A View of the River

If you read Barry Lopez River Notes, this book is not that. There is a subtext that comes through -- Leopold loved his work, the outdoors life of a river surveyor, and the rivers he studied -- but this is not a book of naturalist poetry. What it is, is the digest of a lifetime's study of the fluvial morphology of small rivers in America. Leopold indicates early on in the preface that he has not done much work on other continents, on big rivers or in tropical climates. However, these limitations acknowledged, much of what Leopold describes can be generalised into wider contexts. The main limitation for New Zealand readers will be the lack of any real discussion about braided rivers.For students of hydrology and morphology this book could be a primer, or, I suspect, it contains important insights for expert readers too. I am just a student of river projects, and make no claim to any specialist knowledge, but the text is accessible throughout. You don't have to be a scientist to get a lot out of this. It is a kind of exemplar too, because Leopold presents his findings eloquently, clearly, in plain English, and with plenty of illustrations. If you are a scientist I suggest you buy it, if you are an engineer I am not so sure.I must give you some examples of Leopold's knowledge, experience and vision. Hydro engineers will appreciate the value of complete records kept over an extended period of time; the question is always about that minimum flow in years of drought. In Chapter Two, River Measurement, Leopold is discussing the network of gaging stations: "The matter is complicated and will not be treated in detail here. But it is important to realize that many river gaging stations are so affected by the works of man that they do not provide a representation of the hydrology of the river basin". A few pages further in Leopold reveals himself as a very practical man, shunning the black art: "The easiest way to measure velocity is by floats, and the best float is an orange peel. It has just the right specific gravity to float nicely at the surface, it is brightly colored and thus easily seen, and it is readily available". Later, near to the end, Leopold has possibly found some naturally occurring herbs: "The longitudinal profile of a river is concave to the sky".I am glad to have bought my copy of A View of the River. I dip into it when I'm in a dreamy mood, and every time I gain some small insight which seems valuable. It is not a thick book, but the text is reasonably dense, such that there is a lot of knowledge contained in just 298 pages.

A clearly written and almost novel-like description on how rivers work by one of the very best fluvial geologists in the last hundred years. Great read for planners, ecologists, environmentalists, and anyone who loves rivers to little creeks. Describes in non-technical writing what running bodies of water do, why they do it and the need to respect and protect them.

This is a well composed and concise book. It helps me a lot in understanding fluvial river processes, and recommend for anyone who study the same area.

If you're into stream ecology, this is the book for you. there are some videos out there by this guy too.

very good

really good still reading

Very readable. Great analysis of hydrology and the processes that shape rivers.

A View of the River is an excellent summary of fluvial research and patterns. It is not written explicitly as a textbook or reference book, but it could easily be used that way. Organization will always be difficult when including such a wide variety of information. The chapters were organized in an effective way, but a more detailed table of contents or a more extensive index would be helpful for referencing ideas and concepts that appear throughout the book or are connected to concepts proposed at earlier stages in the book. The lack of in-text citation, which the author acknowledges as a compromise in the preface, contributes to the inadequacy of referencing. If one is using this book to conduct amateur analysis on local streams, as the author suggests, better referencing is essential.

Worth reading cover to cover. Written in a way that is extremely digestible. He makes the subject thoroughly interesting, and the knowledge sticks. Loved it.