Hidden Hydrology

What's the oldest river in the world? The oldest river predates the dinosaurs. But how do we know this?

It's interesting to think about ancient rivers... "What's the Oldest River in the World." The answer may be the Finke River in Australia (Larapinta in the indigenous Arrernte language) this waterway is estimated to be around 300-400 million years old. #hiddenhydrology

share.google/LaBcDQe0lsUs...

Remembering the River Bièvre Traces of the lost river of Paris

New #hiddenhydrology substack "Remembering the River Bièvre: Traces of the lost river of Paris"
open.substack.com/pub/hiddenhy...

The most interesting fact I'd never read previously about related to the history of River Bièvre is that the waters were diverted in the 17th century to become one of the sources of the numerous fountains of the gardens at Versailles. #landscapearchitecture #gardens

The forgotten underground river that shaped Paris Buried beneath Paris since 1912, the ghost river Bièvre shaped the French capital in unexpected ways.

Great BBC video of the River Bièvre in Paris - the lost river buried in 1912, highlighting the history, burial, and the many traces left of this #hiddenhydrology.
www.bbc.com/reel/video/p...

Birds-eye-view of Seattle and environs King County, Wash., 1891. Perspective map not drawn to scale. LC Panoramic maps (2nd ed.), 975 Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. Indexed for points of interest. Vault AACR2: 100; 651/1

I'll post about this on #substack with some more detail, but I'm curious what resonates with you?

Source: @librarycongress.bsky.social
www.loc.gov/item/75696663/

While aerial lithographs in the 1800s took significant artistic license, they provided amazing snapshots of places, with interesting detail, including hydrologic and topographic features that provide added detail to maps and narratives of the time.

One of my favorite images of Seattle, this 1891 image "Birds-eye-view of Seattle and environs King County, Wash., 1891" drawn by Augustus Koch and published by Hughes Litho. Co. from Chicago. #seattle #hiddenhydrology #history #maps

Fort Astoria, 1813

#OnThisDay in 1813, during the War of 1812, Captain William Black claimed possession of the Columbia River drainage for Great Britain. historylink.org/File/9767

Green Lake depth contour map, 1938 Created as part of a WPA report. Document 8283, Published Document Collection, Seattle Municipal Archives.

Map from the great Seattle City Archives Flickr page, where they also link to the original WPA report:
www.flickr.com/photos/seatt...

This 1938 map of Seattle's Green Lake was included in a report on algae control for the lake, conducted by the WPA. The map highlights the relative depths, or bathymetry, of the lake as colors, in 5' increments, the dark blue showing depths of around 25' depth.
#seattle #hiddenhydrology #maps

Seattle's topography was a constant challenge to development and expansion and multiple regrades were implemented to sluice away hillsides using high pressure water cannons. The blow image shows an example of this c1910, via
@historylink.bsky.social

Salmon seen in upper Bay Area creek for the first time in decades Salmon have made their way up the largest local tributary of the San Francisco Bay.

"A layer of concrete that had previously covered the pipeline had helped block the salmon’s passage through the stream...PG&E and CalTrout wrapped up efforts to relocate the pipeline and bury it under the riverbed, allowing salmon to migrate upstream once more."
www.sfgate.com/local/articl...

"...Although hidden, these "ghost rivers" reveal their presence on days of heavy rain, when the drainage system cannot handle the volume, and they overflow, causing floods that paralyze the city." #hiddenhydrology #climatechange #flooding

Beneath the asphalt of São Paulo lies a giant hidden city, with buried rivers, secret tunnels, historical crypts, an underground subway system, and subterranean spaces that reveal an invisible and surprising metropolis. São Paulo is known worldwide as the economic heart of Brazil, home to over 12 million inhabitants and boasting imposing skyscrapers that dominate the landscape. However, by diving a few meters below the concrete, we discover that the metropolis holds a giant hidden city, full of extraordinary secrets and forgotten corridors. What we see on the surface is only part of the story; beneath it, there is a complex universe that ensures the functioning of the capital and preserves centuries-old memories.

São Paulo "...grew over dozens of waterways that, with the rampant urbanization of the 20th century, were channeled and hidden. It is estimated that More than 300 km of waterways are buried.... famous rivers... now flow invisibly beneath busy avenues."
en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br/sob-o-asfalt...

Seattle Star, October 10, 1901

#OnThisDay in 1901, the City of Seattle rejected proposed boulevards along the Lake Washington Ship Canal. www.historylink.org/File/22981

This c1885 view of the south shore of Lake Union, (which looks a little different today as the home of Amazon) shows the Western Mill Company (right) and Queen Anne Hill across the other side of the lake. Via @historylink.bsky.social Courtesy Washington State Digital Archives (AR-07809001-ph003736)

Been researching tons of historical images (maps, photos and illustrations) of Seattle for the book project... (More to come on that). There are such great stories, and images really punch up the narrative. I thought it'd be fun to post some #hiddenhydrology related ones here.

A sepia map showing a river in middle. From “Hydrographie de Montréal au 17e siècle” from Mahaut, “Cartographie des Anciens Cours.”

Article 7: Kregg Hetherington, "The Time of Ghost Rivers" explores a ghost river in Montreal, its various revivals in the present, and the halting attempts by urban actors to form relations with it.
read.dukeupress.edu/environmenta...

Rediscovering the Lost Meadows of California's Sierra Nevada Mountain meadows make up a small percentage of the land area in the Sierra Nevada, but not as small a percentage as once thought. This is exciting news as they have an outsized impact, often functioni...

This summer, American Rivers began a multi-year effort with @yubariverpeople.bsky.social and the U.S. Forest Service to find out how many "lost meadows" there really are in California's North Yuba watershed. The results are surprising!

🌾 Read our findings: www.americanrivers.org/2025/11/redi...

Cartographies of Memory Using mapping to trace historical changes in the landscape

Read my most recent post from #HiddenHydrology substack Cartographies of Memory.
open.substack.com/pub/hiddenhy...

Map of Washington, DC with lost streams shown.

Here's a new edition of the Lost Streams of Washington, DC map. I've added more stream names, historic springs, and the pipes that carry runoff today.

Detroit’s buried streams are neighborhood flooding threat Research shows Detroit’s buried streams disproportionately impact redlined neighborhoods.

Since 1905, 85% of the Detroit's historic streams and waterways have been buried for urban development, leading to long-term ramifications for Detroit’s most vulnerable residents. www.bridgedetroit.com/detroits-gho... Ghost streams, hidden hydrology + historic redlining contribute to flooding today.

Scientists trace the origin of water streams at the top of mountains A look at new research showing how snowmelt, trees, and underground water shape the flow of mountain streams long after winter ends.

Scientists trace the origin of water streams at the top of mountains: www.earth.com/news/scienti...