Rain, snow, ice — when the spring thaw arrives, water in the liquid state seeks the low places. Perhaps a ditch. Then into a creek. A river holds more and wanders through miles and miles of farmland.
This is the American Midwest, and the water is in a hurry to meet up with the Mississippi River.
This photo, taken in May from the Missouri bank of the Des Moines River, gives a glimpse of high, brown water transporting bits and pieces of Iowa southward (generally). In this exact location, the direction is more eastward. No lazy lake here. You best build high and away from the river to prevent damage from seasonal floods.
Perched on a bluff above the Mississippi River, the fictional town of Elm Ridge, Illinois does not worry about floods. (Aside from the town wharf and the warehouses at the foot of the bluff.) Step back to 1851 and meet the residents — American and immigrant in the sweet historical romance, New Dreams. The link for more information is here: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE
