If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Some of the causes of delta land loss stem from natural causes, like hurricanes and other effects of climate change. Delta, Mississippi - Wikipedia Sharecropping in Mississippi | American Experience River Diversions: These projects are specifically characterized for their ability to reconnect the river to the delta and are designed to mimic the natural processes of sediment dispersion and delta growth. The majority of these deltaic lobes are grouped into three of the five delta "complexes" seen here: the Teche, the St. Bernard, and the . A CPRA-supported report noted that a social impact assessment was an important step to take before moving forward, but no such assessment took place. PLANETOBSERVER / Getty Images By Amanda Briney Updated on April 10, 2019 Mississippi Delta - Wikipedia North American Migration Flyways: Mississippi Flyway. Land There are also the Africans, West Indians, and Native Americans in the mix. Louisiana's Invasive Species. The climate in Mississippi varies from one location to another, but it generally has a temperate climate with warm summers and mild winters. Birding Louisiana: Habitats and Ecology, Bird Watcher's Digest. [18] The region has been home to other European-immigrant ethnic groups, beginning in the 19th century, including German, Sicilian, and Irish. The National Wildlife Federation is also partnered with two local, in-state groups: Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. The Mississippi River major deltaic cycle began over 7,000 years ago, eventually forming six delta complexes which are major depositional elements of a delta plain. These areas are home to Louisiana black bears, bottlenose dolphins, minks, beavers, armadillos, foxes, coyotes and bobcats. Take the Clean Earth Challenge and help make the planet a happier, healthier place. InfoLouisiana - State of Louisiana Division of Administration", History and Culture of the Lower Mississippi River Delta. [49], The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) is an example of wetland loss caused by a navigation channel. Wetlands serve as nature's first line of defense by absorbing much of damage caused by hurricanes. The Cajuns are another ethnic group in southern Louisiana; they primarily consider themselves to be descendants of the Acadian settlers who were expelled from Nova Scotia by the British after the French and Indian War, when France lost its North American colonies. Robert Johnson, born in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, in 1911, was the most important Delta musician of the era, although his recorded legacy is limited to 29 songsthe output of sessions held in Dallas and San Antonio, Texas, during the last few years of his life.Drawing on the work of earlier Mississippi blues artists, notably Son House and Skip James, as well as on techniques learned from . These structures block and trap the river's land-building sediment, cutting the replenishing nutrients and minerals needed for the stability and survival of the delta's unique ecosystems. Since the 1950s, these structures have reduced the sediment load by almost half.[51]. The Mississippi River ; Steyer, G.D.; Sleavin, William; Fischer, Michelle; Beck, Holly; Trahan, Nadine; Griffin, Brad; and Heckman, David, 2011, Land area change in coastal Louisiana from 1932 to 2010: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3164, scale 1:265,000, 12 p. pamphlet. Despite these profound changes, the delta today remains very much rooted in the vibrant cultural and social traditions of its residents. Although Mississippi, along with much of the "Deep South", has a long history of racial inequality, the "Delta", in particular . The drainage basin includes the tributaries of the Mississippi River, Missouri River, and Ohio River, three of the largest and longest in the United States. What cities are in the Mississippi Delta? Land The delta occupies an area that reaches across Louisiana from the coastal Chandeleur Islands in the east, to Vermillion Bay on its western side. 2010. The small Black and immigrant communities living on the land at the time were forcefully relocated under "threat of expropriation" and at gunpoint. The delta has many plants that live only in wetlands, and they provide habitat for wetland wildlife. Longshore currents carry much of those sediments west from the deltas and deposit it along Gulf Coast beaches. All rights reserved. From 1700 to 1888, the main shipping channel was changed four times in response to shifting sandbars, mudflats, and hurricanes.[15]. 2005. Allison MA, Demas CR, Ebersole BA, Kleiss BA, Little CD, et al. The bluffs and higher elevation areas have more forested regions, which house trees such as oak, hickory and walnut, while marsh areas include green ash, hackberry, cottonwood, and swamp white oak. This Gulf-Coast state covers an area of 48,441 square miles, and the presence of varied landforms, rivers, islands, and climates gives Mississippi a distinct character. [12] The embayment began focusing sediment into the Gulf of Mexico, which facilitated the deltaic land-building processes for the future. 