The Book Prize Index

Running Out: In Search of Water on the High Plains

Lucas Bessire

"This book--the first ethnography of water conservation on the Great Plains--provides an account of High Plains aquifer decline through an exploration of the different ways in which heartland residents inhabit and understand the imminent depletion of groundwater. This literary ethnography offers a vividly sketched look into the lives and stories of this community, based on interviews with members of the community such as fellow farmers and state regulators, woven together with historical data, journalistic documentation, and Bessire's personal reflections of his family's lived experiences"--Provided by publisher.

Nature & EnvironmentNature & Environment · medium confidenceNature & Environment81 signalsLlm Classifier: Nature & Environment -> Nature & EnvironmentGoogle Books: Biography & Autobiography -> Memoir & AutobiographyGoogle Books: Biography & Autobiography -> BiographyTravel, Exploration & PlaceOceans, Rivers & WaterEnvironment, Conservation & Pollution

Award History

1 wins · 2 total

AwardYearResultCategory / Notes
George Perkins Marsh Prize: Environmental History2022WinnerOfficial source
National Book Award for NonfictionMajor2021FinalistSecondary source
View all award history (2)
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies

This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.

  1. 01 Central figures

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  2. 02 Central places

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

    These suggestions did not meet the normal display threshold and are more likely to be wrong.

    • Great Plains60%
    • High Plains55%

  3. 03 Suggested argument

    No argument inferred with sufficient confidence.

    This suggestion did not meet the normal display threshold and is more likely to be wrong.

    High Plains aquifer decline can be understood through how heartland residents inhabit and interpret imminent groundwater depletion, revealing distinct water-conservation meanings and practices.

    Model confidence 46%

  4. 04 Reading orientation

    62 / 100 academic

    Academic

    An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.

Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 60%.