Daniel McCool

When I was growing up in central Indiana, rivers and creeks were the only "wild" places where we could enjoy a taste of nature. My earliest adventures took place on nearby watercourses. When I moved to the American West, the rivers took on an even larger meaning; they not only provided astounding opportunities for recreation and adventure, they were also rare and usually severely compromised by over-development. So, rivers have played an important role in my life since I was a small boy; the same can be said for my son.

I went to grad school in Arizona, where encountering a river or creek is such a rarity in the desert that it is a special kind of prize, like finding a jewel in the sand. I moved to Utah 25 years ago, and discovered a land or unsurpassing beauty and a great variety of rivers and streams. I bought a raft and started exploring. When I became a professor, I decided to focus my research on water policy; what could be more important than water?

As I look back on my life, I realize how important rivers have been to me; they have shaped my life. The only "problem" with rivers is that there are not enough of them, at least the ones that are healthy, clean, free-flowing, and inviting. I truly hope that we can provide future generations with the same, or even greater, opportunities to enjoy America's waterways. Indeed, I think it is a moral imperative to pass on to future generations a world that is at least as attractive, healthy, and wild as it is in our lifetime. Restoring rivers will help us meet that goal.