Rideau Canal Waterway - Book - Engineered Landscapes: The Rideau Canal's Transformation of a Wilderness Waterway


		Engineered Landscapes

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The Rideau Canal's Transformation of a Wilderness Waterway
by
Ken W. Watson
Status: Available

Engineered Landscapes is a new book about the Rideau Canal that answers such questions as; what did the Rideau Route look like prior to the building of the locks and dams in 1826-1831? what did the early surveyors see? and how much flooding did the building of the Rideau Canal cause?

Primarily a research document, the first section of the book contains a reconstruction of the pre-canal geography and includes maps and transcriptions of the first three full route surveys, those of Lt. Gershom French in 1783, Lt. Joshua Jebb in 1816, and Samuel Clowes in 1823 and 1824. The accounts of these surveys have not been previously transcribed and are presented in this book for the first time.

The book then looks at the details of the building of the dams and locks, the channel engineering, and the exact levels of flooding brought about by the building of the Rideau Canal. While only 10% of the canal consists of man-made features such as locks and canal cuts, virtually every section of the Rideau has been subject to some degree of flooding.

The book concludes with some information about present day field investigations that are mapping the drowned pre-canal landscape in detail.

View a Synopsis of the Book
View the Errata for the first printing

"Engineered Landscapes: The Rideau Canal's Transformation of a Wilderness Waterway," 290 pages; 8.5” x 11”; paperback; colour cover; b & w interior; 150+ b & w illustrations, maps, period paintings & photos; 9 - 11" x 17" fold out maps (7 b & w, 2 colour); 2 - 8.5" x 11" colour maps; includes bibliographic references; first printing 2006; ISBN 0-9780751-0-2; $55.00

BEFORE YOU BUY - This book is intended for Rideau keeners, those with a scientific and/or historical interest in the Rideau Canal. Those just interested in the pre-canal landscape and the early surveys should buy "The Rideau Route", a general audience re-write of Part 1 of Engineered Landscapes. This book was released in early 2007 (only $24.95). See the Rideau Route Page.

To purchase - the cost of the book is a flat $55.00 (no GST or PST) plus shipping ($10 to Ontario/Quebec, $12 for the rest of Canada, $15 to the US).

Cheques or money orders (International Money Order from the U.S.) should be made out to "Pat Watson" and sent to: Pat Watson
RR1
Elgin, ON K0G 1E0
CANADA

For those wishing to pay using a VISA credit card, you may order the book through Friends of the Rideau. See the Friends of the Rideau Website for more information.

Questions about the book should be directed to the author
Please email: Ken W. Watson

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