glaciers

WaterShapes’ editor, Eric Herman, is passionate about all aspects of water, and he’s made it his business to understand how it impacts the human condition. He recently spent four years living in Washington State where he and his wife found profound examples of water’s ability to shape lives. Here’s what he has to say about that experience.

The Waters of Washington

The word "awesome" is badly overused these days, but not so when it comes to describing the waters of Washington State, where living in a state of awe is a common state of mind. My wife, Diane, and I recently concluded four years living in the wilderness there and came away from that experience with deepened appreciations for the many ways the presence of water influences how people live. Not to mention how water shapes everything from politics to geography to the names of the professional sports teams. The presence of water in the landscape profoundly impacts the lives of the people who live around it, and that's been true throughout human history. Because we rely on the presence of water for our survival - as well as transportation, recreation, agriculture and manufacturing everything from medicine to steel - how we choose to