gorrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was once considered to be the salvation of the arid west is revealed to be not only a colossal mistake but also an opportunity for expansive greed.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific book, with lots of solid data and good anecdotal vignettes.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

AStonishing, eye-opening, wonderfully written

[Penny]

The usual scenario: corporations and angle cites running rampant at the expense of the environment. This book focuses on groundwater issues. Sad, not very many community success stories.

[Kirstin Neff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seminal book on the topic--makes groundwater science understandable and relevant to the Layman.