# data[].attributes.body
The Mississippi River has the fourth largest drainage basin in the world. It's length is about 3,710 miles/5,970km. It covers 1,245,000+ square miles total and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. More than 15 million people are dependent upon the basin and the services it provides.

# data[].attributes.body
The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America, flowing 2,350 miles from its source at Lake Itasca through the center of the continental United States to the Gulf of Mexico. The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River and is about 100 miles longer. Some describe the Mississippi River as being the third longest river system in the world, if the length of Missouri and Ohio Rivers are added to the Mississippi's main stem.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Introduction to the River

The Mississippi River is one of the world's major river systems in size, habitat diversity and biological productivity. It is also one of the world's most important commercial waterways and one of North America's great migration routes for both birds and fishes.

Native Americans lived along its banks and used the river for sustenance and transportation. Early European explorers used the Mississippi to explore the interior and the northern reaches of what was to become the United States. Fur traders plied their trade on the river and soldiers of several nations garrisoned troops at strategic points, at various times, along the river when the area was still on the frontier.

White settlers from Europe and the United States (and often their slaves) arrived on steamboats dispossessing the Native Americans of their lands and converting the landscape into farms and cities.

Today, the Mississippi River powers a significant segment of the economy in the upper Midwest. Barges and their tows move approximately 175 million tons of freight each year on the upper Mississippi through a system of 29 locks and dams. It is also a major recreational resource for boaters, canoeists, hunters, anglers, and birdwatchers and offers many outdoor opportunities.

A more comprehensive discussion of the history of the upper Mississippi River, and specifically, the 72 mile long corridor within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, may be found online.

Dimensions

Length

The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America, flowing 2,350 miles from its source at Lake Itasca through the center of the continental United States to the Gulf of Mexico. The Missouri River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, is about 100 miles longer. Some describe the Mississippi River as being the third longest river system in the world, if the length of Missouri and Ohio Rivers are added to the Mississippi's main stem.

When compared to other world rivers, the Mississippi-Missouri River combination ranks fourth in length (3,710 miles/5,970km) following the Nile (4,160 miles/6,693km), the Amazon (4,000 miles/6,436km), and the Yangtze Rivers (3,964 miles/6,378km). At a rivers delta, the reported length may increase or decrease as deposition and erosion occurs.

As a result, different lengths may be reported depending upon the year or measurement method. The staff of Itasca State Park at the Mississippi's headwaters suggest the main stem of the river is 2,552 miles long. The US Geologic Survey has published a number of 2,300 miles, the EPA says it is 2,320 miles long, and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area suggests the river's length is 2,350 miles.

Width

At Lake Itasca, the river is between 20 and 30 feet wide, the narrowest stretch for its entire length. The widest part of the Mississippi can be found at Lake Winnibigoshish near Bena, MN, where it is wider than 11 miles. The widest navigable section in the shipping channel of the Mississippi is Lake Pepin, where the channel is approximately 2 miles wide.

Speed

At the headwaters of the Mississippi, the average surface speed of the water is about 1.2 miles per hour - roughly one-half as fast as people walk. At New Orleans the river flows at about three miles per hour. But the speed changes as water levels rise or fall and where the river widens, narrows, becomes more shallow or some combination of these factors. It takes about three months for water that leaves Lake Itasca, the river's source, to reach the Gulf of Mexico.

Volume

Another way to measure the size of a river is by the amount of water it discharges. Using this measure the Mississippi River is the 15th largest river in the world discharging 16,792 cubic meters (593,003 cubic feet) of water per second into the Gulf of Mexico. The biggest river by discharge volume is the Amazon at an impressive 209,000 cubic meters (7,380,765 cubic feet) per second. The Amazon drains a rainforest while the Mississippi drains much of the area between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, much of which is fairly dry.

At Lake Itasca, the average flow rate is 6 cubic feet per second. At Upper St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the northern most Lock and Dam, the average flow rate is 12,000 cubic feet per second or 89,869 gallons per second. At New Orleans, the average flow rate is 600,000 cubic feet per second.

Watershed Size

Some like to measure the size of a river is by the size of its watershed, which is the area drained by a river and its tributaries. The Mississippi River drains an area of about 3.2 million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles) including all or parts of 32 states and two Canadian provinces, about 40% of the continental United States. The Mississippi River watershed is the fourth largest in the world, extending from the Allegheny Mountains in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west. The Amazon for comparison drains about 7.1 million square kilometers (2.7 million square miles).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mississippi River Facts - Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)

# data[].attributes.body
The Mississippi River gets quite a bit of rainfall per year, but the rainfall patterns seem to vary between the south eastern and north western areas of the river, causing the amount of rainfall within the basin to be "patchy" as this article explains.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Rainfall and snow melt are key inputs to the Mississippi river system. Maintaining water levels is vital not only for transport but also for the 260 fish species that call the Mississippi home. For example strong drought conditions can lower river levels to a point that severely impact on the ecology and can halt transport on the river, as occurred in 1988 - see Drought Affects Mississippi River Traffic.

