by Katie Gill
The long-unused Mississippi River Basin Model was once a vital piece in solving flood crises across the United States. Photo courtesy Imani Khayyam
The story of one of the nation's largest hydraulic Mississippi River Basin Models starts after the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, which killed more than 500 people and displaced several-hundred thousand more. A year later, the government passed the Flood Control Act of 1928, tasking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with studying the river and possibly altering it with locks and levees. An impressive item to come out of the Army Corps of Engineers' study is the Mississippi River Basin Model, located in Buddy Butts Park off McRaven Road near Clinton
Started in 1943, the model covers approximately 200 acres and is set to scale, where one horizontal foot of the model represents 2,000 feet of the river basin, and one vertical foot of the model represents 100 feet of the real-life basin. The model represents about 41 percent of the United States and approximately 1.25 million square miles in miniature. The government used captured Italian and German prisoners of war to help build the model.
Individual sections were completed in 1949, but the model as a whole wasn't finished until 1966. By 1952, the Missouri River segment was fully operational, and information gathered from that segment helped to prevent flooding in Omaha, Neb., avoiding more than $65 million in flood damages. In 1964, the site opened to the public for self-guided tours, drawing in more than 5,000 people a year. Facilities included a 40-feet-tall observation tower, from which visitors could view the entire model.
As computer models became more prevalent and more accurate, there was not any need to keep the model running. Analysts used the Mississippi River Basin Model for the last time in 1973 to help mitigate a failure of the Old River Control Structure floodgate system in Louisiana.
Individual sections were completed in 1949, but the model as a whole wasn't finished until 1966. By 1952, the Missouri River segment was fully operational, and information gathered from that segment helped to prevent flooding in Omaha, Neb., avoiding more than $65 million in flood damages. In 1964, the site opened to the public for self-guided tours, drawing in more than 5,000 people a year. Facilities included a 40-feet-tall observation tower, from which visitors could view the entire model.
As computer models became more prevalent and more accurate, there was not any need to keep the model running. Analysts used the Mississippi River Basin Model for the last time in 1973 to help mitigate a failure of the Old River Control Structure floodgate system in Louisiana.
The Mississippi River Basin Model is located in Buddy Butts Park near Clinton. Photo courtesy Imani Khayyam The City of Jackson took ownership of the Mississippi River Basin Model in 1993, and it was designated as a Mississippi Landmark—however, the cost of running the model was too high. As such, the City abandoned the model.
The past few years have seen a renaissance of interest in the Mississippi River Basin Model. Various media outlets that focus on abandoned or hidden structures have profiled it, most notably the blog Atlas Obscura in 2015 and the podcast 99% Invisible in 2016.
Today, the Mississippi River Basin Model is open for the public to visit. If you decide to visit and explore the model for yourself, be careful: While it's still in fair condition and certainly an interesting visit, the model is overgrown with foliage. Thick pants and good shoes are a must.
The past few years have seen a renaissance of interest in the Mississippi River Basin Model. Various media outlets that focus on abandoned or hidden structures have profiled it, most notably the blog Atlas Obscura in 2015 and the podcast 99% Invisible in 2016.
Today, the Mississippi River Basin Model is open for the public to visit. If you decide to visit and explore the model for yourself, be careful: While it's still in fair condition and certainly an interesting visit, the model is overgrown with foliage. Thick pants and good shoes are a must.
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