In Greek mythology, the Naiads are spirits or nymphs who inhabit and preside over bodies of fresh water: rivers, streams, brooks, springs, fountains, lakes, ponds, wells, and marshes.   Naiads are also the larval stage of aquatic insects, such as mayflies and stoneflies, that are found in healthy waterways.

The masthead of this blog is an aerial panorama of the confluence of the Spokane and Columbia Rivers.  The map was created by and is used here by courtesy of Dr. William Bowen of the California Geographical Survey.   Check out Dr. Bowen’s extraordinary images of the planet at the World Atlas of Panoramic Aerial Images.

This blog is produced by Rachael Paschal Osborn, a retired public interest water lawyer in Vashon, Washington, USA.  She serves as senior policy advisor to the Center for Environmental Law & Policy, policy director for the Columbia Institute for Water Policy, and affiliate instructor teaching Water Law at the University of Washington Law School.  She welcomes your comments.