Rainfall maps for the Mississippi river basin show south eastern areas receive higher rainfall than the north west. However looking at a time series of rainfall for the Mississippi basin shows variability over the yearly seasonal cycle. This variability is seen as patchiness of rainfall within the river basin area with the north west region receiving lower rainfall than the south east corner particularly for the months of Nov to Feb. The patchy nature of the rainfall distribution as well as the amount of rainfall makes the Mississippi river a challenge for its many users.

Average Total Rainfall (mm/yr)

Maps for Individual months

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mississippi River Basin Rainfall in Average Year

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rainfall and snow melt are key inputs to the Mississippi river system. Maintaining water levels is vital not only for transport but also for the 260 fish species that call the Mississippi home.

# data[].attributes.body
The flow of the Mississippi River is maintained by runoff of rainfall and snowmelt. However, not all rainfall or snowmelt runs off. Some of it goes into the soil and is then transpired into the atmosphere by plants, or it can evaporate directly into the atmosphere. It is explained that evapotransprative losses take up more than 3/4 of the yearly precipitation, but this varies depending on which region of the basin you are looking at. Very little water is left to run off in the west after the evapotranspiration process, so most of the flow of the river comes from the eastern part of the basin.

# data[].attributes.body
Communities all along the river use the Mississippi as a source of freshwater, and to dispose of their industrial and municipal waste.

# data[].attributes.body
Agriculture has been the most dominant use of land in the Mississippi river basin for over 200 years and has changed the hydrologic cycle and energy budget for the region. The agriculture from this basin produce more than 92% of the nation's agricultural exports, 78% of the world's exports in feed grains and soybeans, and most of the livestock and hogs produced nationally. Sixty percent of all grain exported from the US is shipped on the Mississippi River through the Port of New Orleans and the Port of South Louisiana. Activity along the Mississippi River generates about $496 billion in revenue for the US economy.

# data[].attributes.body
This article, Electoral Currents Along the Mississippi, published by NBC paints an interesting picture of the river. It explains that the Mississippi River, being one of the most vital transportation avenues of the new world, can be connected to almost any American political or social movement.

# data[].attributes.body
Although there have been many water conservation efforts put into action, water quality in the Mississippi still continues to decline. A major source of this pollution comes from agricultural runoff. Because of this, between 1980 and 2010, nitrate levels increased by more than 14% and has led to increased hypoxic zones, making it very difficult for wildlife to survive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
U.S. federal scientists say water quality has declined in the massive Mississippi River Basin in recent years due to the combined effects of agricultural and urban infrastructure, despite decades of conservation efforts. That's a concern both for those who rely on the river system and for those downstream on the Gulf of Mexico, where a huge " dead zone" hurts fishing and recreational opportunities.

Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sampled the main stem and four tributaries of the Mississippi River and found that levels of nitrate increased at more than half the sites from 1980 to 2010. Overall, nitrate levels increased by 14 percent during that period, the USGS reported in a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill Friday.

The new findings are a warning about water quality health nationwide, and raise a troubling issue: even when policymakers and environmental advocates try to clean up the waterways, their efforts are not always successful.

Scientists often focus on levels of nitrate because it plays an important role in the environment. The nitrogen in nitrate is an essential nutrient for plants. But too much of it leads to overgrowths of algae, called blooms, which can use up too much oxygen in the water (a process called eutrophication), choke out fish and seagrasses, and in some cases release toxic chemicals.

Large algal blooms have created dead zones in Puget Sound, the Chesapeake Bay, Long Island Sound, and many other waterways. The Gulf of Mexico is now host to the world's second largest dead zone, a patch of impaired sea about the size of New Jersey. (Learn more about river basins.)

"When oxygen gets too low, most fish can't live there," says Nancy Rabalais of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, who studies the dead zone. "They'll swim away if they can, but if they are associated with the bottom they can't." She points to declines in shrimp catches and charter fishing trips in the area and an estimated loss of $82 million a year.

The Mississippi Basin is a good representative of the rest of the country because it has mixed urban and agricultural areas, and because "many lessons learned there can be applied throughout the U.S.," said Lori Sprague, a hydrologist with USGS's National Water-Quality Assessment Program, at the hearing.

Across the country, more than half of the streams and rivers are in "impaired condition," meaning swimming and fishing are not advisable, reports the Environmental Protection Agency.

Sprague said that although data from decades ago are limited, available numbers show that since the 1940s, nitrate levels skyrocketed in the Mississippi Basin, from less than one million tons of input to about 13 million tons by the mid 2000s. The biggest sources are industrial fertilizers (41 percent) and animal manure (10 percent), followed by urban areas (7 percent), wastewater treatment (7 percent), and other sources.

The decades since the 1940s represent the maturation of the "Green Revolution," when agricultural productivity in the basin increased 400 percent, says Colin Wellenkamp, the director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative for the Northeast-Midwest Institute in Washington, D.C.

Studies now show that about 16 percent of the nitrate in fertilizer is not taken up by the crops to which it is applied, Sprague said at the hearing. Instead, it runs off fields and makes its way into ground or surface waters.

Fertilizer use on farms began to plateau around 1980, and over recent years many farmers have been applying smaller amounts of chemicals, thanks to stronger formulations and the rise of "precision agriculture," in which more targeted applications are made. The same trend has persisted on many golf courses and other landscaping efforts.

