David Owen on Where the Water Goes

From Origin Stories by Campside Media

June 3, 2026 · 27 min · Episode 44

About this episode

David Owen discusses his book 'Where the Water Goes' and the complexities of water law and infrastructure in the American West.

David Owen is a longtime staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of numerous books about technology, infrastructure, and the hidden systems that shape everyday life. In Where the Water Goes , he follows the Colorado River from its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains to its overburdened terminus, using the river's journey to explore how water, politics, engineering, and geography have shaped the modern American West. In this episode, he talks to Matthew about the New Yorker article that inspired the book, the challenge of turning water law and infrastructure into narrative, and why following the river gave him the perfect structure for telling a much larger story. Along the way, he reflects on the value of curiosity, the art of explaining complicated subjects, and the practical realities of making a living as a freelance writer. “The freelancer's rule is: use every part of the buffalo,” he says. “Write a story, and if there are leftovers, you try to turn that into a story.” To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at ⁠joincampside.com⁠ . You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠ , ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠ . Have a question, guest…

People in this episode

Host: Matthew

Guest: David Owen

Topics covered

water politics
infrastructure
freelance writing
narrative storytelling
environmental issues

Keywords

David Owen
Colorado River
water law
freelance writing
infrastructure
The New Yorker
narrative

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The New Yorker

Places: Colorado River, Rocky Mountains, American West