Reflection on spring 2012 Semester

        English 1A was not an easy course but was not difficult at the same time. When the class first started at the beginning of the semester, i was a little nervous but then once the class started getting into writing and more writing i became to enjoy it more than be nervous. English is one of my favorite subjects and when it comes to writing i put my heart to it because its one of my favorite things to do and take the time to do. Although, i don't like writing about topics that don't interest me. I can write an excellent paper or paragraph if it is something i want and love to write about. English 1A taught me so much this semester and really got me prepared for English 1B. I learned so many things in English 1A that i did not know when i first walked into the classroom, For an example, i learned quote Sandwiches, signal phrases, MLA format and learning how to cite information from a book,website,database and more. English 1A was a fun learning experience and i am furthermore excited to take English 1B. Even though, i wish ms.Knapp was teaching English 1B. She is overall the best English teacher and teaches everything to meet thr requirement to pass an English class. She provides good teaching to prepare you to write perfect essays! Writing my first research paper was difficult and fun at the same time. It took a lot of time and i did spent a lot of time on it. Overall, English 1A was very successful and i learned so many things to help me to prepare for my English and my future. 

Final Research Paper

                                                       

Natalie R. Neri                                                                                                                                                               

Professor Knapp

English 1A

23, May 2012

                                                                                                                       

                      The Hollywood Scene to the California Water Rights after the 1860’s

      Today’s society rarely appreciates the easy access Californians have to clean water. However, there have always been difficulties and controversies with water throughout the West. In my research of the history of California Water Rights and contemporary issues in the Los Angeles area, I will show that without the past water controversies and debates, “Hollywood” would not exist, as it does today. In relation to common sense, we know that there would be no “Hollywood” without water, in fact, the earth wouldn’t be a sustainable place to live, let alone in California. Also, California’s Water Rights and their amendments, connect to the Owens Valley, and the separation of water between U.S and Mexico, and the farming lands and rights in California. Therefore, the abilities of California’s Water Rights in the 1900’s, and dividing the control of water generally circles and connects to the management of local history which took place in Los Angeles. Also, The film China Town represents and connects to Water Rights and industries that show how important water is in the world and why there was controversy happening. In this paper, I will examine the battle over California Water Rights by summarizing important scenes and issues from this film to help explain this complex historical issue.

      In 1937, Hollywood was a whole different environment compared with today’s Hollywood in 2012. Hollywood has become the ultimate city, with a history and a society only compared to the great New York City. However, when studying the history of Hollywood, people can barely imagine a city that big without running water, the way it once was. Furthermore, pipes and water traveling through the city is what makes our Hollywood so advanced, resourceful and a truly thriving icon. The movie China Town which stares Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway represents ongoing controversy and manipulation to land rights and Los Angeles reserves. The Film was set in Los Angeles, and was inspired by the California Water Wars, in which farming and irrigation improved and was celebrated in this great time for water advancement during 1910 and 1920.

      The movie china town was a very old fashion and classical movie. When it first arrived into Los Angeles, Hollywood, they were presenting the movie in black and white. The film China Town is about a man who is involved with a murder case involving the privatization of water through state, and will face threats of legal action. China Town was a very popular movie back in the 1970’s and was a classical and intense movie which served the purpose of educating the public of the real life California Water Rights. Also, a man named William Mulholland who was born September .11, 1855 and died on July.22, 1935 was the head of the L.A department of water and power. Mulholland allowed and took responsibility for the disputes and arguments of the California Rights and the structures of the water, along with the Dams, Rivers and Lakes. Mulholland was also a worker on the Colorado River which became a huge controversy between the United States and Mexico, when they had an argument dividing their waters.