Still, from 1980 to 2010, the biggest gains in nitrates were seen in the upper Mississippi and Missouri River Basins, especially in Minnesota and Wisconsin, which saw increases of 50 percent. Parts of Illinois and Iowa saw decreases in nitrates during that period.

Sprague said the data are unable to show exactly what effects are responsible for the changing nitrate levels. Modeling shows that conservation measures decrease nitrate levels, but in the real world, many factors are at play, including population growth, urban sprawl, changes in livestock operations, switching crops from soy to corn (which uses more fertilizers), and conversion of marginal land to cropland to support a booming corn ethanol market.

For its part, the EPA has called for a 45 percent reduction in nitrate levels in the Mississippi Basin. "As a result, governments are increasing their efforts, and each state is developing a reduction plan, involving working with stakeholders to voluntarily reduce inputs," said Sprague.

In addition to measures taken on farms, many improvements have been made in wastewater treatment plants and in management of industrial sources of pollution. In general, such "point sources" of undesirable chemicals have been well managed since passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, said Sprague. Management of "nonpoint source" pollution, such as runoff from farms, lawns, and roads, has been more difficult, although there has been progress made, such as discouraging fertilizing before rain and adding filters to stormwater runoff systems.

Suzanne Bricker, a physical scientist who manages the National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told the hearing that one positive case story is Tampa Bay, Florida. Since 1980, nitrate levels in the bay have dropped by 60 percent, leading to a significant restoration of the seagrass beds that fish depend on. That success was achieved by improvements to wastewater and stormwater treatment and efforts by the chemical industry to reduce spills.

David Helvarg, the executive director of the environmental advocacy group Blue Frontier Campaign, tells National Geographic that the federal government should take a stronger role in requiring nutrient reductions. The feds should set mandatory targets for each state, and then let local leaders do the implementation, he says.

Helvarg points to efforts taken by farmers in Illinois and Iowa to lessen runoff, including reducing the amounts of fertilizers applied and planting native vegetation around fields. In Florida, county governments have encouraged people to fertilize their lawns more selectively, in an effort to protect the fragile Indian River Lagoon.

But we need to move beyond voluntary efforts, he says. "We need to stop subsidizing agriculture for putting fertilizer on fields, because all that surplus just follows gravity down to the Mississippi, and then you are growing that second crop of algae."

Many efforts have involved public education, including telling people not to pour things down storm drains, to pick up after their dogs, and to avoid littering. "It took 20 or 30 years for people to figure out if they smoke they'll get cancer and if they don't put on their seatbelts they'll go through the windshield," says Helvarg.

Still, Bricker said that when it comes to the health of estuaries, "they would probably be a lot worse if we hadn't implemented management," given rising population and development.

Sprague said better labeling and control of specific pesticides, such as metolachlor and diazinon, has resulted in measurable decreases in the chemicals in the Mississippi. That proves conservation steps can clearly have an impact, she noted.

Still, there is often a lag, even as long as decades, in observable results and changes on the surface because water takes a long time to migrate through the ground.

It is partly for that reason that about 57 percent of streams in agricultural areas and 83 percent of streams in urban areas still have pesticide levels that exceed EPA guidelines for aquatic health. About 10 percent of agricultural streams and 7 percent of urban streams show pesticide levels above EPA guidelines for human health.

To better understand and manage America's waterways, more long-term monitoring of water quality is needed, said Sprague. She added that the USGS has recently begun tracking salinity, dissolved oxygen content, carbon content, and other variables.

Alan Vicory, the chair of the Water Environment Federation's Government Affairs Committee, said at the hearing that monitoring is as fundamental for science as it is for health care. "Who hasn't had their blood pressure taken?" he asked. "That's monitoring, which is key to making decisions."
Follow Brian Clark Howard on Twitter and Google+.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mississippi Basin Water Quality Declining Despite Conservation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
U.S. federal scientists say water quality has declined in the massive Mississippi River Basin in recent years due to the combined effects of agricultural and urban infrastructure, despite decades of conservation efforts. That's a concern both for those who rely on the river system and for those downstream on the Gulf of Mexico, where a huge " dead zone" hurts fishing and recreational opportunities.

# data[].attributes.body
Under the Clean Water Act, states sets standards that define how much salt, nitrate, mercury, sediment, bacteria and other pollution a body of water can have in it and still be considered safe for "designated uses" like drinking water, fishing, swimming or irrigation. If a body of water does not meet one or more of these water quality standards, it is considered "impaired." The Mississippi river, because of the increased hypoxic zones from the agricultural runoff, is considered impaired.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the land of 10,000 lakes, about 40 percent of Minnesota's waters fail to meet basic health standards according to a pair of new state water quality reports - with our namesake river, the Minnesota, among the most polluted.

Published every two years, the Impaired Waters List summarizes polluted waters statewide. This year's report lists about 5,100 bodies of water, including roughly 40 percent of Minnesota's lakes and streams, that fail to meet basic water quality standards.

The second report summarizes conditions in the Minnesota River and concludes that excess sediment, fertilizer from farm runoff, bacteria, and excessive river flows make this 332-mile major tributary unhealthy.

