The Mississippi River is 5 feet up the Levee! At Memphis and Helena, this means it is about 5 miles wide from Levee to Levee! Over at life on the planet Susan posted some of the photos from our trip yesterday to the Mighty Mississippi. (Remember: "Took my chevy to the levee...."). The levee is a bank 30 feet high and about 50 feet wide at it's base. It runs either side of the river...1607 miles along the Mississippi River and 596 along the south banks of the Arkansas and Red rivers in the Achafalaya (bless you) Basin.
The first levee of any sort was set up in 1819. By 1879 the farmers at various points down the Mississippi River concluded that they should "take into consideration and mature such a plan or plans and estimates as will correct, permanently locate, and deepen the channel and protect the banks of the Mississippi River, improve and give safety and ease to navigation thereof, prevent destructive floods, promote and facilitate commerce, trade, and the postal service."
In other words, the most fertile soil in the US was in the flood plain of the Mississippi Delta, but those farming it now didn't want it flooding anymore. Shortly after this decision in 1882 one of the most disastrous floods for the new farmers occured, some levees that had been set up in an adhock fashion were smoothed flat again.
Interesting fact alert: A raindrop falling into Lake Itasca would arrive at the Gulf of Mexico in about 90 days.
Major floods happened again in 1912 and 1913. But the one that was the last straw occured in 1927. An area of about 26,000 square miles was inundated. Levees were breached, and cities, towns, and farms were laid waste. Crops were destroyed, and industries and transportation paralyzed. Property damage amounted to about $1.5 billion at today's prices. Over 200 lives were lost and over 600,000 people displaced.
Because of this the Flood Control Act of 1928 was authorized by the Federal Government and the levee was subsequently built. This photo was taken yesterday, with the water about 5 feet up the levee bank on the Mississippi River side. As you can see on the right side, all is nice and dry. However, some farmers experience "seep water" in their fields along the levee when the water is this high. It can look dry ontop, but if you put a tractor in, you'll get "stuck" (that is "bogged" for us Aussies).
This site will give you travel information for any trips down the Mississippi River, if you are thinking of making that the focus of a road trip.
Click here if you want a detailed map of the Mighty Mississippi.
If you think this levee means the end of flooding, you only need to look at what happend in New Orleans when the levee broke. Further into the US heartlands, in 1993 the levee was breeched in several places as well.
And now, just for Susan, some photos of the mules on the levee...
Interesting fact alert: The Mississippi River is 2552 miles long. It is the third largest river in the world and has the third largest watershed (basin) in the world, just behind the Congo and the Amazon.
This is a photo of some of the barge traffic, given the amount of diesel needed to push this baby up the flood waters flowing to the gulf, whatever they are shipping will cost more in the end!
And finally, another floodwater photo. Under this water is a beach, about 20-30 feet under this water (out past the trees and down a slope to it). See how far away the other side of the Mississippi is!!! If you look closely there is a note pinned to the tree banning public fishing, this is nailed about 5 feet up on the tree.
Aussie Kim
Hi Folks, home schoolers will find a wealth of Mississippi River heritage and natural history info at www.greatriver.com
SCHOOL APPROVED.
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Posted by: Pat Middleton | April 06, 2008 at 07:19 PM