Jim Kimmel, Photographs by Jerry Touchstone Kimmel, Foreword by Andrew Sansom
From the Publisher: “The San Marcos springs have flowed for around ten million years. In this ode to the river they form, Jim Kimmel brings us a picture of a watercourse brimming with life, past and present. Native, non-native, prehistoric, and modern-day plants, animals, and people have inhabited the river and its banks. Kimmel touches on them all with the affectionate and knowledgeable voice of one whose own life has been closely linked to the San Marcos.
As readers journey with Kimmel from the river's headwater springs to its junction with the Guadalupe River, The San Marcos: A River's Story will capture the imagination and provide valuable information about the river and its crucial role in the ecological health of Texas. Original photographs by Jerry Touchstone Kimmel add a sense of the beauty and complexity of the rive.r
JIM KIMMEL is professor of geography and Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Southwestern Studies at Texas State University. He directs the university's Center for Nature and Heritage Tourism, which he conceived and founded. He lives in San Marcos.
What people are saying about this book
"The written description combined with the beautiful photography will make the reader wish for a brilliantly sunny summer day to refresh in the clear water of the San Marcos."—Texas Outdoors Journal, December 2006
"The story mirrors that of the nation as people view the river across time, as a trail or transportation, a location for rest and recreation (in its broadest sense), a workhorse to be tamed and put into service, and a mysterious and wonderful system whose physical and biological processess have produced and should be allowed to continue to produce and nurture such a unique and diverse biota."—Frances Gelwick, Texas A&M University Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
"The San Marcos River is important to our community, and has been for generations. Our crystal clear river has been home for civilizations even before our time. It is such a delight to have the river stories that so many locals have stored away in their memories written down in a book, so that they are not lost or forgotten. No matter where they are from, readers will love this most enjoyable book. Some of the science involved in aquifers and rivers is also explained in between the stories, which helps with understanding the stories. I hope it also helps educate people about the need to take care of his river, so it will be here for future generations."—Dianne Wassenich, Executive Director, San Marcos River Foundation
"In the heat of a Texas summer, readers tantalized with thoughts of cool water can do no better than dive into this book. The San Marcos River is cultural and environmental history at its finest. Kimmel's narrative—like the fast current of the river itself—carries the reader downstream on a wonderful voyage of mystery, discovery, and pleasure. . . . This revered river, its gushing springs, its verdant beauty, and its intensely human dimension, has now found the eloquent spokesman so long needed."—John Miller Morris, author ofEl Llano Estacado
Flexibound with flaps, TAMU Nature Guides, 170 pp., 184 color, 26 b&w photos, 1 drawing, 1 chart, 4 maps, 3 apps, Index, 8 1/2x10 inches, 2006.