Inventory of Impaired Waters

Under the Clean Water Act, Minnesota sets standards that define how much salt, nitrate, mercury, sediment, bacteria and other pollution a body of water can have in it and still be considered safe for "designated uses" like drinking water, fishing, swimming or irrigation.

A body of water is considered "impaired" when it fails to meet one or more water quality standards.

Minnesota's "Inventory of Impaired Waters" is the most comprehensive available list of waters studied so far that fail to meet clean water standards. Published biennially, the draft 2018 list shows that excess mercury in fish tissue - a leading cause for fish consumption advisories throughout Minnesota - remains the single largest cause of impairments in our waters (31 percent).

Excess nutrients (14 percent), excess bacteria (14 percent), poor fishery health (13 percent), poor aquatic macroinvertebrates health (12 percent), and excess sediment pollution (7 percent) are other major causes of Minnesota's more than 5,100 water body impairments.

You can view the full inventory of impaired waters online. Better yet, check out the state's Impaired Waters Viewer (IWAV) for all impaired waters, including those just listed, delisted and corrected for 2018.

Minnesota River declared unhealthy

A second report released in October made it quite clear that, overall, the Minnesota River is unhealthy.

The study notes that several pollutants combined with changes in river flows brought on by human activities are driving the river's water quality challenges:

Nitrate pollution, primarily from excess farm runoff, continues to increase and poses risks to human health and aquatic life. It's also the primary driver of the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone."

Several portions of the river suffer from excess bacteria, which can pose risks for aquatic recreation. Major bacteria sources include cropland manure runoff and failing septic systems.

Phosphorus pollution causes algae blooms and reduces oxygen in the water, harming aquatic life and recreation. This pollution comes primarily from cropland, along with eroding streambanks and ravines. Wastewater treatment plants, previously a major source, have dramatically reduced their phosphorus effluent.

Excess sediment clouds water and harms aquatic life. Cropland runoff contributes about one-third of the excess sediment with the rest coming from unstable stream banks, ravines and bluffs - all of which are eroding at an accelerated rate due to increased river flows.

Excess river flows amplify all of these water quality challenges in the watershed. River flows have doubled in just the last 80 years, driven primarily by artificial farm drainage, reduced water storage on the land, climate change, and the lack of perennial vegetation on the landscape.

Major improvements in cropping systems that emphasize perennial crops and cover crops, water storage, soil health and pollution controls will be needed to restore the river to health.

To learn more about these and other pollutants as well as potential solutions, check out the State of the River Report.

You can help. Join the FMR River Guardians

While the Mississippi River and its tributaries are cleaner today than they were 30 years ago, these reports make it clear that many challenges remain.

FMR is working to reduce many of the pollutants highlighted above. To reduce farm runoff, for example, we're supporting the increased use of perennial crops that better protect our waters and communities while supporting our economy.

To take action on important water quality issues like these, sign up to be an FMR River Guardian! We'll be in touch when the river needs you the most, with email action alerts and invitations to special, educational happy hours.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
State studies confirm: 40 percent of MN lakes and rivers are polluted

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the land of 10,000 lakes, about 40 percent of Minnesota's waters fail to meet basic health standards according to a pair of new state water quality reports - with our namesake river, the Minnesota, among the most polluted. >>

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a more detailed list of the impacts of Climate Change on the Mississippi River Basin.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Climate Impacts Toplines:

According to the 10 cities reporting to CDP in the Mississippi River basin in 2016 (Chicago IL, Cincinnati OH, Cleveland IL, Des Moines IA, Louisville KY, Minneapolis MN, New Orleans LA, Pittsburgh PA, St Louis MO, and Wisconsin Rapids WI), the surveyed cities reported varying susceptibility to the following risks: 60% face river flood as a hazard; 50% face heat waves as a hazard; 30% face severe wind; 80% face flash/surface flood; 40% face drought; 20% face extreme winter conditions; 40% face extreme hot days; 20% face tornadoes; 20% face vector-borne diseases. With the exception of tornadoes all of these hazards have well-documented links and are demonstrably aggravated by climate change.

The increasing frequency of heavy rain, both globally and in the Mississippi River Basin specifically, is among the clearest climate change impacts on weather. A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor. Recent storms along the Mississippi River have been supercharged by running over a warmer ocean and through an atmosphere made wetter by global warming.

Heavier rains, combined with intensified snowpack melt on the headwaters, tributaries and mainstem of the Mississippi river, are increasing flood risk for basin communities. The increased precipitation is interspersed with periods of no rain, creating a weather whiplash effect, which increases the risk of severe weather at both extremes. Since 2005, the Mississippi River Valley has sustained successive 100, 200, and 500-year rainfall events, a 50-year drought, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Isaac.

Recent advances are making it easier to pin specific weather events to climate change. An attribution study published one month after heavy rainfall battered Louisiana in August 2016 found that climate change nearly doubled the chances for the heavy downpours that caused devastating flooding across the gulf state.

Average temperatures are increasing in states along both the upper and lower Mississippi, although at varying rates. Increasing heat has costly implications for agricultural yields, labor productivity, public health, energy costs, and infrastructure throughout the corridor. These temperature trends are explored more closely below.

