Paddling the Wild Neches » (New Edition)

RICHARD M. DONOVAN, a former employee of Temple-Inland, grew up hunting and fishing along the creeks and streams of the Neches River. He chairs the Forest Task Force of the Texas Committee on Natural Resources and lives in Lufkin.

"There is no river like the Neches." from the Foreword

From its origins on a sandy hillside in Van Zandt County, the Neches River flows through the heart of East Texas. In its watershed lies some of the wildest country in Texas, tucked amid the remains of one of the finest hardwood forests in the world.

With the goal of keeping the Neches flowing free, East Texas native and riverman Richard M. Donovan takes readers canoeing down a two-hundred - mile stretch of the upper Neches. Through two national forests and mile after mile of remote river woodlands, he chronicles the river's natural and cultural history, describes its animal inhabitants, recounts stories of early settlers and East Texas hunting traditions, and calls attention to the recreational potential of the river for paddlers and others, whether residents or visitors.

Donovan also makes a case against damming the river. He convincingly promotes the idea of turning the Neches into a National Wild and Scenic River, preserving forever the river's natural flow and what remains of the verdant bottomlands of this historic watercourse.

Author Biography: RICHARD M. DONOVAN, a former employee of Temple-Inland, grew up hunting and fishing along the creeks and streams of the Neches River. He chairs the Forest Task Force of the Texas Committee on Natural Resources and lives in Lufkin.

East Texas Historical Association

...an adventure to read. One can take this grand and beautiful canoe trip down the Neches River without the discomfort of cold weather, mosquito bites, sand in a sleeping bag, mud on feet, and other natural conditions of a float trip. Additionally, writer Richard Donovan fills the rest stops with personal and historical anecdotes of people and happenings on the Neches back through time. Paddling is a good read throughout!