The batture of the Mississippi River is the area of land between the River and the levee. The irony of the name is that the River is high now and there is no land there. The River will subside for a while until the snow melts up north. It will then be high again. After that water level goes down it will once more be a batture. The people you see a side glance of are in a foot race. There are often foot races or some sort of exercise happening along the top of the levee.