Book Description

The story of the San Joaquin California's heartland river its people, its places, its past.

In the maiden embrace of Thousand Island Lake, Garnet Lake and Shadow Lake sparkling gems of the John Muir Trail country the collected droplets of what will become the San Joaquin River gather. At these first resting spots, the waters stand clear and cold, but this pristine distinction is not to last. Wending its way down towering mountains, through deep canyons and between undulating foothills, the river passes some of the most beautiful country in America, yet by the time it reaches the San Joaquin Delta, nearly 400 miles and 10,000 vertical feet later, it has become little more than a public sewer, a fouled, controlled drain for agricultural and municipal wastewater.

While nearly all of America's major rivers have been compromised, few have been so misused as the San Joaquin. In its comparatively brief history it has been dammed, diverted and depleted beyond comprehension. Some see the San Joaquin as a river betrayed.

This book is not an academic history; rather, it is the story of a real river its people, its places and its past based on the lives and letters of those who have known it firsthand. More than anything, this book seeks to identify the forces and figures who have shaped, altered and corrupted the course of a once mighty river.

So come, step back in time and travel along; there's one of the old river steamers now. Hop onboard and journey up the river. You can reflect on the river's rich and colorful past and visit its backwaters and byways. You'll also have a chance to stop and examine those places where the water barons and power brokers left their mark, as well as the spots where government intervention went awry.

And perhaps during the journey you'll gain a bit of insight about the hard choices to be faced if the wise use of this essential resource is to prevail. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

MUST read for any river lover
I live near the San Joaquin river near Tracy California and this book is the FIRST publication that tells the truth about how dead this once beautiful river has become. The books lays out the history of the river and has wonderful photographs to document the authors facts.

Especially telling is Chapter Fourteen (14) where the author tells how we California citizens became aware of the mess at the San Luis National Wildlife Area, and at Kesterson where wildlife was being found dead and either eggs or newly hatched birds had terrible malformations.

The photo on page 128 of the discarded cars, tires and other trash between Gravelly Ford and Mendota Pool in the river is just what we find along Paradise road North East of Tracy, where lazy people dump their JUNK !!

In the 1990's although I am a vegetarian I decided to fish near the bridge on Paradise and caught a catfish that looked odd. Turned out it was odd. It had tumors. This books tells the truth about what the pollution and garbage being ALLOWED into the river is doing to fish and ALL wildlife in the river. Fact is this isnt a river anymore but a cesspool.

I have pics of the river on my own webpage and it shows as this book does that dairies with thousands of heads of cattle that produce millions of gallons of feces and urine that seep into the groundwater and out into the river along with the waste pipes that farmers have that pump pesticide rich irrigation "water" back into the river where it harms fish, birds as well as plantlife. The river REALLY is green slime and DEAD.

I am sad that this is the first review the book has gotten but will put the book on my webpage in hopes that it gets more attention. It is important to note that many people of colour who also happen to be poor, fish the river for catfish to suppliment their food budget. The fact that public officials don't give a damn that people could be getting sick form the bad fish makes me mad as well.

Cannot thank Gene Rose and Word Dancer Press in Clovis California east of Fresno for daring to write and publish this book. It made me cry as someone whose family has been in California since the early 1800's and SOLID ecology minded folk.

Please buy a copy of this book if you live in California, and give it to your local school and public library. And if you love RIVERS and live outside do the same for yourself and your local libraries. ... Read more

Book Description

This book tells the story of the oldest river in North America, ironically named the New River, and the deep gorge it carved in West Virginia. Once exploited for its coal and timber, the gorge is now being reclaimed by nature. Thousands of people annually enjoy the splendid scenery and recreational resources of New River Gorge National River, Gauley River National Recreation Area, and Bluestone National Scenic River. Forty-three splendid color photographs, twelve black and white historical photographs, and four line drawings evoke the beauty of this scenic area and enhance descriptions in the text. The book measures 8-1/2 X 11 inches and has forty pages and a laminated paper cover. ... Read more

Book Description

The rapidly disappearing wetlands that once spread so abundantly across the American continent serve an essential and irreplaceable ecological function. Yet for centuries, Americans have viewed them with disdain. Beginning with the first European settlers, we have thought of them as sinkholes of disease and death, as landscapes that were worse than useless unless they could be drained, filled, paved or otherwise "improved." As neither dry land, which can be owned and controlled by individuals, nor bodies of water, which are considered a public resource, wetlands have in recent years been at the center of controversy over issues of environmental protection and property rights.

The confusion and contention that surround wetland issues today are the products of a long and convoluted history. In Discovering the Unknown Landscape, Anne Vileisis presents a fascinating look at that history, exploring how Americans have thought about and used wetlands from Colonial times through the present day. She discusses the many factors that influence patterns of land use-ideology, economics, law, perception, art-and examines the complicated interactions among those factors that have resulted in our contemporary landscape. As well as chronicling the march of destruction, she considers our seemingly contradictory tradition of appreciating wetlands: artistic and literary representations, conservation during the Progressive Era, and recent legislation aimed at slowing or stopping losses.

