Lower Mississippi River Edition
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1917.7 MEAN 8 1992 c .2 Meandering,s 92 Lower Mississippi River Edition ILLINOIS STATE LIBRAR' FEB 0 2 199.li . ILLINOl ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville MEANDERINGS '92 Lower Mississippi Edition A collection of writings by high school students whose teachers and schools participated in the Illinois Rivers Project from September, 1991-June, 1992. Funded by: National Science Foundation Illinois State Board of Education Scientific Literacy Grant Program Awarded to: Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Brussels Community Unit School District M2 Directed by: — Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Printed and distributed by: Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources Production support: Illinois Bell Editor: Cindy Bidlack Layout Design: Michele Alikonis Cover Design: Steven Alikonis, Student Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville Chapter Page: Steve Alikonis, Student Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville ILLINOIS STATE LIBRARY ©2015 Southern Illinois3 University11 29 00641 549Edwardsville JZ°)) 7 ,7 (Y\ & fi N $■ If o] Pii r"V Illinois Rivers Project Educational Support Organizations: Caterpillar, Incorporated Equitable Life Insurance Heartland Water Resources Illinois Bell Illinois Department of Conservation Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Illinois Power Illinois Natural History Survey Illinois State Museum Mercantile Library Principia College Soil and Water Conservation Society Upper Mississippi River Basin Alliance Upper Mississippi River Basin Association U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Water Resources Center at the University of Illinois Participating Schools: Upper Mississippi Lower Mississippi Galena High School Quincy High School Savanna High School Payson-Seymour High School Thomson High School Barry High School Fulton High School Pleasant Hill High School Riverdale High School Alton High School United Township High School Civic Memorial High School Moline High School ESTL Upward Bound Aledo High School Cahokia High School Westmer High School Dupo High School Dallas City High School Belleville West High School Hancock Central High School Gibault High School Hamilton High School Valmeyer High School Red Bud High School Chester High School Meridian High School Cairo High School 2 ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Illinois River Tributaries Minooka High School River Ridge High School Mid-County High School Durand High School East Peoría High School Woodstock High School Astoria High School Zion-Benton High School Schuyler County High School Buffalo Grove High School Ashland-Chandlerville High School Glenbrook High School Meredosia-Chambersburg High School Thomwood High School Routt High School Rich East Township High School Winchester High School Waubonsie Valley High School Pittsfield High School Dundee-Crown High School Brussels High School Dixon High School Jersey Community High School Amboy High School Rock Falls High School Prophetstown High School Erie High School Sherrard High School Bishop McNamara High School Bloomington High School Champaign Central High School Eisenhower High School Charleston High School Carlyle High School Mater Dei High School Highland High School Metro East Lutheran High School Edwardsville High School Mt. Carmel High School 3 ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Foreword Dear Readers, Writers and Friends of Rivers; For those of you who have supported the Rivers Project this past year, we want to again thank you for sharing your towns, countryside, rivers, people, thoughts, and hearts with the World. For you who have written, your writings, published here, will now become a historical document, ultimately, part of the cultural recordings of this Nation. The spirit of your community is captured forever in this literary creation. Hundreds of years hence, a reader in some formidable archive may ponder the words you have placed on these pages, wonder at the thoughts you may have had as you recorded these words, and might ask why these comments or documentations were made. Will your words be harbingers of good or bad for the rivers of our Midwest or even the world? Time and the records you now keep will provide a ledger upon which we humans will balance our deeds towards the rivers and their life giving waters. Will the years of the 90's be the decade of water? Already citizens along some of our major rivers ‘ are contesting its uses. Is such water for drinking? Or is it for transportation , or for recreation, maybe for flood control? Much industry needs good river water as do many of our municipalities. River water is needed by so many of us in this country. As its abundance decreases and our dependence on water increases, we soon come to the realization that it is one of the nation's greatest recourses. With this awakening, comes a most important task, especially for us River Watchers, and that is to continue our task of nurturing these vital river arteries of America. So, as you read these