The Dark Side of the Mississippi River

the slow but powerful rhythms that define Mississippi begin with the rivers that gives the state its name called father of waters by the Native American Ojibwe tribe the Mississippi rolls some 2,000 350 miles through the heartland of America virtually every raindrop that falls between the Appalachian Mountains and the Continental Divide eventually finds its way down this mythic waterway the rivers course in most places marks Mississippi's western border it moves Goods deposits fertile soil and has played a strategic role in history but when the Big Muddy overflows its banks it ravages crops homes and lives in 2011 the Mississippi broke all records when the surge rose higher than 57 feet the flood swept inland more than 60 miles swamp in golf courses and houses but it's farmers that bear the brunt this year Mississippi farms had more than 250 million dollars in losses but it could get a whole lot worse when the river floods water seeps through the levees and even tops over them but if these man-made barriers give way millions could be affected luckily for now Mississippi's levees are holding whenever water rises livestock head for high ground wild animals like this American alligator can be swept away by floodwaters some have even been known to wash into people's living rooms but high water doesn't touch these colonies of herons and egrets in the treetops of this forested floodplain they're right at home from the air it's possible to get a rare view of these nesting birds which are usually only spotted standing solitary in shallow waters for people flooding inflicts tremendous losses the water can take weeks to recede but for the 12,000 years that humans have occupied this land they have accepted the rivers dangers in exchange for its gifts

Channel: Smithsonian Channel

Views: 38,252

Rating: 4.8466077 out of 5

Keywords: Smithsonian, channel, stream TV, free TV streaming, TV online, video, documentary, free videos, watch, watch online, episodes, facts, Stella Australi, cruise, water, season, Marta, Island, penguin, seal, sighting, photo, colony, animal, environment, nature, beach, sea, ocean, Australia, tour, interesting, rare, passengers, camera, paparazzi, happy, wildlife, itinerary

Id: F27kY5g8HJk

Length: 2min 33sec (153 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 02 2012