Discovering the Unknown Landscape is an intriguing synthesis of social and environmental history, and a valuable examination of how cultural attitudes shape the physical world that surrounds us. It provides important context to current debates, and clearly illustrates the stark contrast between centuries of beliefs and policies and recent attempts to turn those longstanding beliefs and policies around. Vileisis's clear and engaging prose provides a new and compelling understanding of modern-day environmental conflicts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A terrific historical overview of wetlands...
This is a great primer for anyone interested in the history of our wetlandecosystems- from armchair ecologists to the PhDs.It helped me enormouslyin understanding how our wetlands came to be what they are today. Vileisis' style is engaging and clear, making this a real page turner.Ididn't want to put it down.

An essential book for those interested in wetland protection
We've all heard the statistics.As Vileisis puts it, "Overall, 221 million acres of wetlands once graced our nation's lower forty-eight states with a rich mosaic of life.More than half of these important landscapes no longer exist."This book traces a history of loss and chronicles the changing attitudes of the settlers from Europe and their descendants about wetlands.Caught up as we frequently are in controversies about how to identify wetlands, how to preserve them and mitigate their loss, this book provides a long perspective and calls for no less than a change in culture if we are to stop the inexorable downward trend.

Vileisis describes how, to the first European settlers, what we call wetlands were "dismal swamps," linked by images such as Pilgrim Progress' "slough of despond" to whatever is dark and evil.Later wetlands represented opportunity: drain them and make a lot of money, whether selling real estate in Florida or planting more and more crops.

This is more than a book about wetlands, however.It is a history of water policy in the United States.It tells the history of the great American institutions that grew up to deal with wetlands issues: the Soil Conservation Service, the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others.She also tells of the federal legislation that shapes our current ways of dealing with wetlands;how these laws got passed and how they have been enforced.Anyone attempting to understand the changing role of the Corp of Engineers in wetland protection, for example, should read this book.

The book is also gracefully written and filled with great stories about entrepreneurs and dreamers who saw opportunities in controlling the rivers and draining the swamps, and how their plans almost always went awry.It also tells of those who helped change the cultural attitude toward wetlands, people like Mrs. Augustus Hemenway of Boston, who, with William Brewster, founded the Audubon Society and groups like Ducks Unlimited, who saw dramatic decreases of wildlife in their favorite hunting areas.When scientists began to understand the values of wetlands in the early 20th century, long-entrenched attitudes began to change.

Vileisis points to the essential difficulty for understanding and dealing with wetlands: land is property, and our thinking is guided by concepts of "property rights."The waters of the country, on the other hand, have been understood as belonging to all of us.But wetlands are both land -- we can put a fence around it-- and water -- it flows and knows no boundaries.This is the key to why it has been so hard to shape public policy and attitudes about wetlands.As Vileisis puts it, "Americans were stuck somewhere between the conventional view of wetlands as property and the ecological view of wetlands as a life-support system."

Vileisis takes heart from the resiliency of nature, but in her closing chapter she says, "...while there have been changes in attitudes, policies, and laws, and marked decrease in the rate of wetlands loss, the destruction of wetlands continues because powerful interests cling to the status quo that calculates its profits in the ledger of short-term private gain with little concern for the common good."For those of us who work to change this cultural attitude, this book extends our sense of interconnectedness to those who lived before us.Vileisis says, "Informed by history, we can remember the trade-offs already made and turn away from the mistakes and misunderstandings of a time when we knew no better." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Columnist's Dream Book
Christopher Angus has produced a fascinating collection of columns regarding his perceptions, favorite haunts and personal politics of the Adirondacks. His prose speaks fluently with great visual romanticism that resembles famous current and past Adirondack writers. Calmly floating on the motif of canoeing, his stories range from many serious environmental issues to simple whimsey's, such as marking the decades long travel of one trees root ball down the Oswegatchie River. His stories as varied as the seasons of which he writes, Mr. Angus gives the world a clear, honest portayal of one of America's greatest wilderness. ... Read more

Book Description

*B/W photos, maps
* 6 x 9
* The definitive guide to Irish trout and salmon rivers
* Completely revised and updated

Praise for the second edition of Rivers of Ireland:

"This is a remarkable guide and reference book which immediatelyestablishes itself as definitive in its field."--Shooting Times

"This book meets all the criteria by which an angling guide must bejudged. It provides exactly the information the prospective angler needs:the how, the where and the when . . . information he can waste hours ordays trying to find out for himself."--Trout and Salmon

The only comprehensive guide to Ireland's trout and salmon waters is backin a thoroughly updated version. Rivers are shown on regional maps anddescribed in detail, including the most productive stretches, accessareas, stock levels, average size and record fish, vegetation, hatches,local permit requirements, seasons for each species, and the best fliesto use.

