A Falcon Guides contribution
In 2022 I unintentionally stumbled into writing a book intended for a broad audience on rivers and streams. My goal was to bring the exciting science and awesome biodiversity of aquatic life to people with minimal scientific training. The outcome, Field Guide to Rivers and Streams: Discovering Running Waters and Aquatic Life (ISBN 978-1493060382) explains how these ecosystems work from the perspective of someone who is endlessly fascinated by them.
Chapters within the book fall into two categories: 1) narrative overviews fundamental concepts in river science and 2) traditional field guides to help identify commonly encountered aquatic organisms. Although the field guide chapters emphasize aquatic life found in North American, the fundamental science chapters apply to all rivers and streams.
The work can be found anywhere books are sold, including Amazon and Walmart. Ask me for a reduced-cost copy if you are a Chatham student.
Highlights
Chapter 2: Watersheds
A watershed is the land that contributes water to a river or stream. Every square inch of land constitutes part of a watershed. Because water mush travers these lands to reach stream channels, the chemical, physical, and biological character of a river or stream reflects what is happening in the watershed.
This figure shows the boundaries of the major river watersheds in the United States.
Chapter 3: Hydrology
Every river and stream has a personality: some are consistently tranquil while others swing from raging floods to mere trickles. River scientists refer to the frequency, magnitude, and duration of floods and droughts as a river’s flow regime. The various species of aquatic life of a river directly reflects the flow regime those organisms must endure.
Chapter 4: Geomorphology
Rivers move more than just water. They are conduits for vast volumes of sediment. As rivers move downstream they create and erode land, shaping the entire landscape.
The rivers that meet in my hometown of Pittsburgh illustrate this beautifully. This image shows the modern and ancient channels of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers.
Chapter 5: Stream and river ecosystems
Energy and life moves in and out of rivers, up and down stream. The exchange between aquatic, marine and terrestrial ecosystems is beautifully complex.
The salmon shown here died naturally after spawning. Energy and nutrients these fish accumulated in the ocean is now available for freshwater and terrestrial organisms. Without these salmon, the trees surrounding the channel would have a harder time growing.
Chapter 7: Insects
Aquatic insects are the most diverse group of life found in flowing waters. Like this damselfly, most spend their early life feeding underwater then emerge onto land to fly and find a mate. The vast biodiversity of insect life makes them ideal organisms for assessing water quality in rivers and streams.
Chapter 9: Bivalve mollusks
A supremely underappreciated group of river organisms, mollusks are ubiquitous in freshwaters if you look carefully for them. North America harbors more species of freshwater mussels than anywhere else on Earth, including the Amazon. Most species are threatened with extinction and many grow beautiful shells. They also help keep water clear and clean by filter feeding.
Chapter 10: Fishes
Eastern North America harbors more species of freshwater fish than any other temperate region on Earth. Although most river enthusiasts are familiar with game species, hundreds of smaller species with beautiful colors and fascinating life histories inhabit our waters.
Fishes is the plural word for referring to multiple species of fish.