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CLOSURE: Central Library will be closed Tuesday, July 21, through Saturday, July 25, while emergency repairs are made to the building’s cooling system. We expect to reopen Monday, July 27.

Notice of Public Meeting: Kalamazoo Public Library Board of Trustees | July 27 | 5:30 pm | Central Library/Van Deusen Room. The packet of information for the meeting can be found on the library’s website. 

Book

Following the bend : how to read a river and understand its nature

Call Number

  • 551.483 W846 (CEN, EAS, OSH)

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Publication Information

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2025]

Physical Description

vi, 290 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Summary

"An engaging and thought-provoking introduction to river science. When we look at a river, either up close or while flying over a river valley, what are we really seeing? Following the Bend takes readers on a majestic journey by water to find answers, along the way shedding light on the key concepts of modern river science, from hydrology and water chemistry to stream and wetland ecology. In this accessible and uniquely personal book, Ellen Wohl explains how to "read" a river, blending the latest science with her own personal experiences as a geologist and naturalist who has worked on rivers for more than three decades. She charts how water travels through the hydrologic cycle around the globe and downstream to distribute energy, move sediment, and shape river channels, and how living organisms adapt to life in flowing water to create vibrant river ecosystems. Wohl looks at the role of disturbances such as floods and droughts and discusses how geologists interpret the sedimentary records of past river processes. She illustrates how river networks interact with Earth's surface and considers issues for rivers in the future, such as progressive drying, river restoration, and the legal personhood of a river to maintain its distinctive spirit, identity, and integrity. Sharing a new understanding of how rivers function as both physical systems and ecosystems, Following the Bend enables us to observe rivers with fresh eyes and more fully appreciate the beauty, vibrancy, and complexity of our planet's vital waterways"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents

  • Of vernal pools & burning rivers
  • Endless flows
  • A river is born
  • Going with the flow
  • A rolling stone gathers no moss
  • Planform
  • Something hidden in the water
  • Of moss and other river life
  • The river corridor
  • Disturbing times
  • A sitting stone holds secrets
  • Rivers in the long view
  • The end of a river
  • The future.

Subjects