Following the Bend

How to Read a River and Understand Its Nature

Ellen Wohl

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2025
• Print ISBN:
  9780691272504
  9780691272474
• eBook ISBN:
  9780691272481
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Natural History
• Index: Biological Sciences

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 advocating for 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.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• 1. Of Vernal Pools & Burning Rivers
• 2. Endless Flows
• 3. A River Is Born
• 4. Going with the Flow
• 5. A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss
• 6. Planform
• 7. Something Hidden in the Water
• 8. Of Moss and Other River Life
• 9. The River Corridor
• 10. Disturbing Times
• 11. A Sitting Stone Holds Secrets
• 12. Rivers in the Long View
• 13. The End of a River
• 14. The Future
• Further Reading
• Index