+4 more
posted on May, 2 2011 @ 10:40 PM
My in-laws own 250 acres in this spillway, just a mile from the river. My father-in-law has made us aware of all aspects of this nightmare. My husband
and I are geologists, so we have an interesting perspective most people don't.....For those unaware, this area is one of the most fertile in North
America and home to many huge soybean farms, plus some corn (not sure how much corn, but TONS of soybeans). There are numerous concerns that most
people are unaware of:
1) The force of the water moving through the spillway will be so great that it will actually strip away most, if not all, of the topsoil. Whatever
silt that gets deposited can't make up for the inches of fertile topsoil that makes this land sell for $3300 an acre. Yes, normal flooding deposits
organic-rich silt on floodplains, but that's with little or no force behind the flood water....this is 100% completely different, as the river will
gush through this hole with amazing force......
2) The 3 different blasts are designed to create 3 holes that will fill the spillway, then let water back out. However, due to the amount of water
that will rush in, there is a good chance the Mississippi River will be re-routed completely, as water takes the easiest path. Hydrologists mentioned
this years ago in early studies of the spilway. The amount of water moving through the north hole (that was just blasted minutes ago) is expected to
flow strongly for 10 days....as that's how much water is coming from upstream. 10 days worth of fast moving water will definitely cut down into the
land, creating a new channel. This is also geological fact, not my opinion.
3) The hope is that eventually the water will go down and the Mississippi River will be in the same location as it has been for decades. However, the
River channel used to be located on the west side of the spillway decades ago before the spillway and other levees were built in that area. The
southern area sits lower topographically than the northen section, so the water will flow to that lower-most area, meaning it is possible the
Mississippi will be rerouted and take over it's original channel from decades past.....
4) Another concern is the levee on the west side of the now-flooded spillway. It has never been tested against fast-moving river water, plus it is
protecting many towns that have bot been evacuated....and now there is fast-moving water up against this smaller levee that protects a huge area that
isn't just farmland. Anyone who knows the area knows that when you go south out of Cape Girardeau, MO, you go down in elevation. This means that if
that secondary levee (on the west side of the spillway) fails, Siketon will also be completely flooded. Instead of just Mississippi County getting
flooded, an area 4-5 times that may be under water....and there are many people and cities in that area.
5) Don't forget barge traffic in America that comes down both the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. If the Mississippi channel regains it's original
channel from the 1800's & early 1900's, and flows through the spillway from here on out, the channel may not be sufficiently deep for barge traffic.
There is a high likelihood the lower Mississippi Valley will be cut off from the northern valley in terms of transportation and commerce.....how's
that for adding to an already suffering economy!
6) My father-in-laws biggest concern is whethre he will even be able to get to his land. If the Mississippi takes over its old channel, his land will
sit between the new channel on the left side of the spillway and the old channel of yesterday (literally). The roads will likely be washed away too
because of the current, and there will be no bridges to get into the part of Mississippi County that will now be land-locked. So even if his land is
east enough to not have all the topsoil washed away, it might be unfarmable because of such infrasctructure problems. Who wants land that no one can
even get equipment to?
7) Flood insurance won't cover a man-made flood----more insult to injury.....
8) Also, back in 1928, the original land-owners in the spillway were compensated 85 cents per acre, just in case the spillway ever had to be
blown......thus the government of today says the farmers have already compensated. That's just criminal in my mind......absolutely criminal.
Our family has cried over this for days.....my in-laws need this farm for their income and retirement. My father-in-law was set to finally retire in
18 months. He's fairly certain that plan is out the window. This farm was also my husband and sister-in-laws inheritance. Now we're wondering if
it's going to be a total loss. I just want people to have all of the facts, not just opinions.......our family thinks the Corps simply hasn't
thought through everything. There are so many repercussions that could cripple this part of the country, and that's after the floodwaters recede.