The path of these birds, as they move up and down the river with the seasons, has been called the Mississippi Flyway. As a result, the image of the twin stacked, wedding cake Mississippi steamer entered into American mythology. Lock and Dam No. The 1927 flood proved this to be so wrong that communities threatened by the flood began to create their own levee breaks to relieve the force of the rising river. The 20th-century re-engineering of the Mississippi River wreaked havoc on natural systems and devastated once-abundant populations of native river shrimp. [102], About 375 fish species are known from the Mississippi basin, far exceeding other North Hemisphere river basin exclusively within temperate/subtropical regions,[102] except the Yangtze. The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America, flowing 2,350 miles from its source at Lake Itasca through the center of the continental United States to the Gulf of Mexico. A navigable channel, formed by a series of man-made lakes between Minneapolis and St. Louis, Missouri, some 664 miles (1,069 km). Grand Excursions on the Upper Mississippi River : Places, Landscapes, And Regional Identity After 1854. ", "Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog : Mississippi River sets all-time flood records; 2nd major spillway opens : Weather Underground", "Floods are a reminder of the Mississippi River's power: John Barry", "Morganza ready for flood | The Advertiser", "Mississippi River flooding in New Orleans area could be massive if Morganza spillway stays closed", "McPhee, The Control of Nature: Atchafalaya", "Invasive Asian carp less than 50 miles from Lake Michigan", Flood management in the Mississippi River, Mississippi River Challenge – annual canoe & kayak event on the Twin Cities stretch, Drafting and ratification of Constitution, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mississippi_River&oldid=991256920, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with text in Algonquian languages, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2017, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The headwaters, 493 miles (793 km) from the source to. [72] The Pawnee name is Kickaátit. South of Hennepin, to Alton, Illinois, the current Illinois River follows the ancient channel used by the Mississippi River before the Illinoian Stage. Iowa City: University Of Iowa Press, 2004. The Upper Mississippi runs from its headwaters to its confluence with the Missouri River at St. Louis, Missouri. Lake Onalaska, created by Lock and Dam No. The Upper Mississippi is largely a multi-thread stream with many bars and islands. [16] The main stem is entirely within the United States; the total drainage basin is 1,151,000 sq mi (2,980,000 km2), of which only about one percent is in Canada. The Mississippi River can be divided into three sections: the Upper Mississippi, the river from its headwaters to the confluence with the Missouri River; the Middle Mississippi, which is downriver from the Missouri to the Ohio River; and the Lower Mississippi, which flows from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico. [21] The FCC also uses it as the dividing line for broadcast call-signs, which begin with W to the east and K to the west, mixing together in media markets along the river. On March 2, 1699, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville rediscovered the mouth of the Mississippi, following the death of La Salle. The Great Flood of 1993 was another significant flood, primarily affecting the Mississippi above its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois. The origin of the dramatic drop is a waterfall preserved adjacent to the lock under an apron of concrete. So many settlers traveled westward through the Mississippi river basin, as well as settled in it, that Zadok Cramer wrote a guide book called The Navigator, detailing the features and dangers and navigable waterways of the area. The Old River Control Structure, between the present Mississippi River channel and the Atchafalaya Basin, sits at the normal water elevation and is ordinarily used to divert 30% of the Mississippi's flow to the Atchafalaya River. The Arapaho name for the river is Beesniicíe. Biologist Paul Hartfield has focused his work on studying these creatures, which were known for making one of … Ice sheets during the Illinoian Stage, about 300,000 to 132,000 years before present, blocked the Mississippi near Rock Island, Illinois, diverting it to its present channel farther to the west, the current western border of Illinois. Four great earthquakes in 1811 and 1812, estimated at approximately 8 on the Richter magnitude scale, had tremendous local effects in the then sparsely settled area, and were felt in many other places in the Midwestern and eastern U.S. At its confluence with the Ohio River, the Middle Mississippi is 315 feet (96 m) above sea level. The soil in areas such as Louisiana was thereafter found to be very rich. Dam 26 at Alton, Illinois, which had structural problems, was replaced by the Mel Price Lock and Dam in 1990. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. To improve navigation between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, the Corps constructed several dams on lakes in the headwaters area, including Lake Winnibigoshish and Lake Pokegama. It spanned the river in Minneapolis where the current Hennepin Avenue Bridge is located. The name Itasca was chosen to designate the "true head" of the Mississippi River as a combination of the last four letters of the Latin word for truth (veritas) and the first two letters of the Latin word for head (caput). The Middle Mississippi is relatively free-flowing. Mississippi River -- Description and travel Subject: Mississippi River Valley -- Social life and customs -- 19th century Subject: Authors, American -- 19th century -- Biography Subject: Pilots and pilotage -- Mississippi River Subject: Twain, Mark, 1835-1910 -- Travel -- Mississippi River Category: Text: EBook-No. It also serves to protect the St. Louis city water intakes during times of low water. The head of navigation on the Mississippi is the Coon Rapids Dam in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. c. 1000 AD: The Mississippi's present course took over. The Upper Mississippi River is joined by the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling in the