by Marc Phillippe Babineau

Created on: July 29, 2009   Last Updated: August 10, 2009

Rivers bring with them the elixir of life for mankind and animals alike, and flow majestically along their merry way, usually from a lake or glacier, following the path of least resistance, and flowing into either another lake, an ocean or a sea. When that river starts to meander, the area that the river takes up starts to become larger and larger, and it also opens the river up to being blocked much more easier, as floating debris and tree branches get stuck when going around a rather sharp curve. Once a curve in a meandering river is partially blocked, that blockage stops more debris and a partial, if not complete natural dam is produced, and massive flooding can result.

Rivers are straightened in order to both reclaim land for either commercial or residential purposes, or to prevent flooding. The Chicago river in the United States was straightened in the 1920's for just this reason, with too many errant logs piling up in the sharp curves of the river, causing major flooding in the river's watershed. Since the process of river straightening worked, as far as lessening the threats of flooding, the process continued, and it worked as it was designed to do. The same was done to the Red river in Alberta, Canada for similar reasons, but it was ice chunks in the Spring that were the culprits of flooding here. The only problem was the animals, fish, birds and insects that thrived in the ecosystems that the meandering rivers had provided them was now different, with faster currents and less shade.

Of course, if left to their own designs, meandering rivers will eventually straighten themselves out, to some degree. However, that takes a lot of time, time that farmers, flood plains, land engineers and insurance companies do not have the patience for. That is where river engineering comes in. Rivers are straightened through engineering and lots of labour, in order to reclaim land that is taken up by the twisting shoreline's expanding land usage.

Through land reclamation, navigational improvements, protection from recurring floods, or simply putting the river to a different use, as in a logging canal or for recreational uses to generate tourism dollars, these straightened rivers are all forgoing the curves that the currents had forged through centuries to give mankind a helping hand. The local ecosystem is the loser when land is reclaimed using river straightening, as the current, sediment levels and river bottom will all change, as well as the vegetation and shade

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