The 2005 Award for Excellence in Professional and Scholarly Publishing by the Association of American Publishers (AAP)

Best Reference 2005, by Library Journal

Rivers of North America is an important reference for scientists, ecologists, and students studying rivers and their ecosystems. It brings together information from several regional specialists on the major river basins of North America, presented in a large-format, full-color book. The introduction covers general aspects of geology, hydrology, ecology and human impacts on rivers. This is followed by 22 chapters on the major river basins. Each chapter begins with a full-page color photograph and includes several additional photographs within the text. These chapters feature three to five rivers of the basin/region, and cover several other rivers with one-page summaries. Rivers selected for coverage include the largest, the most natural, and the most affected by human impact.

This one-of-a-kind resource is professionally illustrated with maps and color photographs of the key river basins. Readers can compare one river system to another in terms of its physiography, hydrology, ecology, biodiversity, and human impacts.

* Extensive treatment provides a single source of information for North America's major rivers

* Regional specialists provide authoritative information on more than 200 rivers

* Full-color photographs and topographical maps demonstrate the beauty, major features, and uniqueness of each river system

* One-page summaries help readers quickly find key statistics and make comparisons among rivers

An important reference for scientists, ecologists, and students studying rivers and their ecosystems, this work brings together information from several regional specialists on the major river basins of North America. Full-color photographs and topographical maps demonstrate the beauty, major features, and uniqueness of each river system.

a...could be as useful on a cross-country trip as in a personal library for reading and reference."

- William M. Lewis, University of Colorado, Boulder

"The first interdisciplinary perspective on...rivers and associated ecosystems...an invaluable reference and benchmark for biologists, hydrologists, planners, and policy makers."

- Alan P. Covich, Professor and Director, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia

"This volume is a must....It should be the standard reference on North American rivers for a long time to come."

- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President, Waterkeeper Alliance, from the Foreword

]is an entryway to further scientific information on over 200 individual rivers and will be an invaluable resource...." - Judy L. Meyer, Distinguished Research Professor of Ecology, University of Georgia, U.S.A.

â€�“This volume is a must....It should be the standard reference on North American rivers for a long time to come.” - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President, Waterkeeper Alliance, from the Foreword

d associated ecosystems...an invaluable reference and benchmark for biologists, hydrologists, planners, and policy makers."

- Alan P. Covich, Professor and Director, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia

"This volume is a must....It should be the standard reference on North American rivers for a long time to come."

- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President, Waterkeeper Alliance, from the Foreword

m the Foreword

Ecology, University of Georgia

"This volume is a must....It should be the standard reference on North American rivers for a long time to come."

- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President, Waterkeeper Alliance, from the Foreword

resident, Waterkeeper Alliance, from the Foreword

nce on North American rivers for a long time to come."

- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President, Waterkeeper Alliance, from the Foreword

"...They have provided a starting point for investigating our rivers and given us the tools for understanding how our rivers function..."

-David R. Lenat, Raleigh, North Carolina, JOURNAL OF NORTH AMERICAN BENTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY

"...Art Benke and Bert Cushing have produced a monumental work that will serve as a basic comparative reference for many years."

-Whit Gibbons, in AIKEN STANDARD

"...unique and beautifully illustrated..."

- Robert Ridinger, Electronic Information Resources Management, Northern Illinois University, for E-STREAMS

"...outstanding reference...an enormous amount of excellent information that is not available from any other single source... new source of knowledge...Essential."

- M. J. Zwolinski, University of Arizona, in CHOICE

"...an encyclopedic resource for anyone who loves rivers or wishes to learn about them... Well structured, clearly written, and beautifully illustrated..."

-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION

"...an excellent compendium, the first comprehensive treatment of North American rivers."

- Elizabeth A. Bergey, University of Oklahoma, for LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY BULLETIN

"This is a remarkable accomplishment...Well structured, clearly written, and beautifully illustrated with photos and maps..."

- Kaye L. Brubaker, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park

"This is a volume that all devotees of rivers--scientists, resource managers, anglers, boaters, and the lay reader--definitely will want to own."

- Kenneth W. Cummins, Co-Director, Institute for River Ecosystems, Humboldt State University, California

"Grand in design, scope and execution...an indispensable guide...Superb graphics and stunning photographs enrich the books wealth of scientific detail."

- James R. Karr, Professor, University of Washington, Seattle

"Encyclopedic in scope...condenses the wisdom and insight of regional experts into readable syntheses and informative one-page fact sheets...an invaluable resource."

- Judy L. Meyer, Distinguished Research Professor of Ecology, University of Georgia

"Rivers of North America...could be as useful on a cross-country trip as in a personal library for reading and reference."

- William M. Lewis, University of Colorado, Boulder

"The first interdisciplinary perspective on...rivers and associated ecosystems...an invaluable reference and benchmark for biologists, hydrologists, planners, and policy makers."

- Alan P. Covich, Professor and Director, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia

"This volume is a must....It should be the standard reference on North American rivers for a long time to come."

- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President, Waterkeeper Alliance, from the Foreword

Contributors

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

1. Background and Approach

2. Atlantic Coast Rivers of the Northeastern United States

3. Atlantic Coast Rivers of the Southeastern United States

4. Gulf Coast Rivers of the Southeastern United States

5. Gulf Coast Rivers of the Southwestern United States

6. Lower Mississippi River and its Tributaries

7. Southern Plains Rivers

8. Upper Mississippi River Basin

9. Ohio River Basin

10. Missouri River Basin

11. Colorado River Basin

12. Pacific Coast Rivers of the Coterminous United States

13. Columbia River Basin

14. Great Basin Rivers

15. Fraser River Basin

16. Pacific Coast Rivers of Canada and Alaska

17. Yukon River Basin

18. Mackenzie River Basin

19. Nelson and Churchill River Basins

20. Rivers of Arctic North America

21. Atlantic Coast Rivers of Canada

22. St. Lawrence River Basin

23. Rivers of Mexico

24. Overview and Prospects

Appendix: Common and Scientific Names for Plants, Vertebrates, and Selected Invertebrates

Glossary

Index