         The Owens Valley also was a setting for disagreements and drama concerning water. The Owens Valley is located near the Sierra Nevada, and is between South Lake Tahoe and Los Angeles, in Hollywood. The Owens Valley in eastern California represents incorporation, protest and local culture. The Owens Valley was settled in the 19^th century before water became the main connection throughout the whole world. The eastern United States was developed and watched California struggle for water. The Owens valley was very bold when it comes to the landscape in California. The Sierra Nevada Mountains was more toward the eastern side of the valley floor. According to John Walton, Nevada rises from the valley floor at 4,000 feet to the granite peaks of Mount Whitney at 14,495 and the east barren White Mountains appear soft by contrast despite their 11,000-foot stature (Walton 3). There is a wide variety of ranges when talking about mountain peaks and the valley being compacted. A contrast of what makes the valley comfortable and forbidding. The showings of the mood shifts in the day are shadows of bringing the bright days and the connection to the mountains. John Walton states, “The Owens River winding a leisurely course southward, businesslike towns, and, between todays settlements, the tumbledown markers of a once dense network of hamlets and farm sites” (Walton 3). Theoretically, a man named John C. Fremont and his forces, named the Owens Valley currently in 1845, in which belonged to the Indians in the past. Currently, the Owens Valley belongs to the City of Los Angeles, which gives the valley about two-hundred and forty miles of supply of irrigation and water to fifteen million people. There has been a vast improvement in the water distribution and consumption in the Owens Valley. When the valley was first settled, people did not have any access to water, no way to water their crops, or even have clean drinking water. Today, the opposite is true; water is easily accessible for anything imaginable.

       Generations that migrated to the west were conquering the spirit of manifest destiny. Physical infrastructure and the wilderness are an example of a symbol toward the settlement of the Owens Valley. According to John Walton, “It is tempting to suppose, as some do, that waterworks determined history in the arid American west; but the reverse is closer to the truth” (5). The human agency and the development of the Americans show the significance of water and the operation of water. There have been claims and struggles over dominion and the use of resources such as Land, subsoil, air, water and generally the environment. These claims affected the American West in a horrible way, although the resources that were provided helped a lot with our water cycle.

       The U.S history that comes together in the western development and the different patterns that wrap around the California Water Rights have evolved in one local society. John Walton explains, “In the Owens valley, which history developed in a series of critical epochs and passengers. The Military conquest destroyed Paiute civilization but incorporated its technology and labor power as essential features of the frontier economy” (6). Stating that although the Owens Valley has a rough and tragic history, overall it did benefit the growth and evolution of the Owens Valley. It was these influences that made California, and specifically the Los Angeles area, one of the most technological and socially advanced areas in entire world, as well as a major source of Wealth, prestige, and class. It was amazing that current day in Hollywood once was just a small farm town with no water at all. Teddy Roosevelt supported a federal reclamation, which was held in 1902 and local citizens were convinced that salvation meant progressivism. It took about four years until the citizens had the support of the federal government to transfer water to Los Angeles. Eight years later, the Owens Valley had argued and fought with strategies and focused on rebelling to the political protest, which connects to law of Water Rights. Certain battles that went on in the 1920’s lost, but eventually the community won in the 1970’s under environmentalism.  Although, the Owens Valley had experienced three state regimes, emerging of both nature and duration from the historical evidence, the periods of time were impacted on the local history.  

        In my research I am focusing on California Water Rights, but also looking at an important connection the United States dealt with concerning water rights throughout the world. A lot of controversy between the United States and Mexico happened, and therefore lead to further protest. Protest began with the Rio Grande project having a proposal, as well as the Colorado River in the United States. The exciting thing for the United States and Mexico was that they agreed to come to a solution to divide the two rivers equally. However, it did not end up that simple. Norris Hundley points out, “Welles said nothing about the Amount of the Colorado river water his offer entailed, but he thought it would be approximately 1,000,000 acre-feet” (97).  Sumner Welles, who was an undersecretary of state and did not come up with a problem to solve so therefore, he was saying he thought there was much usage of water and was giving a lot to Mexico but Welles did not know what his finalization on the figure. Unfortunately, the United States denied Mexico to the dispute and moreover, in 1940’s the Americans had lost the fight with the Mexicans and it was a big deal at the time. Overall, the argument here is the International Rivers, and was a serious and important affect to the nation. This is a showing of national interest to a solution of a denser colonization and the construction that leads to population and wealth (Hundley 99). Mexico on the other hand, whom was very frustrated at the time, wanted the water to make sure it would be used and beneficial, and also to develop electric energy for upcoming businesses. Their secretary of Foreign affairs analyzed this idea, and thought it out while she convinced the United States to finalize water usage on both rivers for future Mexican water uses on the Colorado River. Eventually, Mexico pressed the state department based on proposals, but since the United States was refusing a treaty that Mexico proposed in January of 1941. Mexico became inpatient with the United States, and no longer wanted to work together to find an agreeable solution.  