Rain and flood related disasters along the Mississippi River have become persistent and systemic, incurring over $50 billion in costs since 2011. Furthermore, the 50-year magnitude drought in 2012 caused an estimated $31.5 billion in damages nationwide and affected at least 5 states bordering the river.

In 2015-2016 alone, the Mississippi River Valley incurred over $13 billion in impact costs: an estimated $3 billion in damage from flooding that stretched from Grafton, IL to New Orleans, LA in the span of two months (December 2015 and most of January 2016). And in late August 2016, heavy rainfall and massive flooding caused $10 billion in damages around just the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana.

Over the last ten years, ten or more disaster declarations have been designated in thirty states of the basin, while six states have received twenty or more.

In 2012, disasters cut into the total revenue of the Mississippi River economy by 8.75 percent in actual losses, and more in follow-on losses. On average, over the last five years, disasters are costing the Mississippi River economy close to 3 percent annually, with damages that carry over into successive years.

Of the 10 cities that reported to CDP in 2016, 8 of these cities stated that they consider the effects of climate change could threaten the ability of businesses to operate successfully in their city.

In 2016, 7 of the 10 cities of the basin surveyed by CDP identified substantive risks to their city's water supply in the short or long term. Moreover, 47 companies reported exposure to either current or future water risks in the Mississippi River Basin severe enough to substantively change their operations, revenue or costs. Of these 47 companies, flooding was the top risk reported.

Precipitation (Trends Along a North-South Cross Section)

Along the Upper and Middle Mississippi River:

Annual precipitation has increased in the Midwest by 5 to 15 percent since 1895, while the amount of rain falling in the heaviest downpours increased by 37 percent from 1958 to 2012. According to the most recent National Climate Assessment, the region will also see a higher average number of days without rainfall or snow, which could lead to agricultural droughts, reduced yields, and other economic impacts on key sectors in the future. These longer dry spells reflect precipitation falling in more intense storms.

Long dry spells punctuated by heavy rainfall events create a phenomenon called weather whiplash: While both drought and flood are part of the natural climate pattern, climate change contributes to both, and exacerbates a weather whiplash pattern that matches with observed trends in the basin. As the Mississippi watershed swings between drought and flood, climate change helps push the pendulum out to either extreme, furthering weather whiplash.

Along the Lower Mississippi River:

In the Southeastern US, extreme precipitation increased 27 percent from 1958 to 2012. Significantly, the US National Assessment reports that the long-term trend in the Southeast is larger than natural variation, an indication that changes brought on by global warming are overwhelming natural variation even at the regional level in the Southeast.

Both heavy rainfall and prolonged dry spells cause costly damage to the Mississippi corridor. Heavy rains are a key driver of flooding along the corridor. (Flood trends and resulting damages are explored in the next section.) However, dry spells can be just as destructive.

For instance, in 2012 an extreme dry spell contributed to a severe drought in the upper Midwest that cost the region $35 billion, becoming the second most expensive disaster worldwide that year. The 2012 drought caused water levels to plummet to near-record lows, slowing river traffic and transport of goods along the nation's busiest waterway. As a result, tugs pulled fewer barges, and barge operators reduced loads to avoid bottoming out. Ultimately, barge cargo for December 2012 totaled 1.1 million metric tons less than the previous year. Disruptions in barge traffic come with a significant price tag for both businesses and government. Every inch drop in water level corresponds to more than 250 fewer tons of barge capacity along the river.

Flooding (Trends Along a North-South Cross Section)

Along the Upper and Middle Mississippi River:

Flooding is a major economic risk in the Midwest. The 1993 Mississippi flood was the costliest flood in modern times after Hurricane Katrina. In 2008, another flood in Cedar Rapids incurred over $10 billion in damages. These historic floods were caused by persistent heavy rainfall. Research shows that the trend towards heavier rainfall events has resulted in an overall increase in flood risk across the region.

Intensifying rainfall and flooding puts levees at greater risk. The risk of levee failure is a significant hazard, as the Midwest contains nearly 4,000 miles of levees, many of which are in poor condition. After the great 2011 flood, about a billion dollars was required to bring the levee system back to the state it was in before is was damaged by the flood.

Along the Lower Mississippi River:

The lower Mississippi River has experienced an increase in both severe flood events and periods of abnormally low water levels, both extremes causing significant disruption and damage to the communities along the river and economy of the region. For instance, in 2011, severe river flooding caused barge crashes and extensive property damage throughout the lower Mississippi region; just one year later, in 2012, a severe drought required the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to close the river to barge traffic around Greenville, Mississippi for over a week because water levels were too low, delaying around 100 barges and incurring steep financial losses.

With an increase in extreme perception of 27 percent across the Southeast over the last 50 years, the risk of inland river flooding has gone up. This risk is further compounded by the trends in increased precipitation in the Midwest and upper and middle Mississippi river system, which then drain into the lower Mississippi. States of the lower Mississippi corridor are also at increased risk of coastal flooding, driven by sea level rise, increased storm strength and storm surge, which all cause salt water incursions up the Mississippi at greater frequency and further north than previously.

Increasing Heat (Trends Along a North-South Cross Section)

Along the Upper and Middle Mississippi River:

Overall, residents of the Midwest will likely see between two and five times more days over 95˚F in a typical year in the next 5 to 25 years than they have over the past 30 years.

