millions of angry, parched people from far-flung venues who view

“undeveloped water” as a wasted opportunity. I see dryland farmers

clamoring with sharp spigots, claiming they can’t feed the world

without more irrigation. I see thousands of massive supertankers

lining up on behalf of millions of thirsty Asians. I see endless Ro-

manesque canals carrying water to manicured lawns in a burgeon-

ing, unsustainable Sunbelt. I see anxious scientists who worry about

the transformations that climate change could bring. I see Great

Lakes politicians destructively bickering among themselves, ulti-

mately threatening the lakes they hope to save. I see urban

voters—with no connection to land, water, or wildlife—who elect

their dilettante peers to public office, affecting water policy every-

where. I see countless people inexplicably bypassing cold, refresh-

ing water from the tap, so they can spend more money on water in

a bottle. I see subsidized farmers who waste water on inefficient irri-

gation by growing surplus crops that the nation doesn’t need. I see

international entrepreneurs rubbing their hands with the thought

of getting rich from something that comes out of the ground for

free. I see wasteful water practices throughout the Great Lakes

Basin that historians will look back upon with scorn. I see water—

clear, cold, luscious water—that most see the value in taking, and

few see the value in leaving. I see millions upon millions of Great

Lakes residents who underestimate the struggle that awaits them.

Today, when I stand on the shores of Lake Superior, I don’t see

a lake. I see a sprawling deep blue battleground that stretches from

Duluth, Minnesota, to Trois Rivières, Québec—and I wonder, who

will win the war?

P r o l o g u e

xv