Day 172 of #LiveWell2017

I feel very lucky to live where so many beautiful rivers run. One, in fact, flows through the middle of my city. Another, one which carried Lewis and Clark to the Pacific, borders the city’s northern edge. Within an hours’ drive from my home, I can walk along some of the most beautiful mountain streams, tumbling with waterfalls, and enjoy the plants and animals that reside there. But, it’s not just their beauty I’m thankful for.

Rivers provide water for drinking and agriculture and habitat for fish and insects. Rivers are critical links between uplands and the ocean. They connect us to the oceans and power our cities. Rivers recycle nutrients, moderate our temperatures, and provide us with places to relax and recreate. They are links to our economic and social well-being, as well as our biological health. People have always been drawn to rivers – on their banks are where many settlers first put down roots in the west.

Thank you, rivers.