THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT DIFFERENT...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/02/1257121/-The-United-Watershed-States-of-America?detail=email
Pretty interesting stuff. If you like things like "alternate history" books and speculative science fiction, this idea could generate lots more. When I consider how the population of the planet is growing and how water is one of our most precious resources, I find this concept fascinating.