Whither the flood plain? (Mississippi River flood in 1993)(The Great Flood of 1993, part 3)

A river's flood plain plays a vital role in the natural process of flooding. It controls flooding by slowing or storing excess water. The contribution of continued flood plain development and modification in the Mississippi River to the Great Flood of 1993 is discussed.

In 1539 members of Hernando DeSoto's expedition witnessed extensive flooding along the lower Mississippi River. This was the first of many floods to be recorded by Europeans, who also took note of how the indigenous inhabitants coped with such flooding. The Indians, they wrote, "built their houses on the high lan