Lakes/Rivers - Sunday Stamps II

Struggled with lakes but found some interesting rivers this week.

The longest river in the world had a dam completed on 19 July 1970, but was commemorated first in 1964.

Egypt (UAR) - 15 May 1964

The Aswan High Dam, 11 years in construction and more than 2 miles long, ended the cycle of flood and drought in the Nile region but has also resulted in the loss of fertile soil previously washed down the river.

American river explorers' exploits have appeared on stamps.

USA - 20 September 1968

Marquette, a Jesuit missionary, explored the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley with Louis Jolliet. He had founded the St Ignace mission on the north shore of the Mackinac Straits when Jolliet arrived with orders to look for the great river to the west which the Illinois Indians had described.

They set out in May 1673 by way of Green Bay and the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers. They reached the Mississippi and went downstream to the Arkansas River before they returned, convinced the Mississippi flowed into the Gulf of Mexico.

USA - 1 August 1969

Financed by the Smithsonian Institution John Wesley Powell explored the Green and Colorado river canyons in 1869. The federal government financed further explorations in the 1870s which and to the information on public lands in the Rocky Mountain area and laid the groundwork for irrigation and conservation projects.

Back then of course neither Marquette nor Powell could have listened to -

Great Britain - 7 July 2016

 the Pink Floyd album, Endless RIver. (More about this next week)

For other watery offerings visit the links at Sunday-Stamps-II-86.