River Mississippi (2) Flashcards
Some of the tributaries of the river
Hundreds: Red river Missouri River River Ohio At Davenport more smaller tributaries
Source of the river
Eastern side of Rocky Mountains
Appalachian mountains in the north
How is the Mississippi controlled
Levees Channel straightening Wing dikes Concrete mattresses Dredging
What are levees
Mounds of earth built parallel to river along the banks
Benefits of levees
Known and successful technology
Protect settlements
Allows land near river to be used for economic gain
Problems of levees
Barrier to the river draining away naturally
Expensive to build and repair
Restrict access to river
What is channel straightening
Channel is cut between two bends of a meander
In effect it shortens the river
Benefits of channel straightening
Shortens river
Controls the flow more closely
Problems of channel straightening
Mississippi is too powerful and will just cut back to its original course
What are wing dikes
Structures built into the river to force faster current to midstream
Benefits of wing dikes
Faster current digs deeper channel, so larger ships can travel down
Prevents banks being eroded
Problems of wing dikes
Expensive
What are concrete mattresses
Lining of river bed with concrete
Benefits of concrete mattresses
Controls river
Speeds up river and gets rid of discharge faster
Problems of concrete mattresses
Speeds up flow which could also lead to flooding downstream