articles, join in our new understanding of rivers. Laugh with the people we have interviewed, understand their knowledge of rivers, marvel at the wisdom of the "old" river rats, and revel in the talents of our youth who brought you these stories. The words are theirs but now belong to you. We live in a wonderful country that is full of life and so blessed by our waters, our lakes, and, especially, our rivers. Enjoy your reading, and thanks for joining us. We invite you on board with this down stream voyage into words. Robert Williams Cindy Bidlack Project Director Project Coordinator 4 ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Schools Contributing to Lower Mississippi Edition of Meanderings 1. Quincy High School 9. Dupo High School 2. Payson-Seymour High School 10. Belleville West High School 3. Barry High School 11. Gibault High School 4. Pleasant Hill High School 12. Valmeyer High School 5. Alton High School 13. Red Bud High School 6. Civic Memorial High School 14. Chester High School 7. East St. Louis - Upward Bound 15. Meridian High School 8. Cahokia High School 16. Cairo High School 5a ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Schools Contributing to Upper Mississippi Edition of Meanderings 1. Galena High School 7. Moline High School 2. Savanna High School 8. Aledo High School 3. Thomson High School 9. Westmer High School 4. Fulton High School 10. Dallas City High School 5. Riverdale High School 11. Hancock Central High School 6. United Township High School 12. Hamilton High School 5b ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Schools Contributing to Illinois River Edition of Meanderings 1. Minooka High School 7. Meredosia-Chambersburg High School 2. Mid-County High School 8. Routt High School 3. East Peoria High School 9. Winchester High School 4. Astoria High School 10. Pittsfield High School 5. Schuyler County High School 11. Brussels High School 6. Ashland-Chandlerville High School 12. Jersey Community High School 5c ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Schools Contributing to Tributaries Edition of Meanderings 1. River Ridge School 15. Erie High School 2. Durand High School 16. Sherrard High School 3. Woodstock High School 17. Bishop McNamara High School 4. Zion-Benton High School 18. Bloomington High School 5. Buffalo Grove High School 19. Champaign Central High School 6. Glenbrook High School 20. Eisenhower High School 7. Thom wood High School 21. Charleston High School 8. Rich East Township High School 22. Carlyle High School 9. Waubonsie Valley High School 23. Mater Dei High School 10. Dundee-Crown High School 24. Highland High School 11. Dixon High School 25. Metro East Lutheran High School 12. Amboy High School 26. Edwardsville High School 13. Rock Falls High School 27. Mt. Carmel High School 14. Prophetstown High School ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. RIPRAP 7 A COLLECTION OF SCIENCE ARTICLES. 2. DRIFTWOOD 22 A COLLECTION OF NATURAL HISTORY OF THE RIVER AREA 3. MAINSTREAMS 25 A COLLECTION OF HISTORICAL ARTICLES. 4. ISLANDS 54 A SERIES OF PERSONAL INTERVIEWS AND EXPERIENCES. 5. WATERWAYS 66 A COLLECTION OF ARTICLES ON UFE AND OCCUPATIONS ON THE RIVERS. 6. EDDIES AND WHIRLPOOLS 78 A COLLECTION OF POETRY AND SONGS. 7. DEEP WATER 94 A COLLECTION OF CREATIVE WRITINGS. 8. FLOTSAM 110 A COLLECTION OF RIVER RECIPES AND REMEDIES. 6 ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 1 RIP RAP A COLLECTION OF SCIENCE ARTICLES "The Mississippi is well worth reading about. It is not a commonplace river, but on the contrary is in all ways remarkable. Considering the Missouri its main branch, it is the longest river in the world - four thousand three hundred miles. It seems safe that it is also the crookedest river in the world, since in one part of its journey it uses up one thousand three hundred miles to cover the same ground that the crow would fly over in six hundred and seventy-five.” from Life on the Mississippi by Samuel L. Clemens ©2015 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Chemicals in the Mississippi River The Mighty Mississippi is one of America's greatest sources of fresh-water and is also a leading passageway. Chemicals and other hazardous debris are being dumped into the Mississippi at an alarming rate. Many are to blame for this including farmers who use nitrogen fertilizer and other pesticides; industries, which illegally dump toxic by products into the river instead of using costly means of safe disposal; sewage treatment plants, which dump untreated sewage right into the Mississippi; and housewives who use washing detergents, which contain high percentages of phosphates. One of the great debates is the use of pesticides and herbicides, which are dangerous chemicals used by farmers on crops. These chemicals do help to increase crop yields; however, they also contain nitrates, which eventually seep into the ground and surrounding rivers. This causes a change in the water's chemical composition. Have you ever noticed the phosphate warning on the back of your detergent box? This is a percentage of the phosphate content. Phosphates are another chemical problem threatening our waterways.