The Mojave River Dam in Southern California could be at risk of breaking down due to an extreme storm which would send water flooding into communities in the Mojave Desert which is home of thousands of people. The 200 ft dam has never been breached, however after a 2018 study after an extreme storm it was found that water could flow over the structure, causing it to erode and fail.
What is a River? people on top of Mt Tammany
Looking west over the Delaware Water Gap toward PA from Mt Tammany
Braided streams in a rock outcrop on the trail
This picture was taken at over 14,000 feet in colorado on July 25th. As you can see there are many patches of snow that remain on the mountains. Not only do these snow chutes look like a bunch of rivers, but they actually turn into rivers as the melting season continues. Each one of these chutes creates there own little river as they melt, and the melted snow feeds into bigger and bigger rivers. These “little rivers” are the backbone of some of the major rivers in the west.
While I was having a conversation with my roommate about his hometown, La Jolla, he mentioned something about living on the coast of California that I thought was really interesting. For context, he was about to leave for New York City, and I was telling him about its grid pattern and how it’s quite simple to navigate. He then mentioned that he always figures out directions to places in La Jolla based on their position along the coastline. He thinks about which way he has to drive in relation to the coast. I certainly use “checkpoints” to help me figure out directions in my hometown, but I think it’s very interesting that he uses the ocean for this purpose.
My experience over the weekend while hiking at the Delaware Water Gap was amazing. It was a new environment and I was able to see a new part of a place right near my home. I can’t imagine what the river and its surroundings would look like if a dam were to be built right along the park. I will make sure to come back here another time with family and friends to show them these beautiful views.
Heading to the Bacon Festival in downtown Easton this morning, I intentionally past the Bushkill Creek, hoping to relieve pressure from school. The creek indeed looked vigorous, energetically flowing forward to a destiny of its own. This vitality of the stream transferred its energy to me, encouraging me to keep pursuing my personal goal. What is more, I found something different from this. The flow of water in the creek is flexible – it had different speeds and forms at different places.
Beneath the Bushkill street, the water was rapid; along the Bushkill Drive, the water became so tranquil that it seemed to stop moving at the moment; approaching the dam near the Bushkill Curtain, the water began rushing and made me felt powerful. These different states of water reminded me of a quote from the “Analect of Confucious,” a collection of Confucian ideas in ancient China. “The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills.” Wise men are as flexible as rivers – by the ability to see the nature of things, they could adapt themselves to changing circumstances without adhering sturdily to some fixed standard or rule.
The other day walking around the campus, I saw all of the leaves blown into the corner of the road. It filled the same area that water would be if it were there. It gave the feeling of a stream of leaves.
© 2025 What is a River?
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