Mark Ruwedel’s images of the Mojave River are included in the new high desert publication Formations.
“The Mojave River, 110 miles long, “flows” from the San Bernardino Mountains to Soda Lake in the desert. “Flows” is somewhat inaccurate as much of the river’s water is underground. It is often referred to as an intermittent river. At certain areas however, notably at Victorville, the underlying bedrock pushes the water up to the surface.
And, after heavy rains, the Mojave looks like a “real” river, if only for a brief period. Historically, the Mojave has been known by many names, including: Arroyo de los Martires, Rio de las Animas, Inconstant River, Mohahve River, Macaby River.
I first photographed along the Mojave around 2002, in Afton Canyon and environs. At the time, I was interested in aboriginal trade routes and their relation to remnants of Ice Age lakes. More recently, I have identified the river itself as a subject. This selection of images represents some of the work to date.” – Mark Ruwedel