The Minnesota River is of great historical, environmental, economic, and political significance and this annotated bibliography illustrates the breadth and complexity of the river. Author Kris Bronars Cafaro provides a collection of works from a broad range of disciplines, and the diverse entries address the waterway's past, present and future. The preface encourages others to use the bibliography as a springboard for more in-depth studies of the river. A concluding essay by series editor Anthony Amato describes the natural and cultural histories necessary for understanding today's river.

Thorough, insightful, and accessible, Cloudy-Sky Waters serves as an excellent launching point for ventures in both mind and spirit out on to the river.

The Rural and Regional Essay Series is a successor series to the Society for the Study of Local and Regional History's Historical Essays on Rural Life. Its goal is the publication of essays that offer distinct and thoughtful insights into rural and regional affairs. This series encompasses works from a wide range of disciplines, and its editorial board welcomes innovative writings on a variety of rural and regional subjects.

The series is edited by Professor Anthony Amato with the assistance of Janice Louwagie. It is supported and distributed by the Society for the Study of Local and Regional History and the Center for Rural and Regional Studies at Southwest Minnesota State University and its Gunlogson Regional Research Fund, with additional funding from the Minnesota Humanities Commission.