Introduction: A typically atypical stream
Agriculture and oil
A small river in the big legal picture
Saving water to save the soil
Shortages and negotiations
The paper river and a lot of dam talk
The wet river in a dry decade
Building a dam times two
Changes in the river: lawsuits, leaks, and brine
Paper plus water makes (legal) fire
Two suits and an act of Congress
Conclusion: a once and future river
Appendix A: Abbreviations, acronyms, and terms
Appendix B: Conversions, climatology, and methodology
Appendix C: For further reading.