Watching Rivers Run

Eric Herman

There’s a fascinating conceptual relationship between man-made bodies of water and those created by nature.

On the one hand, the most accomplished watershapers in the world know that it’s not possible to completely replicate the beauty of nature, no matter how effective or sensitive the mimickry. On the other, by using nature as model and inspiration, they know it’s possible to work with specific features of natural bodies of water and enhance the appeal of the human environment.

When you look at the relationship, it’s pretty easy to stop right there and roll with the fact that what’s natural is natural and what isn’t never will be – but I think there’s a much deeper set of connections here that more closely intertwine natural bodies of water with those created by human beings.

Several years ago, I wrote a long feature article for another magazine in which I interviewed all sorts of people and asked them where and when their passion for water had begun. Some were watershapers, some were famous aquatic athletes, and others were consumers who had spent large dollars on recreational or decorative water.

To a person, each one told me that their passion for water had been engendered by youthful experiences in lakes, river, streams and oceans – natural water – and I was later accused of expending more than 4,000 words to explain the 20-word idea that man-made water exists because our relationship to natural water can never be severed by geography, climate or distance.

When a family camps by a river or spends the day at the beach or goes fishing in a lake, the desire for water is first established, then reinforced. In this way, natural bodies of water stoke the demand for watershapes. Likewise, watershapes remind us and celebrate the fact that water in natural forms delights and inspires almost everyone on the planet.

That’s about 250 words to explain why, from time to time, we run features about natural bodies of water. Whether you’re drawing design ideas directly from Mother Nature or simply allowing her to inspire you in more subtle ways, the influence of natural water is invariably there on some level. And I would argue the truth of that statement even with designs that are distinctly architectural or geometric in nature.

In this issue, you’ll find “The Soul of the River” (click here). It’s by Hal Hagen, a specialist in the art of natural river and stream restoration, and explains the methods his firm uses to restore aquatic ecosystems that have been depleted for any of a number of reasons. He also relates how the lessons he’s learned in natural rivers have informed his work in built environments.

Hagen’s work is unique in the way it thoroughly blurs the lines between the natural and the artificial. To be sure, there are practical lessons to be pulled from his discussion – particularly having to do with the way he artfully and deliberately speeds and slows the flow of water to create habitats for fish and other aquatic life forms. But there’s also a distinctly emotional or even spiritual component to the work.

In recognizing the value of natural waters and devising ways to enhance them, Hagen and others who work to save or restore natural environments demonstrate how humankind can apply its considerable ingenuity to the task of preserving natural waters for others to enjoy. In the process, these professionals ensure that future generations will have the chance to fall in love with water, just as we all have.