The northern Midwest is likely to experience warmer winters rather than much hotter summers. For instance, of the seven states that currently have sub-freezing average winter temperatures, only two - Wisconsin and Minnesota - are still expected to do so if we continue on our current emissions pathway through the end of the century. However, summer temperatures are likely to increase as well, and by the end of the century, average summer temperatures in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio are anticipated to be higher than current average summer temperatures in Washington, D.C. Lending credence to this trend, Minnesota heat indices climbed above 100˚F at the end of July 2016 and temperatures in St. Louis, Missouri have broken three average winter highs only two months into 2017.

However, the more southern Midwest states will see the most dramatic increase in these extremely hot days. By the end of this century, the average Missouri resident will likely experience 46 to 115 days above 95˚F in a typical year - about as many extremely hot days as the average Arizonan has experienced each year in recent decades. There is a 1-in-20 chance that Missouri will experience more than 125 such days by the end of the century.

Increasing heat in the Midwest will have consequences for agriculture, labor productivity, energy costs and usage, and infrastructure. Over the next 5 to 25 years, without significant adaptation by farmers, some counties in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana will likely see average commodity crop losses up to 18 to 24 percent due to extreme heat each year, even though warmer winters may extend the growing season enough that farmers can plant two crops. Meanwhile, some states will suffer labor productivity drops as much as 3 percent by the end of this century. In Missouri, there is a 1-in-20 chance that the decline could reach as high as 4.2 percent - a decline comparable to that in absolute labor output during past U.S. recessions. Energy costs in the Midwest are expected to increase as demand for air-conditioning grows across the region. For instance, the most southern Midwest state of Missouri will likely see a 4 to 16 percent jump in energy costs by mid-century, with a 1-in-20 chance this jump will be more than 20 percent by mid-century.

Along the Lower Mississippi River:

The Southeast and Texas will likely be hit harder by temperature rises than any other single part of the country. Overall, residents of the region will likely see between two and four times more days over 95°F in a typical year in the next five to 25 years than they have over the past 30 years. Climate change also threatens to increase humidity, leading to a combination of heat and humidity that creates dangerous outside conditions for people, who must maintain a skin temperature below 100°F in order to effectively cool down and avoid fatal heat stroke. By mid-century, the average Mississippi resident will likely experience 33 to 85 days above 95°F per year, with a 1-in-20 chance of encountering more than 101 extremely hot days-more than three full months- per year.

Just as in the Midwest, increasing heat in Southern Mississippi states will have consequences for agricultural and labor productivity, energy costs and usage, and infrastructure. In particular, the region's agricultural sector will be damaged by the changing climatic conditions, with several commodity crops likely to face severe yield declines. Meanwhile, residents and businesses will likely be affected by higher heat-related mortality, increased electricity demand and energy costs, and declines in labor productivity, threatening the manufacturing base that is increasingly driving the regional economy. Mississippi is among the top five states in the country likely to have the steepest high-risk labor productivity penalties from warmer temperatures, with up to a 0.8 percent penalty by 2020- 2039, and up to a 1.6 percent penalty in the following 20 years.

Risk and Damage of Recent Disaster Events (A North-South Cross Section)

At the Very Upper Reaches of the Basin System:

In July 2016, multiple rounds of rain showers and thunderstorms with "tornadic-strength winds" hit northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, compelling Wisconsin Governor Walker to declare a state of emergency in eight northern Wisconsin counties. The heavy rainfall led to two record river gauge readings, ripped up roadways, and caused two fatalities. To explore the storm systems links to climate change, visit Climate Signals.

Mississippi River Flooding 2015-2016:

Between late December 2015 and January 2016, rainfall totals across a huge portion of the Mississippi River basin were two to six times that of an average year, swelling the river to record-worthy levels.

In January 2016, the Mississippi River crested at its third-highest level on record in St. Louis. On Jan. 2, the flood crested at a record level downstream from St. Louis at Cape Girardeau, Mo., where the river reached 48.86 feet - over six feet above major flood stage.

The flooding caused at least $3 billion in damages, killed more than 20 people and breached eleven levees along the Mississippi River. To explore the storm systems links to climate change, see the Climate Nexus backgrounder.

South Central Maya Express Floods 2016:

Starting in March 2016, a "remarkably rare" storm of "unprecedented strength" dumped record amounts of rain on the south central U.S., falling particularly heavily on northern Louisiana where some locations experienced 1-in-1,000 year rains. Three quarters of the state of Mississippi was impacted by flooding, which affected 1.2 million people. As much water fell on the Baton Rouge area over an 18 day period as is carried by the entire Mississippi River. To explore the storm systems links to climate change, visit Climate Signals.

The Deluge that Hit Louisiana and Baton Rouge:

In early August 2016, a slow-moving storm system, fed by near-record warm seas in the Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic, dumped heavy rains in the Southeastern United States and inundated much of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas. Five cities in Louisiana reported rainfall totals of over two feet, with some parts of the state recording more than 20 inches of rain in 48 hours, which qualifies as a 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event. Recall that in March of 2016, Louisiana experienced an earlier 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event. Two such events in the space of only a few months completely overwhelmed the state's coping capabilities. Record flooding was observed on at least ten river gauges in Louisiana.

