North Riverfront Park

North Riverfront Park. Mississippi Greenway. , River on the Move , As the Mississippi River path has changed over time, so has our connection to the waterway. Since prehistoric times, we have used this river to transport people and goods. Native American people have lived along the banks of the Mississippi River for many generations, using the river for food and transportation. Early European explorers used the Mississippi River to explore the interior and the northern reaches of what would become the United States. From the 17th to 19th centuries, the Mississippi River was a fur trading route. At various times throughout history, soldiers of several nations based troops along the Mississippi River. In the early 1800s, white settlers arrived in St. Louis on steamboats and often brought enslaved people with them. The colonial settlers forcibly removed Native American people from lands along the river and converted the landscape into farms and cities. After steamboat use faded, railroads were built along the riverbank. Power plants, oil tanks, farms and cities. After steamboat use faded, railroads were built along the riverbank. Power plants, oil tanks, warehouses, elevators, conveyors, and junkyards were built nearby for transportation access on river and rail., City Living , The trees along the river provide food and shelter for a diversity of wildlife that make their home in the city. Along this greenway, look out for fox, beaver, wild turkeys, deer, coyote, hawks, falcons, owls, and eagles. These riverbank trees also help to filter sediment in the water, reduce flood damage, and prevent riverbank erosion. , Waterways Connect Us All , We all live in a watershed, and all water flows into creeks, rivers, and streams. Watersheds are like sinks - all of the water that falls in them will drain to the same area. Right now, you are in the Mississippi River Watershed. It is the fourth largest watershed in the world, covering 1.25 million square miles in the US and Canada. Our actions impact the water quality in our region and downstream. When it rains, water washes down our streets, pushing plastics and other trash into our creeks and rivers that flow to the ocean. When you see litter on the ground, pick it up before it gets in our ways.