Cold Running River - Softcover

Cassuto, David Nathan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0472082388 ISBN 13: 9780472082384

Publisher: University of Michigan Press/Regional, 1994

Synopsis

At a mere glance, Cold Running River has obvious regional and environmental appeal, but it goes far beyond those interests. Besides the fact that the Pere Marquette is a well-known, National Scenic River, and besides the fact that ecosystem management is a monumentally important and far-reaching topic, this book happens to read like a cold river runs: fast, refreshing, exuberant. It is special because David Cassuto has a beautiful way with the English language. Only he can make a chapter on lamprey eel infestation a gripping read. His style is so affecting, so warm, so "Norman Macleany"—you might be sitting on the river's bank, hearing the locals tell their tales of the river's history.That's what this book is: the river's history. It follows the miraculous course of the Pere Marquette: from its tumultuous glacial birth; to its devastation in the nineteenth century by unsustainable logging practices; to its recovery due to benign neglect. Cassuto approaches the river as both microcosm and metaphor; the controversies surrounding it speak to environmental and human dilemmas the world over.

About this title

About the Author

David N. Cassuto is professor of law and director of the Brazil-American Institute for Law and Environment (BAILE) at Pace University.

From the Back Cover

Not only an ecological biography of Michigan's Pere Marquette watershed, but also the story of a miracle -- the compelling life and times of the river itself. In a refreshingly witty narrative Cassuto recounts the history of the watershed from prehistory to its devastation in the nineteenth century by unsustainable logging practices and its later recovery due to a long period of benign neglect.

Reviews

Mixing observations of people involved with the Pere Marquette river in Michigan and data collected by himself and his colleagues at Indiana University, Cassuto offers a brief but worthwhile ecological history of this river in his first book. He traces the discovery and settlement of the river, including the mixed impact of Native Americans (who used fire to clear large areas of land) on the territory, the role of rampant logging and the development of an early 20th-century resort community for blacks. He explores the use of the river for fishing, suggesting that the desires of some old-time fishermen conflict with the needs of newer river users. The prevalence of the lamprey eel led to a chemical control program beginning in 1957; Cassuto's interviewees debate the varied effects of the process. Citizens' groups more than government agencies administer the river, but he finds that management decisions depend mostly on economics rather than ecology. Observing that the Pere Marquette is facing increasing demands, Cassuto calls for better planning for use of national river resources as well as a scaled-down lifestyle that asks less of nature.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ecology can be defined as the interaction between organisms and their environment. In this ecological study of the Pere Marquette River and its watershed in Michigan, Cassuto presents an oral history of the river from its discovery, through its apparent death from pollution and overuse, to its eventual rebirth due to "benign neglect." The book is full of interesting personal accounts from people who have lived on the river. One of the more fascinating chapters, on lamprey control, presents the problems that occurred with early chemical control of aquatic pests. The writing is not overly scientific, and the issues of ecosystem management can apply to any region in the world. Recommended for public and academic libraries with an interest in basic ecology and the environment. For another river study, see Bruce Stutz's Natural Lives, Modern Times: People and Places of the Delaware River , LJ 5/15/92.--Ed.
- Amy L. Paster, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Michigan Press/Regional
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0472082388
• ISBN 13: 9780472082384
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 162