Thirteen people died in the resulting floods, in what the American Red Cross called the "worst disaster since Superstorm Sandy." Between March and September of 2016, at least 45,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in Louisiana. To explore the storm systems links to climate change, visit Climate Signals.

Climate change about doubled the chances for the type of heavy downpours that caused the Louisiana flood, according to a climate attribution report.
The global warming signal is present in these numbers. For a precipitation event of this size to occur on the central Gulf Coast, the odds have increased by at least 40 percent and most likely doubled. - Karin van der Wiel, study lead, researcher and meteorologist at NOAA and Princeton University
Extreme weather records tend to be broken when natural variability happens to run in the same direction as climate change, as here.

The Massive 2011 Mississippi River Flood:

From late April to May 2011, heavy rainfall combined with record-breaking snow-melt runoff into major tributaries of the Mississippi river created a one in 500 year flood event that affected multiple locations along the river system. The flooding swelled the Mississippi River to six times its normal size and hit 119 counties in the middle and lower Mississippi River states of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. The river crested in mid-May but stayed above flood stage until mid-June. The flood ultimately incurred at least $2.8 billion in damages. More than 21,000 homes and businesses and 1.2 million acres of agricultural land were inundated, and more than 43,000 people felt some effects. The Army Corps of Engineers spent nearly $60 million while directly fighting the flood from March to August.

Between January and September 2016, the Mississippi River valley sustained $10 billion in impacts. "This is becoming a more and more frequent pattern with escalating costs." (Mayor Coleman of St. Paul, MN and MRCTI Co-Chair).

The 10 cities that CDP surveyed collectively reported taking more than 35 actions to reduce the risk to, or vulnerability of, the city's infrastructure, citizens, and businesses from climate change. Respondents from 6 cities regard addressing climate change as an economic opportunity. For instance, a total of 12 climate change-related projects across 7 cities surveyed, reported they are actively working to attract private sector involvement. ( CDP Cities 2016 Data)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Climate Impacts Along the Mississippi River Corridor | Climate Nexus

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
According to the 10 cities reporting to CDP in the Mississippi River basin in 2016 (Chicago IL, Cincinnati OH, Cleveland IL, Des Moines IA, Louisville KY, Minneapolis MN, New Orleans LA, Pittsburgh PA, St Louis MO, and Wisconsin Rapids WI), the surveyed cities reported varying susceptibility to the following risks: 60% face river flood as a hazard; 50% face heat waves as a hazard; 30% face severe wind; 80% face flash/surface flood; 40% face drought; 20% face extreme winter conditions; 40% face extreme hot days; 20% face tornadoes; 20% face vector-borne diseases.

# data[].attributes.body
Climate change has been a huge influence on the decline of the Mississippi. The increased frequency of heavy rain in the basin is one of the clearest impacts of climate change on weather. Because the atmosphere is warmer, is holds more water vapor. Recent storms along the Mississippi River have been supercharged by running over a warmer ocean and through an atmosphere that is made wetter by global warming. With this rain and flooding that has occurred, it is not only damaging to the ocean and wildlife directly, but it also increases the run off and impacts it that way as well.

# data[].attributes.body
Climate change has a direct impact on the food and freshwater supply for those living in or around the Mississippi River Basin. Because climate change has caused the freshwater supply to diminish, this means less water available for agricultural services. As I  had mentioned under the overview, the agriculture from this basin provides a very large percentage of the nation's agricultural exports, and if they cannot continue to grow at the rate they have, or even higher, then the nation's food supply will diminish as well.

# data[].attributes.body
One major event has led to many different challenges for the Mississippi River Basin. In April of 2010, the explosion and sinking of a Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused 11 people to lose their lives, increased death of marine life, the death of hundreds of thousands of seabirds, and directly impacted 68,000 square miles of the ocean.

# data[].attributes.body
One of the many tragic examples of the wildlife affected by the BP Oil Spill
http://articles.latimes.com/2014/feb/23/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20140221

# data[].attributes.body
Because the primary energy sources of the Mississippi have potential to harm the environment and people within it, Free Flow Power has come up with a plan to provide an alternate source of energy. Turbines anchored to the bottom of the Mississippi could someday provide more than a gigawatt of renewable energy, enough to power a quarter of a million homes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tens of thousands of turbines anchored to the bottom of the Mississippi River could someday provide more than a gigawatt of renewable energy, enough to power a quarter of a million homes. That's the vision of Free Flow Power, a startup based in Gloucester, Massachusetts, that recently received preliminary permits from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granting it the right to explore energy production at dozens of sites along the lower Mississippi over the next three years.

Power Up: Free Flow Power hopes to deploy tens of thousands of underwater turbines in the Mississippi River. That many turbines could generate enough power for a quarter million homes.

The proposed development is one of a number of "hydrokinetic" projects in the works. Such projects seek to generate electricity from wave movement, tidal flows, or river currents, without the use of dams.

The ambitious Mississippi project, however, relies on relatively unproven technology. The only commercial hydrokinetic river-power system operating in the U.S. is a single turbine deployed by Hydro Green Energy close to a conventional hydropower dam on the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota.

