Is the Mississippi River endangered?

Washington, D.C. – Today the Mississippi River was listed as one of America's Most Endangered Rivers® due to worsening rates of pollution, habitat destruction, and the impacts of climate change.



People Also Ask

America's Most Crucial Waterway Is Drying Out Low water levels on the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, US, in late 2022. Water levels on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are falling for a second straight year, raising the prospect of shipping problems along the all-important US freight routes.

MORE DETAILS

What will happen to the US if the Mississippi River dries up? If the Mississippi River dries up, transporting crops and goods up and down the river will no longer be a problem because there will be no crops to ship out and nobody left in the Midwest needing anything shipped in.

MORE DETAILS

The Mississippi River is recovering from drought conditions and current and projected weather forecasts state more favorable conditions into the future.

MORE DETAILS

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (Thanks to the great work of public utilities, treated drinking water from the Mississippi is safe and delicious!)

MORE DETAILS

Many popular kinds of fish including bass, bream, crappie, freshwater drum, and small catfish (less that22 inches in length) are SAFE to eat. Farm-raised catfish are SAFE to eat.

MORE DETAILS

Here is American Rivers' complete list of 2023 Most Endangered Rivers and the major threat each is facing:
  • Colorado River in the Grand Canyon: CLIMATE CHANGE & OUTDATED WATER MANAGEMENT.
  • Ohio River: POLLUTION & CLIMATE CHANGE.
  • Pearl River: DREDGING & DAM CONSTRUCTION.
  • Snake River: FOUR FEDERAL DAMS.


MORE DETAILS

The first person on record to swim the entire Mississippi River was Martin Strel in 2002. Strel swam the entire River in 68 days.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS