Following the Bend: How to Read a River and Understand Its Nature

by Ellen Wohl

An engaging and thought-provoking introduction to river science

When we look at a river, either up close or while flying over a river valley, what are we really seeing? Following the Bend takes readers on a majestic journey by water to find answers, along the way shedding light on the key concepts of modern river science, from hydrology and water chemistry to stream and wetland ecology.

In this accessible and uniquely personal book, Ellen Wohl explains how to “read” a river, blending the latest science with her own personal experiences as a geologist and naturalist who has worked on rivers for more than three decades. She charts how water travels through the hydrologic cycle around the globe and downstream to distribute energy, move sediment, and shape river channels, and how living organisms adapt to life in flowing water to create vibrant river ecosystems. Wohl looks at the role of disturbances such as floods and droughts and discusses how geologists interpret the sedimentary records of past river processes. She illustrates how river networks interact with Earth’s surface and considers issues for rivers in the future, such as progressive drying, river restoration, and advocating for the legal personhood of a river to maintain its distinctive spirit, identity, and integrity.

Sharing a new understanding of how rivers function as both physical systems and ecosystems, Following the Bend enables us to observe rivers with fresh eyes and more fully appreciate the beauty, vibrancy, and complexity of our planet’s vital waterways.

Genres: Nonfiction

304 pages, Hardcover

Published September 9, 2025

Reviews

[Stephanie Phan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is too advanced for a non-river-knowledge reader to start off. I find it a little inconsistent in terms of tone when sometimes the author make it very casual (which is really good to get attention and feel friendly), the other time it is quite dry and textbook-liked tone. I love to read nonfiction, but I wish I had more knowledge about this topic before reading this book. For me I find hard to follow along as I had to continuously pause and search for terminology. I love the illustrations from the books as it helped to visualize to concept better

[Kurt Fausch · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a deeper understanding of how rivers work, this is the book to read.

Ellen Wohl is one of the world's foremost authorities on rivers. She approaches it from a deep understanding of how water flows, how rivers move the sand, gravel, and rock to shape their channels, and how all of this affects the fish and other organisms that live in and near rivers.

This book is valuable to people interested in rivers who are not scientists, and to the whole range of students and others studying rivers.

Wohl summarizes the latest science on rivers, and ends with a her own personal ethic about why rivers are essential for humans.

[David Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very personal introduction to flowing water, focused mostly (but not exclusively) on the physical characteristics of streams. The eleventh chapter ("A Sitting Stone Holds Secrets") is a little technical, but the rest of the book should be accessible to most readers who read carefully and thoughtfully. Full review to follow.