Nebraska’s rivers can be thought of as places for quiet contemplation, familiar local landmarks or as precious natural resources to be protected. For Jesse Korus, the state’s rivers are all that, but they’re also something more: They are messengers from Nebraska’s deep geologic past. And their messages, discerned through innovative analysis of remnant river-channel deposits preserved in modern topography and rock outcrops, are important in helping Nebraskans understand the ongoing geological dynamics affecting the state.