From its first scene in a benighted Great Lakes river, where lake sturgeon thrash and spawn, this powerful book takes readers on journeys through the Great Lakes, alongside fish and fishers, scuba divers and scientists, toxic pollutants and threatened communities, oil pipelines and invasive species, Indigenous peoples and federal agencies.
Focusing on the Kickapoo River Valley, the book presents an ecological and cultural history of rural ecosystems while exploring significant themes such as soil erosion, Amish migration, dam projects, and Native American land claims. Lynne Heasley delves into the complexities of modern American property debates, highlighting how these historical events shape our understanding of land and its stewardship in the Midwest.