What happens if the Mississippi River dries up?

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 worst-ever dry period occurred in the late 1500s. However, the dry years of 2021 and 2022 exceeded the 1500's drought length. This means the last 22 years are the driest in 1,200 years.

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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 Colorado River is drying up due to a combination of chronic overuse of water resources and a historic drought. The dry period has lasted more than two decades, spurred by a warming climate primarily due to humans burning fossil fuels.

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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 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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Seven states and 30 Native American tribes lie in the Colorado River Basin. As we first reported in 2021, the river has been running dry due to the historically severe drought. The majestic, meandering Colorado River that cut through these red cliffs, carving the Grand Canyon, is a wonder of nature and human ingenuity.

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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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