        On the other hand, to find a legal position between the United States and Mexico, we know that water is a very important resource in the world and concerns people all over the world. The International Law was a high and powerful law in the nation and concerns the use of water for irrigation means, and the two argued over their border streams. Neither Mexico nor the United States took control on the law because conflicts would be denied anyways. International Law was influenced and created by treaties with nations. Treaties are invisible on some certain powers; for an example, nations deal with their own problems and decide to settle the problem in their own way, when one nation has their differences, then the other nation does not need to settle the same. Politics, geography and economics are rules given to create a treaty. Both the United States and Mexico labeled the International Law in which was the use of both their rivers. Both nations came to the fact that once the treaties were argued after the Mexican War, which was right around the boundaries of the United States. Norris Hundley explains, “Since settlement in the region was sparse, they gave no thought to the development of the basins or to any future conflicts that might arise over water” (18). In brief context, settlement between the two was a problem, so they put no effort into the situation and had no thought on the matter of water usage. The point of the International Law was to help come to a conclusion to set boundaries for the United States and Mexico, and to come to the conditions and solving of the situation.

         Moving forward to the Water Rights Laws surrounding the 19^th century and the Dual Systems and watercourses that focused on Water Rights. There were two basic rights that surrounded the use of water in the western course, which was the Doctrine Prior, which lead to the second duel system, The Riparian Doctrine. These two conflicts between the doctrines have a huge part in the ideal of the courts, and the history of the state. The Doctrine Prior explains how to use water and separating and using it, for beneficial reasons with the guidance of the constitutional law by the courts. Although, Wells A. Hutchins explains,” The water may be used on or in connection with lands away from streams, as well as lands contiguous to streams” (40). Stating the use of water to be used in an appropriate way in which the watercourses are in good quantity when the water is available. Furthermore, having the right to water availability for any purpose of a beneficial reason to dominate how important water is.  Determining the Doctrine of Riparian to the west, in which the owner of the land directed watercourse and the right to use water. Also, relating the Industrial and Irrigation matters, the water to be used for the purpose to use the water beneficially and for a purpose, instead of wasting it. Although, the Doctrine and the Riparian had one over the other, they were both needed to have the beneficial support for these watercourses. The Doctrine of Riparian in fact needed to have the same source of supply to be fair to owners of the lands. With respect toward both watercourses, the must of having the rights to a same stream of sharing water usage and the amount of irrigation rights.

        Supporting these two watercourses of the Duel System of Water Rights in California, and is essential in understanding the history of California and how they were established in custom back when they were written. Establishing the Appropriation Doctrine and the way it came about, the development and the association of gold and water use, to extract the grounds of the mining process in the power of water was essential. Moreover, the rights to the usage of water became very important. For an example, the mineral lands in the sierra foothills were a connection to Mexico at the time the gold was discovered. Also, the treaty that is explained and mentioned earlier in the research was ceded by the United States and the gold-bearing lands were open toward the United States. The Riparian Doctrine is relates to the union of legislature and the passing of the act, and the law of England. It was revealed that the constitution of the United States was inconsistent with the constitution of the state. In 1886, The Riparian Doctrine was taken by the California Legislative as the common law in England, and denied all the others including Civil Law, and Roman law or Mexican Law. The Doctrine Riparian was not stable of the common law. Although, it was the first decision in California and became the major effect on the rule of the Riparian State. In this case, the rights of the Riparian Owners on the one hand, the use of water of the Kern River and the irrigation of the land- after this case was in court for about eight years (Hutchins 52). For an example, the Kern River in the 1870’s was diverted and had its beneficial of certain operations. The water diversions which took place from the river have taken a lot of agreements. The agriculture extensive and the great hold of the issues of the Kern River were involving the importance of the rapid irrigation. Overall, these two watercourses of the Doctrines became the laws of Water Rights in the Duel System and wrapping it into a solution of coming to a fair conclusion with the rivers and using the water the appropriate way.

