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When flood peeings from the Mississippi River and its tributaries muckle down the river the volume of water is physically impossible to contain. In general, at that place is just to much WaterThe pools behind the navigation dams assimilate no effect in preventing or causing floods. Like a tub it doesnt matter if the pools are empty or full when the floodwaters come. in spite of appearance a very short time the excess water undersurface create an over flow (Army Corps of Engineers).What is a Flood?A flood occurs when water is poured over the trim down and the ground and rivers arouse non cope with it (Waterlow 8). erstwhile a basin has filled, water pull up stakes overflow its rim and add together its downward progress. Gravity ensures that water must drain the land into the sea (Allaby 12). When snow melts from a divide it is joined by more(prenominal) snow, and it will eventually reach the low lands. Hills down below will also shed water into the same low lands and if there is generous of this it can result in a flood (Allaby 12). The Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio drain an part of 1,243,700 square miles, this goes from the Rocky Mountains to the Canadian boarder and Pennsylvania (Allaby 13). All of this river basin result in floods each year the snow up compass north melts. How a Dam Affects FloodingA dam is made to hit pools at least 9 ft. deep so that barge avocation can navigate freely through out the river. A absorb is made so the barges can move from one pool to other (Army Corps of Engineers). The combination of these two make up a entwine and dam system. Between St. Anthony Falls, MN, and Granite City, IL there are 29 jug and dam systems. It is said, in the beginning of this page in fact, that dams do not control flooding. Dams werent made to control floods and they never will, because floods are so unpredictable and so uncontrollable (Army Corps of Engineers). What is a DikeA dike is an embankment built to control or hold back the water of a river, stream, sea, etc. (Waterlow 25). In building a dike you can use sandbags, dirt, or both put together. You will build up a wall, getting it as compact as possible, as senior high as you think is needed to hold back the floodwaters. In the Netherlands farmers have used dikes to protect their farms from floods for hundreds of years (Waterlow 25).