3. At one point, Rabalais drives the author first to the Mississippi River and then to the Atchafalaya River, showing him that the Mississippi is 18 feet above sea level while the Atchafalaya is how many feet above sea level?

4. What does Major General Thomas Sands do each year on the Mississippi in late summer or early fall?

5. The author notes that many regard the Old River Project as what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, what did people in southern Louisiana do to protect their communities and land against floods?

2. Explain who thinks the Old River Control project is an arrogant enterprise, and why they think this.

3. What is the Old River Control project developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers?

4. Who is Henry Shreve, and what does he do?

5. What are some of the predominant problems in the regions populated near the Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers?

6. Congress enacts the Flood Control Act in 1928 to launch the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project. What is done through this project?

7. Describe what McPhee writes about Morgan City, Louisiana.

8. Describe some of the challenges New Orleans faces because of its geographical location.

9. What is the goal of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with regards to the Atchafalya and Mississippi rivers?

10. Describe Major General Thomas Sands' annual Low Water Inspection Trip along the Mississippi River.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1. How might building more debris basins alleviate mountain debris flow problems in Southern California? How might building more basins aggravate the problem?

2. How might adding more river control structures near the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana alleviate the region's flooding problems? How might adding more structures aggravate the problem?

Essay Topic 2

Part of the problem is that people settle into regions that are particularly hazardous: floodplains, active volcanic zones, and places prone to mountain landslides, brush fires, and earthquakes.

1. Using examples from the book, elaborate upon some of the reasons the author gives to explain why people settle in regions where natural forces are especially active, posing risks to the communities that develop there.

2. Is the author sympathetic or unsympathetic to man's plight in his efforts to control nature? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Based on what the author has described about each region, is it viable for residents to continue living there? Provide your answers for the following regions:

1. In Louisiana near the Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers.

2. By the active volcanoes of Hawaii.

3. In the volcanic island of Heimaey off the coast of Iceland.

4. In the plains below the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California.

(see the answer keys)

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