Includes bibliographical references (pages 279-312) and index.
Contents:
Introduction: A most magnificent spectacle -- Part I: Alluvial chronicles. Searching for a river -- Tomahawk claims -- Cosmic river -- Part II: American river. Half horse, half alligator -- The Office of River Improvement -- Dancing at the skirts of Congress -- That big green wall -- The great flood -- Part III: The unmade Mississippi. Hooked up, hard down -- Death alley -- The great unraveling -- Beautiful country -- Epilogue: The water of the future.
Summary:
In this landmark work of natural history, a journalist tells the epic story of the Mississippi River and the centuries of efforts to control it, which have damaged its once-vibrant ecosystems, carrying readers along the river's last remaining backchannels and exploring how scientists hope to restore what has been lost.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.