Mississippi River Dynamics

Group Explores Computer Modeling

A group of scientists, river users and community leaders recently came together in Dubuque, Iowa to deepen their understanding of the Mississippi River. Hosted by The Nature Conservancy’s Great Rivers Center for Conservation and Learning and the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, workshop participants created a first draft of a computer model that could test river management decisions.

Models capture the dynamic relationships of a system or process. By using computer programs, beliefs about the interactions of system components can be captured and observed. Models are especially helpful in complex situations where many factors influence the outcome. At some point, these scenarios become too complex for simple reason and logic, hence the need for a computer model that can take into account the many variables.

Once complete, models can be used to test “what if” scenarios. For example, workshop participants chose to model what led to the current apportionment of the Mississippi River’s floodplain. Participants then used the model to test their ideas about how different decisions concerning river management could change things in the future.

At the workshop, a team of modelers worked by day with the group to generate the model’s design and by night to build it. Even for the participants with little modeling experience, the exercise generated a rich dialogue as they discussed what influences the river.

“Everyone walked away with a better understanding of how others viewed the river, and how all the pieces of the system worked together,” said Ken Barr, who works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the Rock Island district’s Chief of Economic and Environmental Analysis.

The Mississippi River at Dubuque, Iowa. © The Nature Conservancy

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