The State of Water: Understanding California's Most Precious Resource

by Obi Kaufmann

Obi Kaufmann, author of the best-selling California Field Atlas , turns his artful yet analytical attention to the Golden State's single most complex and controversial water. In this book, Kaufmann's signature full-color maps unravel the braided knot of California's water infrastructure and ecosystems, exposing a history of unlimited growth in spite of finite natural resources—a history that has led to its current precarious circumstances. Yet this built world depends upon the biosphere, and in The State of Water Kaufmann argues that environmental conservation and restoration efforts are necessary not only for ethical reasons but also as a matter of human survival. Offering nine perspectives to illustrate the most pressing challenges facing California's water infrastructure, from dams to species revitalization, Kaufmann reveals pragmatic yet inspiring solutions to how water in the West can continue to support agriculture, municipalities, and the environment. Interspersed throughout with trail paintings of animals that might yet survive under a caring and careful water ethic, Kaufmann shows how California can usher in a new era of responsible water conservation, and—perhaps most importantly—how we may do so together.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Environment, Sustainability, History, Science Nature

144 pages, Hardcover

Published June 1, 2019

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My concern is with the linguistic and pictorial mechanisms that trigger the deepest shifts in our collective psyche.…I have found an orientation through this dense forest. It is a simpler path than you might think, dependent on a linguistic determinism, or how the words people use determine the way people think" (125).

This is approaching California to ask its water, "How have you become so entangled?" This is answering the question by simply asking it.

"The core idea that the health, robustness, and resiliency of the natural world inexorably means the same for the human world is so basic an idea that to argue it politically is to expose a system so laden with an obsession for fractionating profit that its heart must be rotten and deserves to be cut out" (76).

Damn. He said he wasn't interest in politics or policy, but I'll vote for that. Maybe the Green Party could've consulted with Kaufmann for the most recent primary.

He built this book as a kind of quantitative study with qualitative commentary (and paintings—O, the paintings! Homeboy can use a brush!). On a practical level, I hated flipping back and forth between maps and the many pages of data to visualize what and where he was discussing. Take a page from Tolkien's books and make those major maps fold-out that can be viewed alongside the text. But the hassle was worth it to better appreciate how entangled we've made water in California. It hurts. What a mess.

"Two words need to be remade: both 'environmentalism' and 'sustainability' have been appropriated by the antagonists of what the words signify. The (environmental and the coming post-environmental) movement itself needs to abandon them. They now are employed as dog-whistle words for propaganda against the movement to designate a whole set of dogmatic baggage unrelated to the movement itself. To again approach the moral imperative of how to best steer the ship away from the
tyranny of its extraction-over-replenishment vector, we (all of us ) need to uncouple the movement from any other order of the day" (76)

And his trailhead where the uncoupling begins? Love and questions that arise from giving your attention to something (see: plant study). Sublime.

"My study has always been love. Press me and I begin to murmur things like how my work is not science, but the subject of my work is data-driven biodiversity. I study patterns of habitat. To be more specific, I am a student of the beauty and history of biological evolution in morphological architecture and its application to fitness strategy across living systems. In my art and writing about ecology, I am more
satisfied with the exploration of the best, most simple and elegant question than I am with any righteous, vocational answer" (89).

Pairs well with Joan Didion's "Holy Water" (1979). "I know as well as the next person that there is considerable transcendent value in a river running wild and undammed, a river running free over granite, but I have also lived beneath such a river when it was running in flood, and gone without showers when it was running dry."

Here's to going without showers.

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book for its beautiful watercolors throughout, which do not disappoint. The slim account of California’s water, however, did. While I appreciate my newfound knowledge/awe for California’s rivers, I was unimpressed with Kaufmann’s lack of engagement with the sociopolitical side of his topic — he frequently discussed dams (their power, destruction, impermanence in the grand scheme of things, etc), but did not ever discuss the human factors involved in choosing which rivers to dam and why, etc (I’m thinking about classic questions of environmental justice here).

[Alexandre Bordas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and poetic environmental take on the complex Californian watershed

[Evan O · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after a friend invited me to see Kaufmann speak at a bookstore. Kaufmann has a deep humanism and love for nature that pervades his work and outlook. I’m told this book is his most purely informational, which checks out. It’s dense with maps and information about California’s natural and artificial water system. I found that the effect of viewing California’s water in this way, through multiple overlapping and interlocking vantage points, was reinforcing and multiplicative over the course of the read-through. The closing chapter on conservation and restoration left me feeling both challenged and optimistic. Can’t wait to read The California Field Atlas.

[Maria Calderon · Rating 5 out of 5]

shakes fist at southern california

[Katherine Stonecypher · Rating 3 out of 5]

More art than literature. The art is excellent, the poetry is sublime. The annotated maps grew dull by the end and could have used more of the spirit which inspired the poetry to string concepts of water allocation with ecological crises together. Overall the book felt incomplete or rushed, too many disjointed ideas. Some of the maps were also incomplete (Scott and Cape Horn Dams were not detailed on the Eel River).

[David Schwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this book is disappointing. California certainly has challenges in the future securing water for people and agriculture. The author explores one path, one that most certainly will be brought with political problems. Mostly the book is an inventory of the water resources of the state. A short chapter at the end discusses the future.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The State of Water is an interesting mix of hard facts and poetry. It introduces the scale and some of the philosophy of California's relationship with water, but doesn't dive headlong into any specific history or conservation project; it is a survey, and a very short one.

