Old Man River, indeed. Still, 70 million years ago the Mississippi was nowhere near as large as it would become. Blum has detailed how the waterway grew as it added tributaries: the Platte ...

The Mississippi River is a giant river that provides abundant resources. But, how big is it, exactly? This animated map shows the scale of the Mississippi River and its drainage system in perspective.

Low-lying fields will also be covered. Local tributaries like the Wolf River will also rise as the bloated Mississippi backs up into them.