Yeah it is kind of interesting how this works once you dig into it. I got introduced to it from professor Terje Tvedt of University of Oslo. He is sort of an expert on the role of water in human history.

It is not just that it affects trade but also ability to utilize waterfalls to power factories. I wrote more about this an Terje Tvedt here in why Britain industrialized first: https://erik-engheim.medium.com/why-england-industrialized-first-d09bc797cf7f