by Jeanette Mcdonough

Created on: July 04, 2008   Last Updated: July 26, 2008

In the American west water has a volatile history. In fact, water has been the cause of range wars and murders. For example, in the 1870's water was the impetus of the Lake County Wars in Colorado (WHERE THE BODIES ARE Shaputis, June, 1995). The fight over control of local irrigation rights resulted in murder and mayhem. According to historical accounts a mob lead by a local rancher murdered a competitor named George Harrington over water rights. The wars culminated in a serious of mysterious death attributed to the mob of vigilantes. The perpetrators of these violent acts were never prosecuted and went on to be powerful and frequently wealthy citizens in the local communities. This battle has spilled over in modern times as this resource has become a major commodity and economic force.

More recently US communities find themselves embroiled in conflicts with water interests over rights for community drinking water, and irrigation. Recently, in the San Luis Valley in Colorado local residents of the region battled a local water baron who holds major interests in area water rights. He and a group of water speculators were trying to pass legislation that would them to sell large quantities of water shares to outside interests and to further deplete a shrinking aquifer. Amazingly, the bill was defeated.

In California, water advocates suggest that corporations are trying to gain control of valuable water at the expense of ranchers, farmers, and inhabitants of California's central valley for corporate gain. In this arid area water is all that stands between fertile, inhabitable land and a barren wasteland. Advocacy groups are so concerned about powerful special interest groups gobbling up water shares in California that one group Public Citizen issued a scathing report against what they called a burgeoning water plutocracy(1993). This report Water Heist: How Corporations are Cashing in on California Water (http://www.citizen.org/documents/Water_Heist_lo-res .pdf) goes on to suggest that corporations are involved in covert, closed door dealings to monopolize water in the state.

There seems to plenty of reason to believe that water rights advocates have cause to fear. This has become a powerful issue, so much so that even the World Bank is getting into the action. The World Bank has conducted extensive research on water in the Americas, in particular water rights in Colorado and California. One report suggests that water as a commodity can be manipulated using supply and

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