This paper proposes a complementary approach to the existing works on the history of water policies in the West of the USA. We defend the idea that the history of Western Water is not fully explained by the hegemony of elites, nor is it the result of the conflicts between local populations and political power. Instead, we offer that water policies in the West are shaped by the interaction of a complex institutional architecture, as well as by the profile of the dominant actors in these institutions. Water policy history is extremely linked to the history of the USA’s State. The reconstruction of that history has been possible by using multiple sources (literature review, grey literature, main actors’ personal records, etc.). We also used data coming from the interviews with the actors, ancients and contemporary, from the many public and private institutions that are involved in water management in the USA.
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