As the warmer weather approaches and we move into boating season, preparations for summer begin. For me, a major part of this process is checking my boat for any necessary maintenance or repairs. While working on this task, I began to think about the role of the Mississippi River in the culture and history of my local community as well as the United States. Having grown up near the river, I thought it would be appropriate to take a closer look at its impact on nature and human societies.
Many of my childhood summers were spent camping and fishing on the Mississippi River. These experiences instilled in me a reverence for nature and a curiosity about the relationship between the natural world and human development. Watching bald eagles snatch fish while massive barges passed by placed me at the boundary between nature’s will and human advancement. Even the river flowing as nature intended while being shaped by dams is a testament to the intertwining of human and natural forces.
Throughout most of human history, people have tended to establish themselves near sources of water. Even today, most major cities are located on coastlines or riverbanks. This is especially true for my hometown of Winona, Minnesota, which is situated on an island in the Mississippi River. When I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the construction of the lock and dam system of the Upper Mississippi River, I learned a lot about the role of the river in Winona’s history and that of the United States.
Chief among this was the direct relationship between the prevailing economic factors of the time and the cultural identity that formed around the river. For example, Winona’s natural features have made it an ideal place to stage, transition, and ship large amounts of goods and resources. This is difficult in many of the nearby areas because of the rough terrain created by the bluffs of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Therefore, it became a hub for the lumber industry of the late nineteenth century and now continues in the movement of grain from midwestern farms to the Gulf of Mexico for international shipping.
Hence, this has led to an intertwining of local culture and the river. Winona’s nickname is “The Island City,” and its annual festival is Steamboat Days; both pay tribute to the crucial role the river has played in the city’s founding and its continued prosperity. People like me are often referred to as “River Rats,” a term describing someone who frequently uses the river for recreation or livelihood. In addition to the local relationship with the river, it also plays a role in the broader national story of the United States.
Throughout much of U.S. history, the Mississippi River has served as a divide between east and west, old and new. It has also played a significant role in transportation, even during the American Civil War. Since then, government management of the river has become more federalized. However, the focus has largely centered on two main areas of concern. The first is commerce and infrastructure, as seen in the lock and dam system that makes the river navigable for larger vessels. The second is the protection of the natural environment and resources, particularly in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge.
As someone who uses the river for recreation, and whose country and community prosper from it, I wonder if its current use by humans is forced or natural? Or maybe, a little of both? The river flows, but humans built dams to control it. The river provides, and humans try to protect it. Are these relationships really the result of deliberate governmental and societal actions? Or are we as a species innately interacting with the river as the other forms of life in and around it do?
Perhaps there is no definitive answer to these questions. But while processing all this background and history, I began to ask myself: What role does the Mississippi River play in the twenty-first century United States? What will the relationship between Winona and the river look like in the future? How will the increased federal influence affect this relationship? And of course, how will our species interact with the natural environment as ours becomes more complex?