Chapter 1: Is water the new oil? Water and energy

Water, unlike oil, is renewable; however, water is limited and, unlike oil, there is no substitute for it. What does this mean in the U.S., where 25 to 30 percent of our electricity is used to pump water from places where it is plentiful to places where it is not?

Chapter 2: The threat of global warming

How will global climate change affect precipitation, and how will that affect our water supply?

Chapter 3: Are we running out of Colorado River?

What will happen to the West's most important river and the communities that depend on it if global climate change decreases its flow?

Chapter 4: Too little water, too many people

Cities are growing and some cities, like Phoenix and Las Vegas, are growing in a desert. How will a water crisis affect the Western United States? Is there any way to responsibly regulate growth?

Chapter 5: What the average homeowner can do

First, know where your water comes from and where your sewage goes. Then, consider xersicaping, low-flow showerheads, HE front-loading washing machines, and a number of other water-saving ideas.

Chapter 6: Bottled water and water smart homes

Once you've given up your bottled water (did you know that tap water is regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and bottled water is not?) how do you make a water-smart home? Try settling in a community that doesn't require lawns, or finding a Water Smart builder, or planting a rain garden.

Chapter 7: River rafting and wild rivers

The best way to really understand and connect to our current water issues is to spend some time on a river. "Rivers have their own rhythm," says Amy Souers Kober. But how will climate change and other pressures affect our ability to use rivers in the west for recreational purposes?

Chapter 8: What rivers are for

We don't just drink our rivers – they're for irrigation, recreation, healthy fisheries, and many other important things.

Chapter 9: Good dams, bad dams

Are dams good or bad? Or are they both? More than 500 dams have been removed over the last 20 years in the U.S. But, in some cases, new dams are necessary.

Chapter 10: The most endangered rivers

The Klamath and the Elwha face uncertain futures, while the South Platte River in Denver has been completely rehabilitated. Also, what's in store for the Los Angeles River?

Chapter 11: Cities versus farms

Agriculture consumes 80 percent of the water used in the Western United States. How do we continue to support healthy agricultural communities but simultaneously convince them to use less water?

Chapter 12: Facing catastrophe

Does the word "drought" have any meaning anymore? Are we facing a water supply crisis? If we are, how will we adapt? What roles do desalinization and weather modification play?

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Sunset article: Will our rivers survive?