More about the Missouri River controversy: Faced with conflicting court orders, the Army Corps of Engineers has refused to comply with one, and has now been slapped with contempt charges

The Corps has refused to follow her order, beginning last week, on the lower Missouri River through Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. The agency said the order conflicts with an earlier federal court ruling requiring enough water for barge shipping and power generation.

This may seem like a local, regional dispute between environmental groups and an overly bureaucratic agency — but more is at stake here. Water is becoming increasingly political, and not just in the parched Southwest. As the amount of potable water available in the U.S. declines, we can expect to see more of these kinds of disputes, even in places where water is not so dear.

Just watch.