Mississippi RiverMississippi River

A journey throughA journey through

America’s America’s heartlandheartland

The sourceThe source

In the vast pine forest of In the vast pine forest of northern Minnesota is the northern Minnesota is the beginning of the great beginning of the great river known to all the river known to all the world as the Mighty world as the Mighty Mississippi. At the Mississippi. At the Mississippi's source at Mississippi's source at Lake Itasca, the water is Lake Itasca, the water is transparent and beautiful. transparent and beautiful. You can actually remove You can actually remove your shoes and wade to your shoes and wade to the other side, or drop a the other side, or drop a twig in the water and twig in the water and imagine it floating to New imagine it floating to New Orleans.Orleans.

The Legend of Paul BunyanThe Legend of Paul Bunyan    Only the great outdoors was big enough to accommodate Paul, and it Only the great outdoors was big enough to accommodate Paul, and it was natural that he should become the World's Greatest Lumberjack.In was natural that he should become the World's Greatest Lumberjack.In the year of the 'Blue Snow' when it was so cold the geese flew the year of the 'Blue Snow' when it was so cold the geese flew backward, Paul found backward, Paul found a baby ox in the snow.  It a baby ox in the snow.  It was so cold, the ox was so cold, the ox and snow was blue. After and snow was blue. After Paul took him home Paul took him home and warmed him, his and warmed him, his color stayed blue.  color stayed blue.  Paul named him Babe.   Paul named him Babe.   Like Paul, Like Paul, Babe grew fast and soon was Babe grew fast and soon was seven ax seven ax handles and a plug of handles and a plug of tobacco wide tobacco wide between the eyes.  For a between the eyes.  For a between meals between meals snack, Babe would eat snack, Babe would eat thirty bales of hay, thirty bales of hay, wire and all.  It took six wire and all.  It took six men with picaroons men with picaroons to pick the wire out of his to pick the wire out of his teeth. Babe hauled teeth. Babe hauled the huge camp tank the huge camp tank wagon which was used to pave the winter logging roads with ice.  wagon which was used to pave the winter logging roads with ice.  When it sprang a leak one day, it created Lake Itasca south of Bemidji When it sprang a leak one day, it created Lake Itasca south of Bemidji and the overflow trickled down to New Orleans to form the Mississippi and the overflow trickled down to New Orleans to form the Mississippi River. River. 

In the vast pine forest In the vast pine forest of northern Minnesota of northern Minnesota is the beginning of the is the beginning of the great river known to all great river known to all the world as the the world as the Mighty Mississippi. Mighty Mississippi.

The sourceThe source

Lake ItascaLake ItascaLake Itasca

At the Mississippi's source at Lake Itasca, the At the Mississippi's source at Lake Itasca, the water is transparent and beautiful. You can water is transparent and beautiful. You can actually remove your shoes and wade to the actually remove your shoes and wade to the other side, or drop a twig in the water and other side, or drop a twig in the water and imagine it floating to New Orleans.imagine it floating to New Orleans.

Polluting the Gulf of Mexico

The Minnesota River (lower branch), bearing sediments and nutrients, enters the Mississippi River at Fort Snelling State Park. These pollutants contribute to the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dead Zone

Railroad bridge under constructionRailroad bridge under constructionnear LaCrosse, Wisconsinnear LaCrosse, Wisconsin

KeelboatsKeelboats

Lock and dam flood containment programLock and dam flood containment program

Register’s Annual Great Bike Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI)Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI)

Davenport, Iowa floodsDavenport, Iowa floods

Riverboat gamblingRiverboat gambling

Gateway ArchGateway Arch

St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri

Levees accentuate floodingLevees accentuate floodingThe earthern dikes meant to protect low-lying The earthern dikes meant to protect low-lying areas from flooding increases flooding in other areas from flooding increases flooding in other areas as the excess water has nowhere else to areas as the excess water has nowhere else to go but up.go but up.

Confluence with Ohio RiverConfluence with Ohio River

An artist's conception of downtown Cahokia. Monk's Mound and the An artist's conception of downtown Cahokia. Monk's Mound and the main plaza sit within the palisade at the center of the site. The circle of main plaza sit within the palisade at the center of the site. The circle of posts at the far left may have been an observatory used to calculate posts at the far left may have been an observatory used to calculate significant dates in the calendar. significant dates in the calendar.

An artist's conception of downtown Cahokia. Monk's An artist's conception of downtown Cahokia. Monk's Mound and the main plaza sit within the palisade at the Mound and the main plaza sit within the palisade at the center of the site. center of the site.

