| Category | Water |
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| Keywords | policy/regulation, history, water access rights |
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| Title | California Water: A New Political Economy |
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| Comments | This book looks at the consequences of various political agencies administering water distribution found within the Central Valley. In the eastern part of the Valley, which was characterized by small, resident-owned landholdings, irrigation districts were charged with water distribution. Irrigation district directors were elected by district residents and civic participation in elections was high. In the western and southern San Joaquin valley, on the other hand, huge and often absentee-owned landholders were subject to the water policy laid by the California Water Districts. In this system, elections were weighted so that property ownership, rather than residency, determined the number of votes cast. Water district elections were largely formal, and these districts were often dependent on federally financed water projects. These conclusions are based on a decade long quantitative study of more than 1000 water systems. |
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| Author(s) | Goodman, M. R., J. D. Sullivan, and T. De Young. |
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| Year | 1978 |
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| Publisher | Allanheld, Osmun / Universe Books |
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