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The River Returns

An Environmental History of the Bow

Christopher Armstrong author Matthew Evenden author HV Nelles author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:McGill-Queen's University Press

Published:2nd Mar '11

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The River Returns cover

A revealing biography of Canada's iconic river, from its wild youth, through its hard-working past, to its contemporary reconstruction.

Millions of tourists and residents know the Bow River as it tumbles through Banff's spectacular scenery or carves an elegant arc through the city of Calgary. Fewer people know the Bow as a heavily engineered, hard-working river.Alberta's iconic river has been dammed and plumbed, made to spin hydro-electric turbines, and used to cleanse Calgary. Artificial lakes in the mountains rearrange its flow; downstream weirs and ditches divert it to irrigate the parched prairie. Far from being wild, the Bow is now very much a human product: its fish are as manufactured as its altered flow, changed water quality, and newly stabilized and forested banks. The River Returns brings the story of the Bow River's transformation full circle through an exploration of the recent revolution in environmental thinking and regulation that has led to new limits on what might be done with and to the river. Rivers have been studied from many perspectives, but too often the relationship between nature and people, between rivers and the cultures that have grown up beside them, have been separated. The River Returns illuminates the ways in which humans, both inadvertently and consciously, have interacted with nature to make the Bow.

"The River Returns is a fascinating and detailed story by three eminent scholars, one that breaks new ground while adhering to the rigours demanded by historical research and inquiry. The scholarship is nothing short of outstanding and should be brought to both public and academic attention." Max Foran, University of Calgary "Well written, illustrated, and referenced, this volume is a powerful addition to understanding humanity's ecological footprints. Summing Up: Highly recommended." Choice Magazine

ISBN: 9780773538702

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

506 pages