A View of the River

With the Midwest under water, America had a chance to see how effectively it had "improved" its rivers. Too often physical changes made to a river conflict with natural processes, resulting in - rather than alleviating - damage. Applying available knowledge on how rivers form and act could prevent such problems. In this book Luna Leopold seeks to organize such knowledge, presenting a coherent description of rivers, their shape, size, organization and action, along with a consistent theory that explains much of the observed character of channels. Grounded in hydraulics, geomorphology and surveying, as well as in extensive fieldwork on rivers in the eastern and Rocky Mountain states, Leopold's view of a river is at once technical and personal, providing both a firm foundation for understanding the behaviour of rivers - including instructions for getting started in backyard hydrology - and a wealth of firsthand observations by a thoughtful and experienced scientist. It should be of immediate interest and great use as researchers seek to develop, preserve and appreciate the earth's most fluid natural resource.