At the Confluence: Rivers, Floods, and Water Quality in the St. Louis Region

The St. Louis region surrounds the confluence of three mighty rivers: the Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi. The region has great rivers and broad flood-plains. St. Louis is also at the northeastern edge of the Ozark bioregion, which is known for its crystal clear, spring-fed streams, a region that helps give Missouri the distinction as the state with the most miles of rivers. The land in this region of Missouri and Illinois is laced with karst geology that serves to intensify the relationship between surface and groundwater. Thus water is of intense interest to St. Louis; moreover, the issues of water in this region have application to other communities worldwide. Chapters in the book represent interdisciplinary papers from a symposium held in April 2001, which addressed the many facets of water: water supply, water pollution, groundwater, healthy rivers and streams, floods, riparian habitat, and providing a supply of clean drinking water as well as water for our industrial and agricultural processes. Included topics should be of interest to experts in a variety of disciplines studying rivers and water resource issues. Residents of other cities who are interested in their local rivers and streams will also find much of interest in this book.