Southern Rivers

Southern Rivers: Restoring America’s Freshwater Biodiversity  

By R. Scot Duncan  

The University of Alabama Press, March 2024 

Hardcover: $120.00; Paperback: $34.95; eBook: $34.95 

Genre: Nonfiction, Environmental  

Reviewed by Jim Plott  

Biologist R. Scot Duncan remains amazed at the diverse aquatic life found in the rivers of Alabama and the Southeast. In fact, he says, the Southeast may harbor richer and more unique aquatic species than any other place on the Earth. Yet, in his latest book, Southern Rivers: Restoring America’s Freshwater Biodiversity, Duncan notes that much of that freshwater life could disappear unless steps are taken to protect their habitats in the South’s rivers and streams.  

Duncan even dares to ramp up that statement. If the world doesn’t get its act together – and soon – those living in the Southeast (if not the entire planet) who depend on those rivers and other water sources for drinking might also find themselves on an endangered list or in a mammoth struggle for survival. “Drought, water shortages, sea level rise, stronger hurricanes and species extinction – the Southeast is facing an environmental crisis unlike any other in its thirty thousand years of human occupation,” Duncan said.  

Duncan, a biology professor at Birmingham Southern College, which closed its doors this year, admits he only set out to write a book about the South’s aquatic life and the “herculean efforts” of scientists and environmentalists to save those rare and endangered fish, mussels, turtles, crayfish and snails that call those rivers home. However, that focus changed when his research revealed the threat to those rivers and their inhabitants was more extreme than he had envisioned. And that threat, he says, also makes humans susceptible. “We cannot thrive without biodiversity, and biodiversity cannot survive without us. We live in mutual interdependency,” he says.  

Duncan’s assertions, along with his solutions, however, may be a hard pill to swallow for many. That’s primarily because he takes aim at the things that helped build the United States into a successful nation: dams and hydroelectricity, the coal industry, agriculture, and cattle farming, to name a few. Duncan maintains that modern climate change, which he and others assert is now happening at a rapid-fire pace, began in the mid-1800s with the Industrial Revolution when machinery, powered by coal and other pollutants, replaced other forms of production. It worsened in later years with the discovery of oil.  

He contends that while the air was suffocating with pollutants, rivers, streams, and their inhabitants have fared no better. Agricultural practices have resulted in massive erosion and the release of chemicals into the waterways, while industries and many wastewater treatment plants compound the problem. While dams brought flood control and hydroelectricity to the nation, they also disrupted the lives of many aquatic creatures, sending many into extinction or at least into full retreat.  

On a broader scale, Duncan maintains that no less than 75 percent of the Earth’s surface has been altered by humans, while two-thirds of the world’s oceans have been impacted by pollution.  

“It was never our intent to wreck the planet. These problems snuck up on us while we were busy finding new ways to survive and prosper,” he writes, adding that humans need to claim responsibility now that the damage is done. A confession is in order here: I picked up Southern Rivers with the thought that I would be reading a book that marveled at how rivers have played a major role in southern history, and the author would relish it by discussing the many wonderful species of aquatic life that inhabit those waters.  

Despite having pored through Duncan’s previous book, Southern Wonder: Alabama’s Surprising Biodiversity, I was not at all prepared in his latest book to have to swallow a big dose of climate change, drought, coastal flooding, and ocean pollution and chase it down with the end of time. While I am not a complete teetotaler of all that Duncan serves up in his latest book, I do admit to some skepticism. (You can thank my years as a newspaper reporter for that quality.) 

Despite my skepticism, I found Southern Rivers to be an interesting read, and I am impressed by the amount of time he must have spent researching and writing this book. I discovered myself in agreement with many of his arguments, particularly those involving protecting aquatic life. Duncan puts together his case in clear and understandable language, including some of the more complicated areas he delves into. In between, he weaves in some personal stories that give life and relevance to his arguments.  

I am certain proponents of climate change will praise this book. I would challenge doubters to give it a try; you may not agree with everything, but there is still something to learn here.  

Jim Plott, who works in public relations with the state of Alabama, spent nearly 30 years as an Alabama journalist, including stops at The Montgomery Advertiser, The Prattville Progress, and The Monroe Journal. He is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. He grew up in Montgomery and now lives in Prattville but considers all of Alabama his hometown.