The Mill Creek

Book excerpt: Flowing through the heart of Cincinnati to the Ohio River, the Mill Creek is one of the most severely polluted & physically degraded urban streams in the United States. The book is a valuable case study on how human activity & land use impact water resources over time. It chronicles the stream's environmental history, beginning with a description of the creek's geological past & its pristine ecosystem in the early 1700s. The author examines the environmental impacts of forest clearcutting by early settlers, of industrialization & of channelization of the creek by the Army Corps of Engineers. The book ends with a summary of present day environmental problems & outlines a restoration strategy for repairing the damage. "This book will become the foundation for restoration work ahead & provides a model for people working to reclaim other streams in cities in crisis across the United States," said Paul Labovitz, Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program, National Park Service. "This volume will be useful to students in a variety of disciplines, including history, environmental & urban history, political science, regional & city planning, biology & to general readers concerned with environmental issues," said Zane L. Miller, Professor of History & Director, Center for Neighborhood & Community Studies, University of Cincinnati. Order from RUMCRP, Two Centennial Plaza #610, 805 Central Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45202; (513) 352-1588.