It's a beautiful little book that encourages patience for (1) maps and (2) details, details, details on the quantity and movement of our state's water. Lots of pages are allocated to keying the maps and giving short sketches of the waterways they depict (in fairness, Obi Kaufmann does write that the book is more of a manual than an essay, early on). Thankfully, Obi's terrific watercolors and poetic musings break through any preludes to tedium. It would be so easy to leave the rivers, lakes, and reservoirs as just names on a page--especially in a book as short as this one--but Obi makes them really feel like places that deserve love and restorative care. It felt like I was reading a collection of bedtime stories, and I found myself very much wanting to give California a hug, especially on the pages containing illustrations of some of my favorite state animals.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obi Kaufmann does California such a great service with his interest and artistic expression of his concerns for our environmental conservation efforts, and its cross-section with state politics. The State of Water sheds light on the damming and irrigation projects across California, and its impact on the wild natural environments that they originate from. Snippets of details of these projects are paired with beautiful watercolor maps of California's river systems, highlighted by paintings of animals that symbolize the perish caused by damming and aqueducts, whether its a perrigrin falcon, a salmon fish, an otter, or elk. This is a beautiful book to thumb through, short and yet insightful, and one that should be shared with anyone who is interested in the conservation of California's wildlife.

[Bonnie]

I don’t know how to rate this book, as it feels a bit like rating a road atlas. It is more a reference/book of maps than any complete history of water in California, and I think it would be difficult to understand on its own without broader narrative context or some existing knowledge of the subject. (I’m grateful to have just finished reading The Dreamt Land in conjunction with this one, which leant me context for the history and implications of the Central Valley Project, the State Water Project, the Friant Dam, etc.). That said, The State of Water is a beautiful book, gorgeously illustrated and exhaustively researched, and—perhaps most importantly—full of hope and faith in our collective ability to move towards restoration, conservation, and sustainability. I adore Kaufmann’s work—both his written and artistic work, and his broader life’s work.

[Deric Plummer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous watercolor illustrations. That alone is worth buying it. Gives a good overview and some details on current water projects in California. I specifically found the parts about the south captivating since thats where I live and I want to be aware of ecological issues happening locally. There are several maps all of which are well done but I think the style of having so many items marked on each map and then just having brief captions about each item can make this difficult to follow and alittle tedious to read. I would have preferred more comprehensive insights (which there are some) to accompany it.

Overall really great information here in a small book. I think it would behove every californian to read it. The message is more important than ever.

[Matthew Roche · Rating 4 out of 5]

To call "The State of Water" lyrical or literary would be .. ambitious. It is a bit like reading a dictionary.

But it has two charms that make it worthy:

1. The watercolors and brief vignettes are lovely, as are the hand-painted maps. You can tell the book was made by someone who loved California (and books!)
2. Water in California is fascinating, and believe it or not It is interesting just to know where the dams are, which ones need to come down, and how it could be if water flowed again into the valley and down to the Sea of Cortes.

Ain't for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated tale of the water system in California - it's a complicated story and this book is an interesting guide to have on your shelf for future reference. As an engineer in the water space, I don't know that I agreed with all the ideas presented by the author but it got me to pause and think - and that's the sign of a good book.

[Stephanie Jones]

This book offers an honest look at the complexities of California’s relationship to water. Some parts of the book pertaining to Klamath River dam removal projects are now a past event, not future.

“We have enough water. What we find ourselves short on is unified vision, and a willingness to transform, compromise, and conserve.”

[Nick Burdick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, beautiful book. As lovely in its philosophy of conservation as in the gorgeous watercolors that adorn nearly every page. For the first time in a long time, I have hope that we can find our way back toward sharing resources with the more-than-human world.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaufmann has a way of mixing the artistic, poetic and science in a way that pulls at your heart. I love the watercolor drawings and the poetry included. The look at the water situation in California feels a bit hopefully but Kaufmann presented options full of hope.

[Dayana Doroteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obi Kaufmann’s The State of Water is a visually stunning book, with gorgeous watercolors and poetic reflections on California’s water systems. While it’s a quick and enjoyable read, I wished for more scientific detail to balance the artistry.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book and beautiful watercolor art. Although, the author missed listing New Hogan Reservoir on the Calaveras River, Pardee Reservoir on the Mokelumne River and misspelled Camanche Reservoir as Comanche, so not sure how much I would take as fact.

[Mills College Library]

333.91009 K215 2019

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm such a fan of Obi Kauffman and love all the work he's doing... can't wait for the rest of the books in this forthcoming series.

[Adeline Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and illustrated book. Informative and inspiring.

[Karm Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book... But this would be better experienced as a massive hardbound coffee table book.

[sudha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this book was interesting! The watercolors and their accompanying segments of prose are so so lovely and are a nice contrast to the fairly manual-like/guidebook text.

[Betsy]

Recommended by Sharon Sand

[Leigh Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

a clear sometimes beautiful catalogue of water in california. a worthy reference for those of keeping one eye open, but it was almost so much more

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the presentation and the watercolors.

[Nancy Reyering · Rating 5 out of 5]

The single most important read of the century for every Californian. Mr Kaufman understands and explains the complicated and convoluted history of water “rights” in our state. Along the way he highlights the wrongs we have wrought to California’s extraordinary environment, ecology, and wildlife, and what we must now do to restore balance while we still can.

[Ryan T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this blend of ecology, art, philosophy, and cartography. Not too much of a narrative, just gives you the essentials for understanding the state of water in CA. You can also tell it's not written by a stem person, using MW when MWh makes more sense