Bringing the Mist to Life

Due to the pearl button and lumber industries’ reliance on the use of the Mississippi, Muscatine’s riverfront became an ideal location for factories, transportation companies and railroad traffic. Today only one of the original button factories remains, but for the last 20 years the city has been developing the riverfront to attract visitors and give the community a place to relax and enjoy the views of the Mississippi river.

 The city of Muscatine’s Parks & Recreation department contacted Carver Pump about its plans to install a water feature on the Muscatine riverfront. The water feature, named the Mississippi Mist, is designed to be a location where kids can play, and residents and visitors can enjoy the outdoors next to the Mississippi river. The design consists of a central water gusher located in the middle of a splash pad surrounded by four large water spouts on the outer edges. Smaller symphony jets located under the splash pad shoot up water based on a timing mechanism. The pump house, which holds all the systems controls and machinery, is located 20 yards away from the water feature. Multiple PLCs maintain energy efficiency and allow for necessary pressure changes to control the fountains’ spray height. The pumps turn on and off automatically, based on wind speed and the time of day.