Due to natural deltaic processes, the Mississippi River Delta has swung back and forth like a pendulum, penetrating the Gulf of Mexico from several points that can be charted over the past 7,000 years. Human settlement, development, and investment in the area, however, require that the current delta remain stable. The Old River Control System prevents the next shift from occurring, keeping the Mississippi from pouring full force into the Atchafalaya.
Aerial view of the Old River Control Structure
Background
The most important concept in understanding the shifting delta is the fact that water will always follow the path of least resistance. Due to the polarity of its molecules, water has incredibly high cohesion in its liquid form, second only to mercury. This important property and the pull of gravity determine how water interacts with the land.
Just as rain on a window collects in rivulets, so rainfall and water flowing from mountains collects in streams and rivers that become tributaries to larger rivers that eventually flow to the sea. The Mississippi is one such river, collecting approximately 41% of the water in the continental United States.
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