Are they dredging the Mississippi river?

The drought crisis that grounded barges and unearthed fossils may finally be over. The US Army Corps of Engineers has been dredging the Mississippi River 24/7 since July. Drought along the Mississippi has dropped water levels to lows that haven't been seen in a decade.



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The Colorado River Is Drying Up: How This Impacts the Grand Canyon's Future. The Colorado River runs roughly 1,450 miles in its entirety, originating in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park and gaining momentum from snowmelt and tributaries as it winds south towards Mexico.

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Over the years, a proposed solution has come up again and again: large-scale water diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to the parched west.

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Before 2022, the last time the river experienced such a severe drought was a decade prior. Despite the improved conditions, more precipitation is needed before the river reaches above average levels. The elevation is average and below average depending on which gauge along the river system, Parker said.

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The Mississippi River is flowing at its lowest level in at least a decade, and until rain relieves a worsening drought in the region, it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain water levels high enough to carry critical exports from the nation's bread basket.

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As crazy as it sounds, engineers say the idea is technically feasible. It would involve building a system of dams and pipelines to move the water uphill across multiple states over the Continental Divide. Gravity would then work in our favor to drop the water down to the Colorado River watershed.

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Increased swings between extreme lows and highs on the Mississippi River, driven by climate change, mean that typical water conditions are no longer the norm, and that river transport is likely to face more backups in the future.

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Downstream of St. Louis, the Mississippi River is free flowing all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River also provides an important source of water for drinking, cooling, recreation, and fish and wildlife.

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A shrinking river is hurting people and the economy in a variety of ways. Barges can't operate on the river to get goods to market. Drinking water may also be at risk – for example, salt water moving upriver from the Gulf of Mexico could impact drinking water supplies in parts of Louisiana.

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The Mississippi River is one of the most polluted rivers in the United States. This pollution is due to various factors, including agricultural runoff, sewage treatment plants, and industrial facilities. Agricultural runoff is any water that runs off of farmland.

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The 2,340-mile-long Mississippi River is so low from hot, dry weather just a few months after severe floods helped replenish it from critically low water levels last year.

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