     In conclusion, California Water Rights in the 1800’s are obviously a lot different than today’s life with water and the rights in today’s society. The effect of our society in today’s life with water in Hollywood in Los Angeles makes it clear that there would be no Los Angeles “Hollywood” if there were not any water, and if there were no conflicts of being fair with dividing the water in the area. This analysis shows that the control of water rights and the problems of Civilization and the Constitution have always been a struggle throughout history.  Jack Nicolson, who is a very famous actor, shows the importance in his film China Town and how Water Rights affected people and the life back in the past which connects to society today and how the present is.

                                                                     Works Cited

"Chinatown (1974)." Chinatown (1974). Web. 22 May 2012. <http://www.filmsite.org/chin.html>.

Hundley, Norris. Dividing the Waters: A Century of Controversy between the United States and Mexico. Berkeley: University of California, 1966. Print.

Hutchins, Wells A. The California Law of Water Rights. [California]: State Engineer of California, 1956. Print.

Walton, John. Western times and Water Wars: State, Culture, and Rebellion in California. Berkeley: University of California, 1992. Print.

Annotated Bibliographys

                                                        Annotated Bibliography

”Water Rights Laws in the Nineteen Western States." Google Books. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://books.google.com/books?id=WoKa8ZffE1gC>.

       Reading the authors research on “water Rights Laws surrounding the 19^th Century” and that data that I analyzed was telling me about the Dual Systems and watercourses of the water rights. Basic two rights of the use of water in the western water course were the Doctrine Prior Appropriation and the Riparian Doctrine. All together were 17 western states each but generally 8 western states had the authority to reject to the riparian doctrine of water rights. Furthermore, doctrine and the rights to use water are by splitting of water and applying and using it for beneficial reasons. The Showing the quality of water and the right use of water on such land for beneficial purposes. One of the Doctrine prior appropriations developed in the west with the principal of “first in time” and “first in right”. The united states of American were restricted to the public lands in which had no effect on the private lands. Determining the Doctrine of Riparian to the west, in which was the owner of the land to the watercourse and the right to use of water. Relating to the industrial and irrigation of purposes made to the topic of water use to be beneficial.

            Stating the California water rights and the authors researched based on the Kern River since the 1870’s in which was diverted and had its beneficial of certain operations. The water diversions which took place from the river have taken a lot of agreements. In 1964 there was a state water board connecting to the Kern River to make a pursuant if the water rights decision. The rivers and the consequently indicating the Kern River were denied. Also, the steam declaration on the Kern River and analyzing the water rights in local history in the late 1800’s. In 1976, the Kern Delta Water District had held their rights on the Kern River. Stating the Kern River had a lot of opportunities and had to have the “rights” with the water rights and their choices.

                                                            Western Times and Water Wars

Walton, John. Western times and Water Wars: State, Culture, and Rebellion in California. Berkeley: University of California, 1992. Print.

         The authors research on the novel of the Western Times and Water Wars took place in the 1900’s and the use of this data is navigating on the Owens Valley in California near Nevada. The approval from the state California is to make sure justice, citizens and the people on the outside with a protest. The state is convinced from the foster social with a privilege to some powers to the public interest. Therefore, toward the state, and the divide separating the believed people in action to a political thinking toward the social movements in which have the same political process. In the state there is the collective action in which involves voluntarism and structuralism. The relationship between collective in the action, the state, (wax Weber) in the human community in the force of society. Such, at least, by analyzing the novel of the first part showing the detail with analogies and the point of a valley and network of small towns in east California which includes the states formation and incorporation, also protest and a feature of the local culture.