kɹˈɔsɪŋ nˌɪɹli twˈɛnti mjuːnˈɪsɪpˈælᵻɾiz ɪn ɪts kˈoːɹs, ɪɾ ɪz ɪntɹˈɪnsɪkli lˈɪŋkt tə lˈaɪf ɚɹˈaʊnd ɪɾ ˌæzɪtˌɪz ɐ pɹˈaɪmɚɹi sˈoːɹs ʌv fɹˈɛʃ wˈɔːɾɚ wˌɛɹ ɪt pˈæsᵻz; dˈuː tə hjˈuːmən jˈuːs ænd ˌædæptˈeɪʃən, ðə ɹˈɪvɚ ænd ɪts bˈæŋks hæv bɪkˌʌm hˈɛvili ˈɔltɚd ˌoʊvɚ tˈaɪm, bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ ɚɹˈaʊnd ðə tˈaɪm ðə fˈɜːst jˌʊɹɹəpˈiən sˈɛtlɚz ɚɹˈaɪvd tə mˈɑːdɚn dˈeɪz.
Crossing nearly twenty municipalities in its course, it is intrinsically linked to life around it as it is a primary source of fresh water where it passes; due to human use and adaptation, the river and its banks have become heavily altered over time, beginning around the time the first European settlers arrived to modern days.