What are the 4 problems with the Mississippi river?

Stretches of the Mississippi River within the park corridor exceed water quality standards for mercury, bacteria, sediment, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), and nutrients. Unfortunately, these impairments can make the water unsuitable for fishing, swimming, and drinking.



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Stretches of the Mississippi River within the park corridor exceed water quality standards for mercury, bacteria, sediment, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), and nutrients. Unfortunately, these impairments can make the water unsuitable for fishing, swimming, and drinking.

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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.

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The cleanest river in the United States is the Chattahoochee River. This river starts in the mountains of north Georgia and flows through the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Chattahoochee is one of the few rivers in the country that is still safe to swim in and fish in.

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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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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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The natural deepest hole in the entire Mississippi Drainage is off Algier's Point (opposite Jackson Square), where it dives to 250 feet deep. Most Rivergator sections are at least 90% wilderness and no more than 10% industry.

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St. Paul — The Mississippi River remains a healthy, clean stream for much of the way down to about St. Cloud, the river's most pristine stretch on its 2,320-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico.

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