Upper Mississippi River — Field Notes

A View from the Ditch: Photo set 1780. Pool 17. Copperas Creek, IL.

The 9-foot project threatened to impact Upper Mississippi farmers in ways they hadn’t thought. The project brought rising waters and drainage districts along the river had to face the realization that their levees might not hold. The Corps responded by taking flowage easements and filing condemnation suits along drainage canals in order to reinforce levee systems. This action further connected Upper Mississippi farmers to federal land and river management. This repeat photography set details how the Army Corps’ 9-foot project impacted the Copperas Creek drainage in western Illinois.

Historical Geography, Mississippi River, Public Land, Repeat PhotographyMatthew FocklerMay 11, 2020Upper Mississippi River, Repeat Photography, Drainage District, Public Lands, United States Army Corps, Geography, Environmental HistoryComment

At the Edge of a Working River: Photo sets 121-70 and 1645. Pool 16. Andalusia Island.

The Mississippi River is a working river. Barges and tows move millions of tons of commodities up and down the Upper Mississippi River each year. All that work is made possible by the 9-foot project and the lock and dam system. But it has its toll on the channel side islands and shorelines. This repeat photography examines the historical geographic effect of the 9-foot project on these islands.

Repeat Photography, Public Land, Mississippi River, Historical Geography, Environmental HistoryMatthew FocklerMay 7, 2020Repeat Photography, Environmental History, Historical Geography, Upper Mississippi RiverComment

A blog detailing repeat photography trips and other methodological excursions along the Upper Mississippi River.