NEAR THE CONFLUENCE OF THREE MAJOR RIVERS STANDS THE NATIONAL GREAT RIVERS MUSEUM IN
ALTON.
IT IS A FACILITY THAT IS
RECONNECTING VISITORS TO THE
IMPORTANCE OF OUR WATER WAYS.
LOCATED AT THE FOOT OF ONE OF
THE LARGEST LOCK AND DAMS ON THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER IS THIS MUSEUM
OPERATED BY THE U.S. CORPS OF
ENGINEERS.
INSIDE, VISITORS ARE TAKEN
THROUGH A TOUR OF THE CULTURAL,
ECOLOGICAL AND INDUSTRIAL
ASPECTS OF THE RIVER ALL TOLD
THROUGH A MYRIAD OF INTERACTIVE
DISPLAYS.
>> WHEN YOU FIRST COME IN, YOU
GET A WELCOME MESSAGE FROM
DIFFERENT PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE
PAST OF THE RIVER THAT EXPLORED
THE RIVER OR HAD SOME CONNECTION
TO IT.
YOU MEET A NATIVE AMERICAN THAT
USED TO LIVE ALONG THE RIVER AND
STEAMBOAT CAPTAIN AND MODERN DAY
PERSON THAT USES THE RIVER WE
FIND OUT WHAT MAKES A RIVER, HOW
A RIVER IS MADE, AND HOW IT
WORKS, WHAT THE ANATOMY IS.
WE TALK ABOUT THE FISHERIES, AND
PLANTS AND ANIMALS THAT LIVE
ALONG THE RIVER, AND THREE MAIN
ECO SYSTEMS, THE RIVER, THE
FLOOD PLAIN THAT FORMS PART OF
THE RIVER AND THE BLUFFS ALONG
SIDE OF THE RIVER.
THOSE ARE NATURALISTS NOTEBOOKS
WHERE CAN YOU CHOOSE TO LOOK AT
DIFFERENT ANIMALS AND PLANTS
FROM THAT REGION BY FLIPPING
THROUGH COMPUTER NOTEBOOK.
>> IN OTHER WORDS, YOU CAN LOOK
THROUGH A BOOK, AND YOU HAVE
LITTLE INTERACTIVES TO TURN ON A
FILM CLIP OF DIFFERENT FISH OR
ANIMALS AND SEE THEM IN ACTION.
WE DO HAVE AN AQUARIUM HERE WITH
FISH IN IT THAT ARE INDIGENOUS
TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
THESE ARE PREHISTORIC FISH, IN
THAT THEY WERE HERE AT THE TIME
OF THE DINOSAURS.
THEY INCLUDE THIS STUR AGAIN,
PADDLE FISH AND GHAR.
AFTER THE NATURAL HISTORY, WE
START LOOKING AT THE CULTURAL
HISTORY OF THE RIVER.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN FRONT OF A
HUGE TIME LINE THAT LOOKS AT THE
RIVER THROUGHOUT TIME FROM THE
BEGINNING OF TIME THROUGH TODAY
AND SOME OF THE IMPORTANT
HISTORICAL PIECES WITHIN THAT
TIME LINE.
>>IN ADDITION TO SHOWING HOW THE
RIVER HAS INFLUENCED PEOPLE, THE
MUSEUM DEMONSTRATES HOW PEOPLE
HAVE AFFECTED THE RIVER.
THIS IS A MODEL OF THE
CONFLUENCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
MISSOURI, AND ILLINOIS RIVERS.
>>THAT MODEL, THAT TYPE OF
MODELING IS USED BY OUR ST.
LOUIS DISTRICT ENGINEERING FOLKS
TO SHOW HOW THE WATER REACTS
AROUND DIFFERENT STRUCTURES IN
THE RIVER SUCH AS WING DIKES AND
WEIRS.
THEY FIND THIS FAIRLY ACCURATE
TO HELP THEM DECIDE WHERE TO PUT
THESE STRUCTURES INTO THE RIVER.
RIGHT HERE, WE HAVE CALLED
SURFING THE WATER SHED WHERE --
IT IS A COMPUTER DISPLAY WHERE
PEOPLE CAN PUT THEIR SIP CODE
INTO THE COMPUTER PROGRAM, AND
IT WILL SHOW THEM THEIR WATER
SHED WHERE THEY LIVE OR WHATEVER
THE SIP CODE IS.
YOU CAN TURN OFF OR ON DIFFERENT
FEATURES, SUCH AS ROADS AND
BOUNDARIES AND SEE WHERE THE MAP
IS OF THAT WATER SHED.
>>THESE THROTTLES ARE YOUR
TOWBOAT'S BACK RIGHT THROTTLE.
ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR EXHIBITS
IS THIS PILOT HOUSE SIMULATOR
WHICH IS USED SAME SOFTWARE
PROGRAM FOR TRAINING TOWBOAT
OPERATORS.
>>THIS GENTLEMAN IS TRYING TO
STEER BETWEEN A COUPLE OF BRIDGE
PEER PARES WITHOUT RUNNING INTO
A BARGE.
THESE TOWS ARE QUARTER MILE
LONG, AND THEY MOVE VERY SLOW
AND HAVE SLOW REACTION TIMES.
HOWEVER YOU STEER IT, IT TAKES A
LONG TIME FOR IT TO GO THAT WAY.
IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR IT TO
COME BACK WHEREVER YOU WANT IT
TO GO.
>>THERE ARE DISPLAYS ON WATER
CONSERVATION, HOW LOCKS WORK AND
THREE TIMES A DAY THERE IS A
TOUR OF THE MELVIN PRICE LOCKS
AND DAMS.
>>IT IS ABOUT AN HOUR LONG TOUR
THAT GOES UP ON THE LOCK AND
SHOWS HOW A LOCK OPERATES, AND
HOPEFULLY YOU WILL SEE A TOW
COMING THROUGH TO SEE THE WHOLE
PROCESS OF A LOCKAND.
USUALLY WE GET 20 LOCKANDS OF
THE LARGE TOWS EVERY DAY.
RECREATIONAL BOATS MAYBE TWICE
THAT MANY.
>>BESIDES BEING A GOOD LOCATION
FOR VIEWING BARGES, EACH WINTER,
THE MUSEUM ATTRACTS BIRD
WATCHERS.
>>DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY,
WE HAVE ECO PROGRAMS HERE IN THE
MUSEUM.
WE WELCOME PEOPLE TO COME BY.
ACROSS THE RIVER WAY, AS A
MATTER OF FACT, THERE IS AN AREA
CALLED RIVER LAND MIGRATORY BIRD
SANCTUARY.
THE TREES IN THAT AREA, WE GET
HUNDREDS OF EAGLES ROOSTING IN
THE TREES IN THE WINTERTIME
BECAUSE THE WATER IS ALWAYS OPEN
AND THEY DO FISHING ALONG THERE.
>>IT IS HERE THAT VISITORS ARE
REMINDED OF THE IMPORTANCE OF
THE RIVER, BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND
ECO LOGICALLY.
>>WE WANT THEM TO GO HOME WITH
THE BETTER APPRECIATION AND
AWARENESS OF THE RIVER THAT THIS
RIVER IS VITAL AND A WORKING
RIVER.
IF INTERESTED IN REACHING THE NATIONAL GREAT RIVERS MUSEUM, CALL (877)462-6979 OR VISIT THE
WEB SITE LISTED ON THE SCREEN.