▁then ▁– ▁the ▁river ▁and ▁its ▁trib ut aries ▁became ▁much ▁nar ro wer , ▁s ilt ier ▁and ▁shall ower , ▁with ▁large ▁consequences ▁for ▁the ▁natural ▁environment , ▁for ▁sust ain ability ▁of ▁water ▁supplies ▁in ▁its ▁valley , ▁and ▁also ▁huge ▁changes ▁for ▁water ▁politics ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁The ▁San ▁Jo aqu in ▁and ▁its ▁trib ut aries ▁seemed ▁to ▁give ▁rise ▁to ▁just ▁about ▁every ▁single ▁possible ▁argument ▁over ▁water , ▁including ▁such ▁cases ▁as ▁" When ▁is ▁a ▁river ▁not ▁a ▁river ?" ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁difference ▁between ▁a ▁sl ough ▁and ▁a ▁mar sh . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁said ▁that ▁f ights ▁over ▁the ▁river ▁have ▁caused ▁" some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁bitter ▁and ▁longest ▁running ▁law su its ▁ever ▁to ▁c log ▁the ▁courts . ▁Ar gu ably , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁most ▁lit ig ated ▁river ▁in ▁America ." ▁ ▁D ams , ▁divers ions ▁and ▁engineering ▁ ▁H ydro elect ric ▁development ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁Californ ian ▁cities ▁as ▁far ▁south ▁as ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁were ▁looking ▁to ▁new ▁sources ▁for ▁electric ity ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁rapidly ▁growing ▁populations ▁and ▁indust ries . ▁Two ▁vision aries , ▁rail road ▁baron ▁Henry ▁E . ▁Hun ting ton ▁and ▁engineer ▁John ▁S . ▁East wood ▁established ▁a ▁fled g ling ▁power ▁company ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁today ▁known ▁as ▁Southern ▁California ▁Ed ison , ▁and ▁acquired ▁water ▁rights