Wetzel authored at least 20 books and over 400 peer-reviewed articles in his scientific career, including the authoritative textbook "Limnology : lake and river ecosystems". The first edition was published in 1975 while Wetzel was a professor at Michigan State University. Subsequent editions were published in 1983 and 2001. This latter edition has been deemed his "masterpiece", an "established classic text", and "an amazing contribution".
