New Missouri

TL;DR -- Who has the longest river? Who cares? But, it's nice that these work horses get some attention beyond those worries like flooding or effects of droughts. For the U.S., these waterways were highways as well as inhibitors. Friends and foes. To be tamed. The dams of the west are an example. 

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As in, Missouri River as the focus. Why was the Mississippi first? 

Recently, we asked, Who's on first?, with respect to the first Governor of Massachusetts and thereby a larger scope of the future U.S. Today, we were reminded that there is some issue of definitions with respect to the longest river in the world. Who cares? 

Missouri/Mississippi

The New Missouri would be consider the upper part of the Mississippi River which would really be the southern part of the Missouri. Interesting. I ask, which longest rivers flows through the most arable land? That is important for several reasons. 

But, looking at this Quora answer reminded me of some work to be done.

When I was a kid I was taught that the Mississippi-Missouri was the world's longest river (I went to school in Belgium). Now it appears to be the Nile or the Amazon. What happened?

Answer by David Gray (not recent, but apropos). 

When we were looking at rivers, we showed a map of watershed where that of the Missouri filled the whole of the center of the U.S. reaching from Pennsylvania to Idaho. 

Watersheds, U.S.

The upper Missouri area had major flooding this summer at Gardner River. We will look at that further. 

 Remarks: Modified: 08/08/2022

08/08/2022 -- Added link to Gardner River and its flooding of the Yellowstone River.