Deseret News | Reader comments: Nauvoo no longer threatened by flooding

Reader comments: Nauvoo no longer threatened by flooding

6 comments | Read story

Anonymous | 4:08 p.m. June 23, 2008

Thank goodness. That's the power of the Lord right there, skipping the blessed city.

Ummmmmm... | 4:20 p.m. June 23, 2008

Wasn't Navoo a swamp? Seems like it's going to be again. Like New Orleans.

Ernest T. Bass | 6:38 p.m. June 23, 2008

Oh thank goodness. The lord gave them a special blessing.

Comments continue below

Dougway | 6:48 p.m. June 23, 2008

The reason it was swampy before the Saints moved in was the runoff from the high ground couldn't get to the river until a canal was dug to guide it to the downstream side of town. The ditch is alongside the highway into town today. The water level of the Mississippi is 30 feet higher around Nauvoo on an average day because of the Keokuck dam, than it was in the 1800's. It's still solid ground and a good place to build a city because it's on the inside curve of the river. The water is slow on the inside because it doesn't travel as far. That made it easier to dock a river boat. And besides, the price and terms were favorable for 1800's subprime borrowers.

Chuckles55 | 7:22 p.m. June 23, 2008

Nauvoo the Beautiful. Even now, it's still a miracle. When the Saints left in 1846, they never planned to come back. When the mobs finally pushed out the last few Mormons in September after the Battle of Nauvoo, only those who promised to live without practising "Mormonism" were allowed to stay in their homes. It's been fun watching this legacy rise from the ashes and become a beautiful city once again with the awe-inspiring temple on the hill. I plan to visit there this Fall and have been wondering how the floods had affected the city. I am glad to hear that the homes and venues in lower Nauvoo have been spared from the ravages of the flood waters. Thanks for the information.

Nauvoo not a flood plane.. | 9:28 p.m. June 23, 2008

Nauvoo is never threatened with flooding except for the old Nauvoo House which was completed long after the Saints left the area. It is used occasionally for youth group housing etc. by the Comunity of Christ. There is always enough help there because of the LDS presence to protect it if need be. Nauvoo is built on high ground, up and away from the threat of the flooding Mississippi. It is a different story for Niota to the north and areas also to the south. Historic Nauvoo is always safe from flooding problems except for temporary items along the river bank, etc. Joseph Smith and the early LDS leaders would have never developed a city in a flood plane, not with the brains, intellect, and inspiration they had. God bless their memory !!

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