6 Why do they call Mississippi the delta? What are the most important varieties of fish found in the Mississippi River? A water and sediment budget for the lower Mississippi-Atchafalaya River in flood years 20082010: implications for sediment discharge to the oceans and coastal restoration in Louisiana. The Mississippi River Delta provides an array of natural habitats and resources that benefit not only the state of Louisiana and coastal region, but also the entire nation. There, at the tip of the drainage funnel, millions of years of sedimentation have spilled out across the floor of the Gulf of Mexico, forming cones of sediment that total 300 mi in radius and 30,000 square miles (77,700 square km) in area. The Mississippi River deposits sediment into the ocean, and over 25 years, NASA Landsat satellites observed changes in the deltas shape. Water. Eventually, the resistance to the former path became so great that the river was forced to find new routes, and the river changed course. As the Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico, it loses energy and dumps its load of sediment that it has carried on its journey through the middle of the North American continent. Much of Mississippi is relatively flat with low-lying terrain, with an average elevation of 300 feet above sea level. The river delta is a three-million-acre (4,700sqmi; 12,000km2) area of land that stretches from Vermilion Bay on the west, to the Chandeleur Islands in the east, on Louisiana's southeastern coast. Mississippi Delta blues | Artists, Music, & Facts | Britannica 19982001. The MDNHA is a partnership between the people of the Mississippi Delta and theNational Park Service. Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. In essence, the wetlands are drying up due to both human development (specifically the construction of river levees and dams which constrict the natural flow of the river) and climate change, which has caused more and more rapid evaporation rates. The Mississippi River flows along the states entire western border. The formation of the Mississippi River Delta can be traced back to the late Cretaceous Period, approximately 100 million years ago, with the creation of the Mississippi embayment. A river moves more slowly as it nears its mouth, or end. The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi. West Palm Beach (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208, Kolb, C.R. Starting with the earliest European settlement, people have struggled with the delta's natural cycle of floods, progradation, and transgression. Today these wetlands range from interior forested wetlands to barrier islands on the Gulf of Mexico and a wide array of interconnected habitats, including freshwater, brackish, and salt marshes that are home to millions of birds, fish, and other wildlife. Anatomy of Mississippi Delta growth and its implications for coastal Mississippi Delta Formations - National Geographic Society The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (a.k.a. Source: The Library of Congress (2007). Rather, the Mississippi Delta is part of an alluvial plain, created by regular flooding of the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers over thousands of years. Wildlife Tourism and the Gulf Coast Economy. Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Conservation and Restoration Task Force, United States Geological Survey It is a place that saw the struggles of the Civil War and the cultural revolution of the Civil Rights Movement. 2013. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. Mississippi Maps & Facts - World Atlas Climate change also has effects on the strength of the coastline. Mississippi River Delta | National Wildlife Federation The Natural Environment: The Delta and Its Resources The Mississippi River Delta is where the Central and Mississippi flyways meet. A large pulse of sediment, likely the result of widespread flooding during 2019, is visible along the western Louisiana coastline. [45], Coastal wetlands and barrier islands are the first line of protection for Louisiana communities and cities from hurricanes and storm surge. U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2013. LCA Louisiana Coastal Area. According to National Geographic, the state of Louisiana is losing roughly 60 square kilometers of wetland per year. There are a number of major industries in the Mississippi River Delta that drive the local and national economy, including: In total, the five Gulf Coast states generate around $34billion annually in tourism. 64:26479. These include a variety of wetland grasses, reeds and cattails, swamp rose, spider lilies, and cypress trees. Most of the land in the image consists of mud flats and marsh lands. Louisiana's Coastal Area - Ecosystem Restoration. It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta, a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before the American Civil War. Average temperatures range from highs in the upper 80s (Fahrenheit) during summer months to below freezing during winter. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. In addition to providing habitats for wildlife living in the region, the Mississippi River Delta's wetlands, marshes and barrier islands also provide the vital protection for coastal residents and communities from storm surge and flooding. Mississippi Delta - Travel guide at Wikivoyage [60] Some of the projects are already underway, but many of them still need further approval and funding authorization. In addition, ships had to deal with the shifting conditions of tides, currents, and mudflats through the mouth of the river. The delta cycle contains the natural process of land loss and land gain, due to the directionality and discharge of the river. For example, following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, approximately 200 square miles (130,000 acres; 520km2) of wetlands became open water, demonstrating