Join the journey with our friend Dr. R. Scot Duncan as he takes a trip down the Cahaba River in 2050.
“[ARA’s Water is Life Zoom Talk] exercise inspired me to share a vision of how I hope our rivers—and our state—will be late in my life. Our rivers today are wonderful, and they provide us with many benefits. But they struggle with legacy problems from the 20th century and new threats due to the changing climate.
I began drafting the story immediately after the meeting. It is a fictional account set in 2050 in which the reader and I participate in a paddling expedition from Birmingham to Dauphin Island. My idea was partly inspired by the award-winning film River Dreams by Hunter Nichols.
With the liberty that fiction allows, I undertake the 415-mile trek in 2050 when I’m in my 80s. Along the way our expedition encounters people, places, and creatures that reveal a future for Alabama that is prosperous, inclusive, and worthy of celebration. I hope this story inspires you to help us build a future like the one I share here.”