I did a little reading and noticed that the Red River seems to really like rafts — you tear one apart, and another starts forming elsewhere along the course. Keeping the channel clear also seems to have exacerbated problems elsewhere. It’s almost if rivers aren’t supposed to be stable and unchanging for large-scale human convenience….
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:37 AM on June 24 [6 favorites]

What up Googledebunkers. Milo's awesome — make sure you dig through his back catalog, especially the 4 parter debunking of Ancient Apocalypse.
posted by nathan_teske at 7:20 AM on June 24 [6 favorites]

A+ title!!
posted by potrzebie at 7:48 AM on June 24 [2 favorites]

I went into this thinking it was the other Red River in the US, the big one that runs north into Manitoba. But this is about the Red River of the South. Why is there two rivers with the same name?

Colonizers. In the south the Spanish took Bah'hatteno and went with ‘Colorado’. Which translates as red. And then when the French took over they decided to go with ‘Rouge’. So red. And then when the Anglo American bought it - well, they just went with red.

In the north the French arrival in modern Manitoba they had a few options, like the Cree nation used Win-nīpīy / “Murky water” while the Assinboine called it Miníša / “Red water”. So the colonizers assigned the river the name Rouge du Nord but for the city went with a derivative of the Cree name Wînipêk. Makes sense from 2025. But when the Lord Selkirk and his Anglo British frenemies at the Hudsons Bay took over* they simplified the river to just the Red river.

*with various levels of success
posted by zenon at 7:59 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]

zenon: "Why is there two rivers with the same name? "

Why can't here be?
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 8:18 AM on June 24 [2 favorites]

Ask Springfield 😇
posted by funkaspuck at 8:38 AM on June 24 [6 favorites]

Cities are tied to their state making sorting out the various versions of Paris a little easier. I have lived in two places with the same name but both were small enough for folks not to really be aware of the other. This was pre smart phone and folks often thought I was punking them.

Of course things share names, and the usual approach for major rivers is to get tied to their country - like the Red River in China. But both of these Red Rivers in America are huge interstate things. So I think that the one up north should be corrected to note that it’s Red River of the North. Or the Northern Red River. Or go with one of its First Nation names, or someone tell Trump there’s a river named for Canada.
posted by zenon at 9:00 AM on June 24 [2 favorites]

I went into this thinking it was the other Red River in the US, the big one that runs north into Manitoba.

Which coincidentally is also known for jams clogging the channel — ice jams that is. Red of the North has a very shallow gradient and the spring melt is south-to-north so ice jams contribute to annual springtime flooding.
posted by nathan_teske at 9:05 AM on June 24 [6 favorites]

Interesting and insightful, but he's mispronouncing Caddo. And if you're ever in the area, Caddo Lake is beautiful and fascinating.
posted by mcdoublewide at 9:33 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]

> a+ title!!

now i'm wondering what a lognunc is like
posted by bombastic lowercase boatshoes at 9:37 AM on June 24

zenon: "Why is there two rivers with the same name? "

Sigh--don't get me started on Deer Creek. Or Bear Creek. Or....

This looks so good. Wish I hadn't tried to dive into it before I realized how long it was. Something to look forward to later this evening.
posted by BlueHorse at 9:43 AM on June 24

I bet there are at least 50 Round/Long/Fish lakes within a couple hundred miles of me.
posted by Ickster at 10:15 AM on June 24 [1 favorite]

Don't ge me started on the River Avon.
posted by happyinmotion at 12:27 PM on June 24 [2 favorites]

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