Environmental Catastrophes in Whitewater River Valley, MN
Presenter(s)
Sho Sato
Abstract
The Whitewater River Valley is in southern Minnesota along the Mississippi River. This area was inhabited by Native Dakota and subsequently attracted many emigrants from European countries in the 1850s due to its scenic view and fertile soil. After the emigration of Europeans, forests in the valley were quickly turned into agricultural land. Removing vegetation from the valley took away the ability to absorb and hold water from soils which led to erosion and sedimentation. Eventually, streams clogged with sediment assaulted neighboring towns as floodwaters invaded towns and homesteads in the Whitewater valley. These flooding events became so intense and so frequent that residents in the valley had to abandon the valley. The purpose of this research is to summarize the history of Whitewater River Valley by using ArcGIS StoryMaps to tell this story in an approachable way so that all community members could understand the danger of environmental catastrophes that result from using lands without conservation practices.
College
College of Science & Engineering
Department
Geoscience
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Dylan Blumentritt
Location
Ballroom - Kryzsko Commons
Start Date
4-18-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-18-2024 10:00 AM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
1a=9am-10am
Poster Number
51
Environmental Catastrophes in Whitewater River Valley, MN
Ballroom - Kryzsko Commons
The Whitewater River Valley is in southern Minnesota along the Mississippi River. This area was inhabited by Native Dakota and subsequently attracted many emigrants from European countries in the 1850s due to its scenic view and fertile soil. After the emigration of Europeans, forests in the valley were quickly turned into agricultural land. Removing vegetation from the valley took away the ability to absorb and hold water from soils which led to erosion and sedimentation. Eventually, streams clogged with sediment assaulted neighboring towns as floodwaters invaded towns and homesteads in the Whitewater valley. These flooding events became so intense and so frequent that residents in the valley had to abandon the valley. The purpose of this research is to summarize the history of Whitewater River Valley by using ArcGIS StoryMaps to tell this story in an approachable way so that all community members could understand the danger of environmental catastrophes that result from using lands without conservation practices.
