#us rivers

[amycvdh]

All of the Rivers by Nelson Minar (via kottke)

[rjzimmerman]

U.S. rivers are experiencing unprecedented and unexpectedly intense warming

A new analysis is the first in-depth study of riverine heat waves, which are worsening as the planet warms due to climate change

Excerpt from this story from NBC News:

U.S. rivers are running hot.

A new analysis of nearly 1,500 river locations over more than 40 years found that the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves is increasing in streams across the country, posing a threat to many species that are adapted to cooler temperatures.

“The trend of river heat waves is actually increasing faster than the air heat waves. So, that’s one thing that is very surprising,” said Li Li, a professor of environmental engineering at Penn State University and an author of the study.

The new analysis, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first in-depth study of riverine heat waves, which are defined as five straight days of high temperatures in comparison to seasonal averages.

The authors found that human-caused climate change is the primary driver of the trend, as snowpack dwindles and streams flow more slowly.

Other human factors also affect the trend. Dams slow the flow of water downstream. Buildings and pavement absorb heat that warms the air and then the water.

Scientists expect that species that rely on cold water, including salmon and trout, will increasingly struggle as streams heat up. Li said it will be important to document fish kills to see if and what trends are emerging.

Heat decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen in water. Meanwhile, cold-water species often see their metabolism rise in warmer waters, meaning there’s less oxygen available.

The findings could inform how to manage watersheds and whether changes to irrigation or dam releases could help species hang on during hot weather.

[grasshoppergeography]

This is a classic, the map that started it all.

River basin map of the contiguous United States. Colours represent different catchment areas.

Read more and buy prints here. Ko-fi | RedBubble | Etsy

[grasshoppergeography]

River Histories

This is a very important project from Scot McFarlane, a river historian from the Columbia University. The project called Confluences: The History of North American Rivers and thanks to the interactive website it is a fun way to learn some about US rivers. Really cool historic photographs accompany the short stories, so it’s worth a visit even if you’re not really into history. 

Also features some of my maps, but that’s really not the point here :)

Here’s the link: riverhistories.org

[therealsporcle]

Mississippi River Basin States Quiz

[markwateneymemorialcrater]

a strange thing I noticed about the dam USA. All rivers are dammed.

So I have only made one real trip to the USA and it was down to washington state as a kid. but one thing i noticed and found a little strange is that the columbia River had a dam across it every 30 minutes of driving or so. Like it wasn't so much a river as it was a string of lakes feeding into each other. I was just looking on google maps and almost every lake i saw in any somewhat mountainous region was because there was a dam across the river, small rivers as well. from Texas to Washington, every river has been strangled with dams. it’s no wonder there isn't any big salmon runs in the USA anymore. you destroyed all their spawning habitat. 

[aquadonia]

"I'm a creep. I'm a weirdo. What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here." by @aquadonia (at Downtown Green Bay)

[crookedcontoursarchive]

(River Basins of the US)