Our feature article summarizes some traditional and alternative approaches to providing water for growth, and highlights some interesting lessons. The first lesson: water scarcity does not stop growth.
The western system of water allocation—the prior appropriation doctrine—rests on the premise that water can be moved from where it is found, to where it is needed. And even though the current drought has resulted in watering restrictions and dried-up reservoirs, it has not curtailed new housing starts.
