WHAT YOU SEE IN CLEAR WATER

Fornearlyacentury,theIndiansontheWindRiverReservationinWyominghavebeenbattlingtheirwhitefarmerneighborsovertherightstotheWindRiver.WhatYouSeeinClearWatertellsthestoryofthisepicstruggle,sheddinglightontheongoingconflictoverwaterrightsintheAmericanWest,oneofthemostdivisiveandessentialissuesinAmericatoday.WhilelawyersarguedthislandmarkcaseallthewaytotheU.S.SupremeCourt,GeoffreyO’Garawalkedthebanksoftheriverwiththefarmers,ranchers,biologists,andtribalelderswhoknewitintimately.Readinghisaccount,wecometoknowtheimpoverishedShoshoneandArapahotribeslivingontheWindRiverReservation,whobelievethatbytreatytheycontrolthewaterwithinthereservation.Wealsomeetthefarmerswhohavestruggledfordecadestoscratchalivingfromthearidsoil,andwhowanttodiverttheriverwatertoirrigatetheirlands.O’Gara’sempatheticportrayaloflifeintheWesttoday,thehistoricaltexturehebringstothelandanditsinhabitants,andthecommonhumanityhefindsbetweenhostileneighborsonoppositesidesoftherivermakeWhatYouSeeinClearWateranunusuallyrichandrewardingbook.