Far From Brooklyn

The Great Thirst: Californians and Water, by Norris Hundley Jr.

Well, I’d be lying if I said this was a riveting tale.  On the other hand, it answered most or all of my questions, such as “Where does my drinking water come from?” and “How much of the movie "Chinatown” was based on history?“ and "What’s the story with the Salton Sea?”

But I don’t want to spoil it for other readers so I’ll just say that I know the answers now.