The fifty-two members of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District are protected, by charter, against conflict-of-interest disclosures. No one has to release information on stock ownership, business connections, or anything else that might provide a clearer picture of where their true interests lie. As a result, no one knew much about them—though many tried to find out—except what was obvious: in the 1960s most were white, male, middle-aged or older, wealthy, and passionately committed to water development.
