For Shaw (agricultural economics, Texas A&M U.), economics lays at the heart of most issues of water allocation and water conflict. In this work he provides an economist's view of a range of topics related to human uses of water. After an introduction to water resources, water resource economics, and law; he presents chapter on the application of basic microeconomics to water resources, water quality issues, water prices and rates for residential use, water agriculture, uncertainty and risk in supply and demand of water resources, groundwater, environmental and recreational values of in situ uses of water, floods and droughts and the role of dams, water issues outside the US, and suggestions for future research.