permanent wetland loss. The coastal wetlands have a number of diverse landscapes that connect a variety of habitats to both the land and water. The river drains water and sediment from 31 U.S. states, delivering both to the Gulf of Mexico via the Atchafalaya and Mississippi River deltas. National Park Service, Bernard, Shane K. December 2010. The river establishes Mississippi's 300-mile western border between Memphis and Fort Adams. This is a major problem, as these landscapes are weakened, they become more vulnerable to strong winds and flooding. Northeast Mississippi developed as an area of small family farms and few plantations. Mississippi River and Tributaries Project, Louisiana Costal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act), "Making the Mississippi River over Again: The Development of River Control in Mississippi | Mississippi History Now", "History of Cenozoic North American drainage basin evolution, sediment yield, and accumulation in the Gulf of Mexico basin", "Louisiana History: Important Dates. Wiedenfeld, David A. and Swan, M. Mark. , Saving Americas wildlife strengthens our democracy and prosperity for future generations. The longest river in Mississippi is the Pearl River, which flows through Louisiana before entering the Gulf of Mexico near Pearlington. Tulane/ Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research. This pile of sediment, or mud, accumulates over the years building up the delta front. The county seat was moved from Port Royal to Delta in 1842. [46], A combination of subsidence, hurricanes and storms and sea level rise leads to increases in marsh and wetlands loss. The Mississippi watershed extends from the Appalachians to the Rocky Mountains and contributes to about 40 percent of the drainage in the continental United States. [59] However, the acquisition of this land has controversial history that has its roots in today's coastal restoration efforts. [35] The recreational wildlife tourism industry is an important component of the tourism sector for the Mississippi River Delta and the Gulf Coast. Aslan A, Autin WJ, Blum MD. History and Culture of the Mississippi Delta Region Senator for Louisiana", "Department of Natural Resources | State of Louisiana", "Ports Association of Louisiana Louisiana Ports Deliver! 2012. [9] The river's tributary channel was formed approximately 500 years ago and the Atchafalaya and Wax Lake deltas emerged around the middle of the twentieth century.[6]. 2013 U.S. Causes of river avulsion: insights from the Late Holocene avulsion history of the Mississippi River, U.S.A. J. Sediment. of the Interior. 2. This system has mitigated extensive flooding and has saved the region billions in potential damage. Robert Cavelier de La Salle claimed the territory around the mouth of the Mississippi River for France in 1682, and the region grew with importance with its strategic location for trade and security. The Mississippi River took thousands of years to build its delta, but land loss is occurring at a much faster pace. Report - Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) Ecosystem Restoration Plan: Orleans, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany Parishes, Louisiana. Why always us? [40] About 460 bird species have been recorded in Louisiana, with 90% (300 species) found within the coastal wetlands. Mississippi River Delta - NASA Earth Observatory The shifting river delta at the mouth of the Mississippi on the Gulf Coast lies some 300 miles south of this area, and is referred to as the Mississippi River Delta. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The migratory nature of the delta forms natural traps for oil. Dredging canals was seen as a necessity for these companies to create deeper channels for easier navigation and the laying of pipelines. The entire state of Mississippi may be referred to as the birthplace of the blues, but real music enthusiasts know that it all began on this very farm, which once employed several future music legends, including blues pioneer Charley Patton. Ports Association of Louisiana. [2] The Mississippi River Delta is the 7th largest river delta on Earth (USGS) and is an important coastal region for the United States, containing more than 2.7million acres (4,200sqmi; 11,000km2) of coastal wetlands and 37% of the estuarine marsh in the conterminous U.S.[1] The coastal area is the nation's largest drainage basin and drains about 41% of the contiguous United States into the Gulf of Mexico at an average rate of 470,000 cubic feet per second (3,500,000USgal/s; 13,000,000L/s). Relations between coastal scientists and Black oystermen have been disenchanted by a history of discriminatory practices against the oystermen. The main shipping channel of the Mississippi River is the broad stripe running northwest to southeast. From 1910 to 1920, New Orleans became the birthplace of jazz and since has continued its legacy of being home to budding musicians and new musical experiences, tying music directly to its unique culture and diverse heritage. Vicksburg, MS: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station. In this configuration large volumes of sediment are required to create land area; consequently, land is being lost in this delta more rapidly than it is being created. The Delta Mississippi is a 200-mile leaf-shaped fertile farmland located along the mighty Mississippi River. Louisiana's Coastal Area. [1] It is part of the Gulf of Mexico and the Louisiana coastal plain, one of the largest areas of coastal wetlands in the United States.