Reverse Course: Life after the levee breach in Dogtooth Bend, Illinois

Published June 27, 2025 at 10:45 AM EDT

In 2016, the Mississippi River punched a hole in the Len Small levee, built to protect farmland along an S-shaped curve in the river known as Dogtooth Bend. That hole was never repaired. Here & Now's Chris Bentley reports on how some farmers in the area have had to give up their land.

And, John Ruskey calls the Mississippi River "a creative force" that sculpts the landscape and rejuvenates the people who experience it up close. But climate change is making that force stronger and more destructive. Bentley took a canoe ride with Ruskey and reports on the future of the river.

Then, Bentley and Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd reflect on their reporting along the Mississippi River and share thoughts on how the river has shaped the history and landscape of North America.

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