Australia is facing increasing challenges from issues relating to water – its scarcity and abundance, management and politics, uses and abuses and its future in a world dealing with climate change. But how did we get here? A Water Story offers an overview of the history of water usage, legislation and politics in Australia with valuable insights. Geoff Beeson's book reveals how dams, artesian water, irrigation and urban water schemes have allowed the establishment and growth of cities and agriculture industries in Australia, but these developments have brought significant environmental costs. Legacy issues and the construction of earlier water facilities have created path dependencies that are difficult to overturn, causing environmental degradation and sustainability issues. For evidence look no further than the discussion of the Murray-Darling Basin in this book.