A great and important book about our moving waters

Given all the time I’ve spent on brooks, streams, and rivers, I knew I would enjoy the book of water stories titled Ripple Effect, published by Maine Authors Publishing.

Carol Bass did a fantastic job of selecting poems and columns, along with beautiful photographs and paintings, and quite a few Mainers are featured in the book, along with some of my favorite Maine waters. I was particularly pleased to see some paintings by Marsha Donahue of Millinocket, one of my very favorite artists.

Some of the poems and columns are profound, and they are all important, because it is so important that we respect and protect our moving waters.

I grew up fishing a small brook in the woods behind my house in Winthrop. And throughout my life I have enjoyed our moving waters in canoes, kayaks, and rafts, and I have fished these wonderful waters all over our state. So I have to thank Carol for doing such a superb job of capturing all of the things I love about our brooks, streams, and rivers.

Given that the Trump administration has just rolled back the protective rules for our brooks, streams, and rivers, this book is even more important, demonstrating and reminding us of how important these waters are to each and every one of us.

Consider this statement at the beginning of the book, by Wendell Barry: The health of the ocean depends on the health of the rivers; the health of rivers depends on the health of small streams; the health of small streams depends on the health of watersheds.

Perhaps Maine Authors Publishing should send a copy of this book to President Trump.

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.