Excess Water Use in West Kicks Up Dust Intricate System for Distributing Precious Water Resource Stirs Hot Political Debate

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THE latest battle in the US West over water involves the charge that irrigators in eight Western states have been illegally "spreading" water to hundreds of thousands of unauthorized acres, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars to taxpayers.

There are 24 water projects in this region that were developed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation (BuRec). Federal legislation in 1902 created the BuRec specifically to construct dams, canals, and other facilities to help "green" 17 Western states for farmers and ranchers.

"The history of the development of the West is in large part a history of water," says A. Reed Marbut, an Oregon state administrator who helps …