Ol' Man River Meets Big Muddy

Today was so beautiful, we headed out in late morning to visit the Confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, located about 20 miles from here. The confluence is in a state park that opened about 4 years ago. The spot we visited is shown in this aerial photo from a brochure about the park. We were at "the point." It's about a five mile drive down a gravel road and definitely worth it.

The road to the confluence traverses fields in a flood plain between the levees, but right at the point, the wooded area frames striking views of the water. Today the light streaming through these tall trees, still refusing to lose their green, was almost ethereal. As usual, Norm kept walking when I stopped, which was great; I got him in a picture finally.

On this side of the point, the Missouri flows swiftly and is often muddier than the Mississippi. Some river experts say that the main river is really the Missouri; the Mississippi is the secondary one. The Missouri is longer and drains more area, they say. At the confluence, the Missouri retains its agricultural look, with its banks unmarked by any kind of industry.

The Mississippi, on the other hand, is full of barges and tows on this day, and the far bank is lined with light industry and ports. It's the busy highway of commerce from Minnesota to New Orleans. By the time it reaches New Orleans, the brochure says, it will be 3 miles wide and 100 feet deep, and moving an unimaginable amount of water every minute into the Gulf. Today it looks a little less muddy than the Missouri, but not much. Having stood at the headwaters at Lake Itaska, Minn., some 7 years ago, I always marvel at what that tiny stream has become when it reaches this point north of St. Louis.

Below is the view we came to see, the meeting of the waters of two mighty rivers that between them, drain 40 percent of the land area of the nation. Sunlight dances on the ripples formed as the two currents slam into each other and begin to mingle on the way downstream, past St. Louis, past Memphis, all the way to New Orleans. Lewis and Clark camped across the water from this point the first winter of their expedition.