hotographer David Moskowitz and writer Eileen Delehanty Pearkes illuminate the hydrogeology, beauty, and activity of the Columbia River, while also highlighting current challenges facing the region and the people working on sustainable solutions. The watershed encompasses immense ecological, cultural, and economic value, the benefits of which have been wrangled over for centuries. As the region comes to terms with the unsustainable nature of our relationship with the watershed, and local Indigenous nations renew their efforts to steward their territories, we are reaching a new inflection point. This book explores possible new management strategies, including the removal of key dams that have decimated the salmon runs that are vital to tribal cultures and a healthy ecosystem.

The culmination of Moskowitz's many years of photographing the river and exploring its watershed, Big River seeks a path forward for the Columbia watershed, balancing the demands around water, salmon, agriculture, energy, and climate with the need for a sustainable living river.