Twin Cities; the St. Croix River near Prescott, Wisconsin; the Cannon River near Red Wing, Minnesota; the Zumbro River at Wabasha, Minnesota; the Black, La Crosse, and Root rivers in La Crosse, Wisconsin; the Wisconsin River at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; the Rock River at the Quad Cities; the Iowa River near Wapello, Iowa; the Skunk River south of Burlington, Iowa; and the Des Moines River at Keokuk, Iowa. Formed from thick layers of the river's silt deposits, the Mississippi embayment is one of the most fertile regions of the United States; steamboats were widely used in the 19th and early 20th centuries to ship agricultural and industrial goods. The River influenced pioneers like Lewis and Clark to explore the vast wilderness of the uncharted West; it inspired pioneers like Memphis Minnie to become the first female performer to be respected as a singer and as an instrumental songwriter. Living the Houseboat Life, on the Mississippi River. As the Dubuque County Historical Society (whose collection is housed at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium) celebrates 70 years, we wanted the public to take a closer look at how the act of collecting has changed over the years. Introduction. Most have been superseded by pusher tugs. Another possible course change for the Mississippi River is a diversion into Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans. In Reading the River, Mark Twain begins by stating that the Mississippi river âhad a new story to tell every day,â implying both the extensive beauty and the possibility of a variety of perspectives on the river. 1973 was a forty-year flood. Because the Morganza Spillway is slightly higher and well back from the river, it is normally dry on both sides. Cotton, timber and food came down the river, as did Appalachian coal. This route provides a more direct path to the Gulf of Mexico than the present Mississippi River channel through Baton Rouge and New Orleans. [69][70] The Ojibwe called Lake Itasca Omashkoozo-zaaga'igan (Elk Lake) and the river flowing out of it Omashkoozo-ziibi (Elk River). Although the natural vegetation of the Mississippi’s immediate valley is the product of climate and soil rather than of the river, the Mississippi’s swamps and backwaters are ecologically noteworthy. In 1907, Congress authorized a 6-foot-deep (1.8 m) channel project on the Mississippi River, which was not complete when it was abandoned in the late 1920s in favor of the 9-foot-deep (2.7 m) channel project. Featuring lots of amenities and activities, this pet-friendly park offers 20/30/50 amp electrical, water, sewer, restrooms, showers, laundry facilities, a camp store, Wi-Fi, and more. The massive Mississippi â a surprising story of a river that unites this great nation. [108] The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has designated much of the Mississippi River in the state as infested waters by the exotic species zebra mussels and Eurasian watermilfoil.[109]. The Treaty of Paris (1763) gave Great Britain rights to all land east of the Mississippi and Spain rights to land west of the Mississippi. Mississippi River Cruising Perfected Cruise the legendary Mississippi River aboard the newest riverboats in the region and enjoy perfect comfort and modern amenities as you travel to each historical destination. A 15-minute video covering information about Upper Mississippi River history, river navigation, locks and dams and the locking process. (April 28, 2011)", "Will the Mississippi River change its course in 2011 to the red line? [29] Thus, by volume, the main branch of the Mississippi River system at Cairo can be considered to be the Ohio River (and the Allegheny River further upstream), rather than the Middle Mississippi. The Corps of Engineers recommended the excavation of a 5-foot-deep (1.5 m) channel at the Des Moines Rapids, but work did not begin until after Lieutenant Robert E. Lee endorsed the project in 1837. The highest point within the watershed is also the highest point of the Rocky Mountains, Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet (4,400 m).[34]. In the 18th century, the river was the primary western boundary of the young United States, and since the country's expansion westward, the Mississippi River has been widely considered a convenient if approximate dividing line between the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States, and the Western United States. The Cheyenne, one of the earliest inhabitants of the upper Mississippi River, called it the Máʼxe-éʼometaaʼe (Big Greasy River) in the Cheyenne language. Since this event was an avulsion, rather than the effect of incremental erosion and deposition, the state line still follows the old channel. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. 092 ; 1 : 4.830.000 environ]. The lawsuit went to the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled in favor of the railroad.[51]. Taken as a whole, these 43 dams significantly shape the geography and influence the ecology of the upper river. Native Americans have lived along the Mississippi River since at least the 4th millennium BCE, including the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Quapaw, Osage, Caddo, Natchez, and Tunica in the Lower Mississippi, and the Sioux, Sac and Fox, Ojibwe, Pottawatomie, Illini, Menominee, and Winnebago in the Upper Mississippi. Some experts blame urban sprawl for increases in both the risk and frequency of flooding on the Mississippi River. The structure was nearly lost during the 1973 flood, but repairs and improvements were made after engineers studied the forces at play. October 14, 2015. Open year-round, River View offers 193 sites, with 135 full hookups. The deepest part of the river is in New Orleans, where it reaches 200 feet (61 m) deep.[45][46]. A network of trade routes referred to as the Hopewell interaction sphere was active along the waterways between about 200 and 500 AD, spreading common cultural practices over the entire area between the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Lakes. [50] No highway or railroad tunnels cross under the Mississippi River. [79] This both accelerated the development, and forever changed the ecology of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes. Check out our website for more info. 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