Water is the most precious resource in the West. It is relatively scarce in most areas. The farmers and ranchers need the water for irrigation; the cities and towns need it for domestic and municipal uses; and now the energy companies want to use it for their generators and coal slurry pipelines. In addition to these demands, the fishermen and environmentalist think the rivers and streams should remain natural and free flowing and not become completely de-watered as many of them have. The water is shallow to indicate scariness; the horses represent the West as an entity.
