CHAPTER 2

MISSISSIPPI’S RESOURCES

Natural Resources are products that come directly from the Earth

Two TypesRenewable Nonrenewable

Natural Resources

Mississippi has 3 main resourcesSoilForestWater

SoilMost abundant resourceVital to agriculture economyDelta – some of most fertile soil in worldMust have soil to grow anything else - trees

MISSISSIPPI’S RESOURCES

ForestThe Piney Woods experienced an economic

boom for fifty years due to its forestsEconomic BoomEconomy

Trees were cleared for lumber, houses, farms, etc…

Problems with cutting down the treesWildlife disappeared when habitat goneCaused increase of erosion

No trees to hold the soil

MISSISSIPPI’S RESOURCES

Forest Continued 56% of MS’s land is covered in forestMain uses for forest: lumber, paper, and

Masonite boards 2 heavily forested areas in MS

Piney WoodsNortheast Highlands

2 commercial types of trees Hardwoods – oak and hickorySoftwoods – Pine (most of our wood products are

made out of pine)

Mississippi’s Resources

WaterOne of MS most important and most abundant resourcesTwo types of water

Ground waterSurface water

Early transportation routesRivers & Stream

The First Mississippians made their homes on the banks of rivers and streamsReasons: food, water, transportation, and trade

Fears about waterIndustrial Pollution threatSewage runoffChemicals used in farming

MISSISSIPPI’S RESOURCES

Water (continued)Aquifer – underground reservoir of trapped water

In layers of sand and gravelGood water usually found 25-30 feet deep

Cistern – large underground tank made out of brick or stone that rainwater could drain intoTightly covered – good, clean water

DiseaseCholera – quickly spreading & deadly disease spread

by human waste getting into water supplies

MISSISSIPPI’S RESOURCES

The MS River has influenced the state in the following waysIndians used it for travel and trade It was used as a landmark by explorers Gaining control of it was part of the North’s

strategy for winning the Civil War Natchez and Vicksburg were two of MS’s

early towns built on the MS River

MISSISSIPPI RIVERS

MS has 3 water boundariesMS RiverPearl RiverMS Sound

Gulf Coast between land and 4 barrier islands East to West: Cat, Ship, Horn, & Petit Bois

80 miles long & 15 miles wideShallow in most places

MS River drains 2/3 of USA – Rockies to Appalachians

Early transportation depended on riversRoads & highways only effective in last 100 yearsCanoes, flatboats, & steamboats were used

RIVERS

Rivers in MS are dividedRivers in the west all flow to the MS RiverRivers in the east all flow to the MS Sound or Mobile

Bay2 Major Tributaries in the West

Yazoo River – formed at Greenwood by Tallahatchie & Yalobusha Rivers

Big Black River – formed in east central MS near Maben

2 Major Tributaries in the EastTombigbee River – Northeast MS to Mobile BayPascagoula River – ‘Singing River’ – flows to MS

Sound

MISSISSIPPI RIVERS

Central MS – JacksonCapital sits on banks of Pearl RiverFlows through middle of state to MS Sound

Mississippi River constantly changing courseState line vs river bedOxbow lakes

MISSISSIPPI RIVERS

OXBOW LAKES

MISSISSIPPI RIVERS

Reservoirs – man made lakes used in MS to help control flooding in the Delta and provide recreation

5 Reservoirs (from North to South)Arkabutla on Coldwater RiverSardis on Tallahatchie RiverEnid on Yocona RiverGrenada on Yalobusha RiverRoss Barnett on the Pearl

MISSISSIPPI RESERVOIRS

The state is prone to flooding because of its location on the MS River

When the river overflows the extra water is trapped in wetlandsWetlands – flood plain

The wetlands are MS most productive habitats

There have been two floods in MS1927 was the worst in MS’s history 2011

PROTECTING OUR RESOURCES

There are four ways to prevent flooding 1. levee – wall made mainly of dirt to hold back

the waterPrimary way of controlling flooding

2. channelization is when the river is widened and straightened

3. cutoff is when a channel is created through the neck of the river bend

4. diversion is when the river is diverted into another body of water

PROTECETING OUR RESOURCES

Rebuilding the forest Reforestation is the replanting of the forestsMississippi Forestry Commission was

established to protect and replant the forest Reasons for reforestation

Oxygen Building materials Habitats

PROTECTING OUR RESOURCES

MS does not have great mineral deposits

Some coal, iron & aluminum ore depositsNot big enough to be developed commercially

Most important minerals:Petroleum, natural gas, gravel, and sand

Not a lot of oil on national scale but someOil first found in Tinsley, MS in Yazoo County

Minerals

VardamanSweet Potato Capital of the World

GreenwoodCotton Capital of the World

BiloxiOyster & Shrimp Capital of the World

MizeWatermelon Capital of the World

BelzoniFarm-Raised Catfish Capital of the World

Mississippi Product Capitals

Soil ErosionEarly farmers were not educated in care and

use of landLand was abundant and cheap Topsoil washed into rivers and streamsWays to restore the soil’s fruitfulness

FertilizersRotating crops

Over hunting and over fishing have caused a reduction in certain animals As a result we have hunting laws

RECLAIMING RESOURCES