A solar calendar of the sun's movement helped determine A solar calendar of the sun's movement helped determine when to hold ceremonies in preparation for planting, when to hold ceremonies in preparation for planting, harvesting, and other events in the agricultural cycle and harvesting, and other events in the agricultural cycle and marked the all-important spring and fall equinox celebrations.marked the all-important spring and fall equinox celebrations.

Three Three earthquakes that earthquakes that occurred in 1811 occurred in 1811 and 1812 near and 1812 near New Madrid, Mo. New Madrid, Mo. are among the are among the great great earthquakes of earthquakes of known history, known history, affecting the affecting the topography more topography more than any other than any other earthquake on earthquake on the North the North American American continent.continent.

Failed Failed RiftRift

Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee

The great Mississippi Steamboat The great Mississippi Steamboat racerace

SunsetSunset

New OrleansNew Orleans

The French QuarterThe French QuarterBourbon StreetBourbon Street

SwampsSwamps

The DeltaThe Delta

N

Lake Pontchartrain

New Orleans

Bridges

Mississippi R.

MadisonvilleLake Maurepas

L. Salvador

L. Borgne

Canal

Vanishing Vanishing wetlandswetlandsOver the past century, the Over the past century, the nearly 1.3 million square mile nearly 1.3 million square mile watershed of the Mississippi watershed of the Mississippi River has experienced major River has experienced major environmental changes, environmental changes, including conversion of more including conversion of more than 80 percent of forested than 80 percent of forested wetlands to agriculture and wetlands to agriculture and urban areas, channelization, urban areas, channelization, dam construction, and river dam construction, and river levees. The construction of massive structures that levees. The construction of massive structures that keep the river from switching channels has restricted keep the river from switching channels has restricted sediment and freshwater supply to the flood plain.sediment and freshwater supply to the flood plain.

Unintended Unintended consequencesconsequences These changes have These changes have been especially been especially damaging to the damaging to the region's wetlands. region's wetlands. The coastal wetlands The coastal wetlands associated with the associated with the Mississippi River Mississippi River delta make up nearly delta make up nearly 40 percent of the total coastal salt marsh in the 40 percent of the total coastal salt marsh in the lower 48 states of the U.S. These wetlands are lower 48 states of the U.S. These wetlands are disappearing at an average rate of 25 square miles disappearing at an average rate of 25 square miles per year, about 50 acres each day. per year, about 50 acres each day.

Fragile wetlands are readily Fragile wetlands are readily damaged, directly and indirectly, by damaged, directly and indirectly, by canals dredged for navigation and canals dredged for navigation and energy exploration.energy exploration.

Oil rigs line the horizon Oil rigs line the horizon in coastal Louisiana's in coastal Louisiana's Grande Isle. The oil Grande Isle. The oil industry has been a industry has been a large contributor to the large contributor to the economy of Louisiana economy of Louisiana but also has contributed but also has contributed to coastal erosion.to coastal erosion.

Oil WealthOil Wealth

Drilling Drilling for oilfor oil

Over the last 100 Over the last 100 years, Louisiana years, Louisiana has lost over has lost over 400,000 hectares 400,000 hectares to open water. to open water. Prior to 1940, the majority of Louisiana's oil and Prior to 1940, the majority of Louisiana's oil and gas fields were in freshwater. Subsidence, the rise gas fields were in freshwater. Subsidence, the rise in sea level, and loss of land have contributed to in sea level, and loss of land have contributed to all but one oil field now being located in open all but one oil field now being located in open saltwater. All of these fields are vulnerable to oil saltwater. All of these fields are vulnerable to oil spills, particularly those directly offshore.spills, particularly those directly offshore.

Technology pushes Technology pushes explorationexploration

Since the mid-1990s, the Since the mid-1990s, the Gulf has experienced a Gulf has experienced a resurgence, with computer-resurgence, with computer-driven technological driven technological advances — and federal tax advances — and federal tax breaks on the royalties breaks on the royalties paid for drilling in leased paid for drilling in leased government waters — government waters — opening new horizons in opening new horizons in water as deep as 10,000 water as deep as 10,000 feet, hundreds of miles feet, hundreds of miles from shore.from shore.

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Levees accentuate floodingLevees accentuate flooding

SunsetSunset

LinksLinks• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Itasca• http://www.chbb.com/canoe.html• http://www.pausingtoremember.net/The_T

wain_Shall_Meet.html• http://hometown.aol.com/ninety3rd/hist.ht

ml• http://www.city-data.com/picfiles/pic1434.

php• http://www.pca.state.mn.us/hot/mississipp

i-cleanup.html• http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/archaeol

ogy/communities/aztalan.asp