Originally published in 1891, this influential engineering manual offers a comprehensive guide to the techniques and technologies used for improving waterways for navigation. Using real-world examples from around the world, author David Alexander Watt demonstrates the principles of lock and dam construction, as well as the management of river currents and channels to ensure safe and efficient transportation. Packed with detailed illustrations, The Improvement of Rivers is an essential resource for civil engineers, urban planners, and anyone interested in the history and future of river navigation. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.