geo case studies theme 2

Question 1

case study for river management

Answer 1

Mississippi River

Question 2

background info of the case study Mississippi River
3

Answer 2

• location: USA, it flows through many states, including Minnesota, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana…
  -it has a length of 5,960 km
  -it’s a very important route way for trade and travel for centuries, as it spans almost half of the USA

Question 3

problems of flooding (the case study of Mississippi River)
3

Answer 3

• it’s very prone to flooding
  -these floods caused the river to shift its channel around the floodplain and erode its banks, which made navigation difficult
  -in 1993- months of torrential rains caused a massive of the Mississippi River and it’s tributaries. 50 people died and vast urbanised areas were completely flooded and destroyed for months.

Question 4

problems of pollution ( the case study of Mississippi River) 1

Answer 4

-farmers spray herbicide and insecticide chemicals on the soil and that will flow also into the river causing algal blooms

Question 5

management (of the Mississippi case study)
5

Answer 5

-In Missouri River: 6 huge dams built on it, creating a 1600km chain of 105 reservoirs
-Tennessee river: 9 dams built on the main river ad 10 on it’s tributaries
- the dams reduce water reaching the Mississippi, preventing floods and providing water supply and hep. the dams hold back water in times of flood and release it when the water levels are lower
-narrower necks of several large meanders were cut, straitening and shortening the course. the decrease in distance= meant gradient+speed of river increased= flood water could be transported away faster
-less construction on the floodplain