The Mississippi River Basin Model

Jackson, Mississippi

The design for the site and visitor center at the Mississippi River Basin Model is inspired by the site, construction, and form of the River Basin Model itself. The model exhibits an amazing combination of the natural power of water on our national geography and man’s ability to understand and tame this force for a mutually beneficial and stable relationship. This endeavor brought diverse people and talents together to build an engineering marvel that represents a unique time in our national history and the understanding of our world. The Mississippi River Basin Model, Waterways Experiment Station is registered as a Mississippi Landmark site, and it is currently in the process of National Landmark Registration. The Model will be preserved and restored under the Landmark standards, and will become an interactive, educational site. The concrete model will be stabilized and existing pump houses and site artifacts will be preserved as educational nodes throughout the site. A portion of the model will be restored to operation as a display of the geological and hydrological engineering and cartography behind the model and its construction.