The river’s water levels are high and at some places, flood damage has been serious. My own road was washed out for about a day, and my basement got some water as well. This was particularly disappointing because I had spent the past several seasons improving drainage around my property and I was pretty certain is could withstand any amount of water.
This just underscores the complicated relationship we have with water. I depend on water to make my business work, and when the rivers are up I love to paddle the torrents (check it out here) but a lot of my “spare” time in the past few years has been spent making sure the right kind of water makes it into my house for drinking and bathing and the wrong kind stays out or my basement.
Water levels on the Great Lakes are down by several feet or almost a meter over last year and they have been seriously declining for years. But that is only a small part of the issue. This is a water planet. By rights, it should be called panet aqua, instead of planet earth. All life on earth depends on this “magic” substance and yet, there is less and less of it available for potable use.
See “Drop of Water”
