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Book Review
| Fuel for Growth: Water and Arizona's Urban Environment. By Douglas E. Kupel. (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2003. xxiv + 294 pp. Illustrations, maps, notes, bibliography, index. $39.95.)
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Douglas Kupel's celebratory history traces water provision in three Arizona cities through the interaction of entrepreneurs, residents, the Yavapai Indians, and government officials. Where other scholars question the viability of large desert centers, Kupel concludes that "the history of urban water service in Arizona is the story of achievement, dedication, and attentiveness to the desires of Arizona's residents" (p. 229). Saying this, he challenges historiography that presumes the West is different or that Los Angeles is a model for other western cities. Kupel examines systems in Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff to illustrate diverse historical patterns. Tucson first developed surface resources and then turned to underground water. Phoenix initially used aquifers, but with the federal government, pursued surface options in the twentieth century. Flagstaff depended on the railroad to develop springs and wells. |
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