Meandering Curves of the Mississippi

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This is what I would consider to be “the middle” of two meander curves of the Mississippi River. A meander curve is created over time by water carrying mud, shingle, and debris wearing down the outside bank of the river, while the inside bank of the river is where the dirt and debris are deposited. Over time, this shape becomes more extreme, and begins to look like an “S”. On the left of the mapping point, directly under “Blackbird Island”, the outside bank shows signs of erosion due to the debris of the Mississippi River, and looks like an elongated “U”. Slightly under my mapping point, mud and debris are deposited, which has caused the bank of the river to protrude when compared to the point under “Blackbird Island”. Directly to the right of my mapping point, there is another example of meandering curve, directly above “Willow Island”. As the river slopes downward, this is the outermost bank, which is worn down by the river and the debris it carries. Putting these three aspects of meandering curves together creates the meandering curve in its entirety. While this example may not be the most exaggerated meandering curve available, it still exhibits the concepts behind the creation of the meandering curve. With the passage of time, these curves should theoretically become increasingly pronounced, due to more erosion and depositing of dirt. A more exaggerated meandering curve can be seen on Salt River, further left of Horseshoe Lake Boat Ramp. While the meandering curve on Salt River may be more extreme, the Mississippi exhibits all the signs of a meandering curve slowly forming over time. I think the meandering curve is much easier to notice if you zoom out on the map, and the turns which characterize the meandering curve are much more prevalent. While I cannot say for certain, I do believe I have floated down rivers with meandering curves, which was a fun experience.

Great Rivers Ecology
updated 07/2019 by Hulahan18167571