Peter O'Reilly is an officer at the Central Fisheries Board and arecognized authority on Ireland's trout and salmon. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I fished the Rivers of Ireland
I recently moved to Ireland with all my fishing gear and little fishing information beforehand. I luckily managed to get hold of this book. Peter O'Reilly truly lists all fishable rivers in Ireland, from the smallest trickle to the largest river. He does so in an efficient way, stating the most neccesary info, flies, size of fish etc. Not only did this book help me find excellent streams that I would otherwise never have heard of, the info. and tactics suggested proved to be very useful and similar to my own experiences at the rivers. The content itself derves five stars. My reason for only giving it four lies in the somewhat casual organization of the fisheries. The book is divided into different geographical sections but it lacks a map with an overview of each section. Instead there are small maps spread loosely in each section. This is fine if you know each area well, but the highway angler who tries to get a quick overview is left with some irritating pageflipping and index searching. Finally, the author makes room for a few select anecdotes that gives the book an enjoyable personal feel. Organization problems aside, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to any angler searching for his/her own spot. I found mine and, most importantly, with help from this book I caught plenty of fish! ... Read more

Book Description

This book details the biological and physical characteristics of river systems in the eastern and southeastern United States. Future volumes will deal with the Mississippi drainage, rivers of the American west and southwest, pollution and environmental management. ... Read more

Book Description

Changing River Channels is intended for all those with an interest in the dynamics of river channels and their management. Contributions are drawn from both the academic and river management communities and these provide perspectives based upon British, European and North American examples. The chapters are organised into four sections which consider the magnitude and dimensions of river channel adjustments over different timescales; the processes which influence those adjustments, focussing particularly upon the roles of sediment transport and storage, and of vegetation; the information sources that are available for assessing the degree and nature of change; and finally, perspectives on the management of changing river channels. This volume is one of two companion edited books to mark the contributions of Professors K.J. Gregory and D. E. Walling to research on drainage basin form and processes. Each presents a balanced range of contributions written by research colleagues and students. ... Read more

Book Description

Photographs and accompanying essays chronicle a voyage of ecological discovery through Maryland's Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Is it still possible to make a voyage of discovery here in Maryland, the nation's fifth most densely settled state?The Great Marsh: An Intimate Journey into a Chesapeake Wetland David W. Harp's vivid photography and Tom Horton's eloquent prose produce a compelling portrait of one such journey in an intriguing and endangered habitat.

Into this remarkable territory—whose shrinking dimensions frighten every naturalist and ecologist—Harp and Horton embarked on a canoe trip exploring, documenting, and photographing the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County.This volume, at its core, is the story of a single crossing of the Blackwater's length, east to west.Separate "sidebar" essays discuss how the marsh functions as a refuge for migrating butterflies, the wetlands sustain a lonely trapper, and the bogs yield archeological treasures—remnants of American Indian hunting forays and colonial boat building—to careful investigation.

The edges of the Chesapeake Bay offer Americans some of their loveliest (and most sensitive) wetlands.The fertile waters and soggy vegetation provide a home to ducks, geese,eagles, and dozens of other species of birds; muskrats, squirrels, foxes; and of course insect varieties almost too numerous to count.The environmental importance of the marshes lies in their filtering pollutants, retarding erosion, and helping to maintain a natural balance among the critters. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A sad, slanted view of a lovely habitat...
Many exquisite photos grace this volume, as well as some interesting facts. However, the excessive references (both in photos and text) to trapping, fishing, and hunting frequently intrude upon what could otherwise have been an enjoyable and informative coffee-table-type introduction to the marsh habitat. Those who love the marsh for its beauty and for non-violent enjoyment of its wildlife might want to look for a more wildlife-friendly book. The graphic descriptions of skinning animals are especially offensive and unnecessary. ... Read more

Book Description

Waters of Potowmack is a documentary history of the Potomac River and its wide, fertile basin--the setting for much of early United States history. A collage of primary accounts, it extends from the first explorers and colonists, the building of the Capitol, and the incidents of the Civil War through our recent past.

Waters of Potowmack records the firsthand impressions of the settlers and surveyors of this river basin, an area that includes parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. In addition to offering an introduction to the geography, geology, and climate of the region, Metcalf's fascinating pastiche includes early descriptions of flora and fauna, and accounts of some of the earliest encounters between European settlers and indigenous peoples.

Here, too, are the voices of Washington and Jefferson, of Robert E. Lee and Abraham Lincoln, as well as the lesser-known stories of revolutionaries, mercenaries, and canal and road builders. And from diary and journal entries we follow the correspondence between Washington, Jefferson, and L'Enfant as they lay out the new Federal City.

Selections from Civil War diaries focus on key battle sites, and primary accounts offer a new understanding of the motives of John Brown and John Wilkes Booth.

The last section of Metcalf's engrossing book looks at the ruinous pollution of the river basin after the Second World War, at the rioting and looting of the 1960s, and at the despoliation of a land that at the book's beginning was described as an Eden, a paradise on earth.

An evocative and moving book, this is a history of exploring, settling, rebelling, governing, rioting, building, and cultivating, all on the "waters of Potowmack." ... Read more