Great River Landscapes of Western North America: Yukon, Columbia, Snake, Colorado and Rio Grande (A Conversation with Kenneth R. Olson)

Abstract

This interview with Professor Kenneth R. Olson explores the scientific, historical, and environmental themes of his book Great River Landscapes of Western North America: Yukon, Columbia, Snake, Colorado and Rio Grande. The discussion examines how five major western North American river systems have shaped landscapes, settlement, agriculture, navigation, energy production, territorial boundaries, freshwater quality, and ecosystem resilience. Particular attention is given to sediment transport in the Yukon River basin, salmon and sturgeon decline in the Columbia and Snake River systems, the environmental effects of dams and hydropower, the drying of the Colorado River and the Rio Grande, and the need for more resilient river and floodplain management. The interview also emphasizes the political and institutional dimensions of river landscapes: rivers are not only hydrological systems, but also corridors of settlement, conflict, engineering, economic development, and environmental risk. Olson argues that the central lesson of these systems is that change is the only certainty in river landscapes, and that future policy must integrate hydrology, soil science, ecology, agriculture, public health, energy systems, Indigenous and local histories, and governance.