Description

Southern Rivers is a thoroughly crafted exploration of the perilous state of the Southeasts rivers and the urgent need to safeguard their vitality The regions rivers are the epicenter of North American freshwater biodiversity and are the top global hotspot for important aquatic animals including mussels turtles snails crayfish and fish

Centuries of commercial development have impaired the regions river systems sacrificing biodiversity and compromising the rivers ability to provide resources essential to human life drinking water waste disposal irrigation navigation recreation power production and more Now increased heat and drought caused by climate change are lowering water levels As such threats increase it may seem necessary to choose between nature conservation and human needs but Duncan persuasively demonstrates that this is a false choice Conservation enhances human life

Duncan explains the task of managing southeastern rivers and how river water quality affects the daily lives of the millions who hold these historic waterways dear He shows how managing rivers wisely can meet the needs of biodiversity and humanity both With Americans increasingly anxious about the onset of climate change and the accelerating extinction crisis Southern Rivers illuminates actionable solutions