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