© 2026 The Couch Critic
Status
Released
Release
1997
Runtime
4h 11m
Documentary on water usage, money, politics, the transformation of nature, and the growth of the American west, shown on PBS as a four-part miniseries.
61 Cast Members
Alfre Woodard
Narrator (voice)
Marc Reisner
Self - Author, 'Cadillac Desert'
Catherine Mulholland
Self - William Mullholand's Granddaughter
Clara Rambeau
Self - Elder, Owens Valley Paiute Tribe
Kevin Starr
Self - California State Librarian
Robert Towne
Self - Screenwriter, 'Chinatown'
Ernie Kinney
Self - Owens Valley Resident
Cynthia Irwin
Self - Owens Valley Resident
Flora Nash
Self - Owens Valley Resident
Howard Holland
Self - Owens Valley Resident
Vernon Miller
Self - Chairman, Fort Independence Tribe
Robert Phillips
Self - General Manager, Chief Engineer 1972-75
George Miller
Self - Congressman, California
Elma Blaver
Self - Mono Lake Resident
Sally Gaines
Self - Co-Founder, Mono Lake Committee
David Gaines
Self - Co-Founder, Mono Lake Committee (archive footage)
Augie Hess
Self - Mono Lake Resident
Patricia Mulroy
Self - Manager, Las Vegas Valley Water District
Blaine Hamann
Self - Manager, Hoover Dam
Barry Goldwater
Self - U.S. Senator, Arizona
