ASI 345 - Week 7

After learning about Pittsburgh and Dayton’s plentiful water resources, week 8 examined water law and the development of Los Angeles with a scarcity of water. Blake Watson, a professor from UD’s School of Law, led the class through a case study he developed for understanding water law in the United States. The class explored the differences in prior appropriation and riparian right and how water laws developed differently in the east and the west as a result of quality and quantity issues. The session called on the class’s understanding of groundwater, how water moves through the aquifer and ecosystem services.

The article California Scheming and video clips from the documentary “Cadillac Desert” provided an in depth look at the development of Los Angeles and how the city secured its future by draining the Owens Valley. Unfortunately, more and more cities around the world are facing water shortages and must find new ways of securing water. The class will build upon this topic later in the semester as we examine global water issues.