In this section, you will find sources related to the understanding of fresh water in California. The suggested readings begin with an overview of water use in the state before exploring how dams have impacted local communities and ecosystems in two instances: the St. Francis Dam and the Klamath River dams. While California saltwater and oceans have shaped much of the geography in the coastal regions of the state, our emphasis on fresh water stems from its sustained use as a source of energy. Here, we look specifically at how water is conceived as an energy source and contributes to development of the state. We also introduce the harms this development has caused over time. This is seen in the disastrous St. Francis Dam catastrophe and through the sustained harm that water cultivation has caused to Indigenous peoples in the state over time. We begin with this event to showcase the many ways that energy can be conceived of and thought through. Water is crucial to sustaining all life on Earth. It is a precious source whose power should not be underestimated.