The Mississippi was once a great overflow swamp.  The river channel itself would swell in the spring and overflow into swampy areas that ranged 25 to 30 miles on each side of the main channel.   Over the past couple of centuries they have built levies that restrict the flow to the main channel and land that was formerly swamp dried up and provided rich, fertile farmland.   People have been living for generations now on that "reclaimed" land.   It isn't a simple matter to tell these populations that they have to just go away.   Would you give up your home and property that easily?   I suppose it may come to that someday but I don't know if we've reached the point where we can say for sure there isn't an engineering solution to the problem.   Don't forget that we eat the food these people produce.

by bfaul on 03/17/2010 04:25:22 PM EST