In the winter of 1811-1812, a series of monster earthquakes struck near New Madrid, Missouri — some of the most powerful ever recorded east of the Rockies. Witnesses on the Mississippi River reported something that sounded impossible. What did the mighty river do? It froze solid overnight in the middle of summer It flowed backward for several hours It split into two separate rivers It turned bright red for a week None In January 1900, engineers in Chicago pulled off one of the most audacious plumbing jobs in history — they permanently changed which direction an entire river flows. Why did Chicago reverse the Chicago River? To power a new hydroelectric plant downtown To stop the city's sewage from flowing into its own drinking water To speed up cargo barges heading to New York To drain a swamp for the 1893 World's Fair None Cleveland's Cuyahoga River became a national symbol in June 1969 when it caught fire — oil-slicked debris on the water ignited under a railroad bridge. Here's the part most people don't know: that wasn't the first time. About how many times had the Cuyahoga caught fire before? It was the first time — that's why it made headlines Twice At least 13 times More than 100 times None Long before Henry Hudson sailed up it in 1609, the native Mohican people had a name for the Hudson River: Muhheakantuck. The name describes something strange the river does — something you can still watch happen today from a bench in Manhattan. What does it mean? "The river that flows two ways" "The river with no bottom" "The river that never freezes" "The great silver snake" None The Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon, waters seven states, and supplies roughly 40 million Americans. But at the very end of its 1,450-mile run, something surprising happens — or rather, doesn't happen. What is it? It usually dries up before reaching the ocean It flows underground for its last 100 miles It turns so salty that nothing can live in it It freezes solid every winter at its mouth None Stumper. Tucked beside the Missouri River in Great Falls, Montana, runs the Roe River — crystal clear, fed by one of the largest freshwater springs in the country, and famous for one very specific reason. What earned the little Roe a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records? It's the coldest river in North America It's the world's shortest river, at about 201 feet It flows uphill for part of its course It contains more fish per gallon than any river on Earth None Time's up
