The Rich History Of America's Rivers

With guest host Jane Clayson.

American rivers from the mighty Mississippi on down have changed the way Americans works, play and live. We’ll tap into a rich history.

Martin Doyle, Director of the Water Policy Program and professor of river science and policy at Duke University, author of "The Source: How Rivers Made America and America Remade Its Rivers."

Sandra Postel, Director and Founder of the Global Water Policy Project, author of "Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity."

Bettina Boxall, Reporter covering water issues and the environment for the Los Angeles Times. (@boxall)

Excerpted from THE SOURCE: How Rivers Made America and America Remade Its Rivers by Martin Doyle. Copyright © 2018 by Martin Doyle. With permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

More than 3 million miles of rivers flow across the United States, stretching out in veins across the landscape. Rivers may be the lifeblood of our country. They have shaped how America has developed – from being a catalyst for the Constitution to our attempts to control them with dams and levees to our fights over the increasingly scarce resource. This hour, On Point: America’s rivers, America’s stories. --Jane Clayson