Free Flow hopes to deploy hydrokinetic power on an unprecedented scale: hundreds of 40-kilowatt turbines, each the size and shape of a large jet engine and attached to pylons jutting out from the riverbed at 88 locations along the Mississippi.

Although most companies developing hydrokinetic technology have focused on tidal or wave energy, Free Flow's chief financial officer, Henry Dormitzer, argues that river power has distinct advantages. "The water flows in one direction, it doesn't have salt in it, and, in the case of the Mississippi, people have spent 100 years tracking water flows and velocities," he says.

But the Mississippi is also one of the world's busiest waterways, and the company will have to demonstrate that its turbines will not interfere with commercial shipping, and that it will have no negative impact on the river's wildlife.

In July 2009, Free Flow began a six-month test of a pilot turbine (a third the size of the planned commercial ones) in the Mississippi, and the company is now testing a commercial-scale prototype in the lab. Free Flow has also received $7.4 million in funding from investors and from the U.S. Department of Energy that will allow it to test its most recent prototype in the Mississippi next year. Free Flow Power is seeking additional funding to test four turbines, each attached to a separate pylon, over a 12-month period, as required by FERC as part of the licensing process.

Free Flow uses a "shrouded turbine" design that channels water through the turbine's blades. Water passes through a rotor with seven blades that are designed for a slow spin rate to minimize fish strikes. The turbines will be sited 10 or more feet off the riverbed. At this depth, water moves, on average, at one to three meters per second.

A 2007 study by the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, California, predicted that the U.S. could develop three gigawatts of hydrokinetic power from rivers by 2025. That's the equivalent of roughly two new nuclear power plants. "There is no question the potential for hydrokinetic river power is huge, but this industry is so young, it's very hard to say how economically viable it will be," says Andrea Copping, a senior program manager at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Sequim, Washington.

Copping says hydrokinetic power needs a strong commitment from commercial and government interests if it's to take off. "Unless there are public funds to help get this industry off the ground, we are not going to have an industry," she says. "Right now the early developers are being hit with really expensive studies, because the FERC doesn't know what the problems are, so they want the individual companies to look at all potential problems."

Michael Bahleda, an energy consultant with U.K.-based Halcrow Group, says securing the funding needed to carry out the necessary studies may prove difficult. "Until you get through the licensing process, investors aren't going to commit a lot of money," he says. "As it stands now, the permitting and licensing is very time-consuming. It's hard to attract capital until you are further along in that process."

Bahleda also questions whether some of the chosen sites along the Mississippi will prove viable, either because of insufficient water-flow rates or because of regulatory issues related to shipping and the environment.

The biggest environmental challenge will be preventing direct strikes to fish and other organisms. Even if individual turbines cause only a small number of strikes, the sheer size of Free Flow's proposed project raises significant concerns, says U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Joyce Collins, who is working with Free Flow to study strike issues. Collins says the company will have to pay particular attention to an endangered species that lives in the Mississippi called the pallid sturgeon.

Free Flow Power will also have to convince barge operators that their turbines won't interfere with commercial traffic. "There are times where you can have a low-water period where there is only 10 to 20 feet from the bottom to the top of the water; if you have pylons installed in certain areas, a vessel could run into them," says Mark Wright, vice president of the American Waterways Operators, a trade group representing the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry.

Edward Lovelace, Free Flow Power's vice president of engineering, says all of the sites selected by Free Flow Power will have sufficient clearance above them even during periods of low water. Drawing on historical flow data from the Mississippi, the company selected sites that maintained a depth of at least 40 feet during approximately 100-year lows. Such sites would allow for a minimum of 20 feet of water above the tops of the turbines for barges that draw no more than 14 feet of water.

Phil McKenna

I'm a freelance writer interested in a wide range of topics but focused primarily on energy and the environment. In addition to the pages of ... MIT Technology Review, you can also find my work in the More New York Times, Wired, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian, and New Scientist. You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/mckennapr.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Turbines Could Tap the Mississippi's Power

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tens of thousands of turbines anchored to the bottom of the Mississippi River could someday provide more than a gigawatt of renewable energy, enough to power a quarter of a million homes. That's the vision of Free Flow Power, a startup based in Gloucester, Massachusetts, that recently received preliminary permits from the U.S.

# data[].attributes.body
While hands on solutions like the alternative energy sources play a vital role in providing solutions to the basin's  problems, it is important to recognize the role of people working together collectively to design solutions as well. In this article about the World Assembly of River Basins, it is explained that the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative was made to help protect the Mississippi River Basin and many other basin's around the world against the effects of climate change. Mayor Belinda Constant of Louisiana says "Me and my fellow mayors north all the way to Minnesota see the adoption of an international sustainability agreement imperative to saving river basins—including ours—from climate change and major population growth."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
MERIDA, MEXICO (June 2, 2016) - A delegation representing the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) announced new signatories to an international agreement to mitigate climate impact to the world's food and freshwater supply originally developed during COP 21 in Paris. Mayor Belinda Constant of Gretna, LA, in partnership with the UN Environment Program, the International Network of Basin Organizations, the International Society for River Science, and ecoAmerica, presented today at the First Statutory Session of the World Assembly of River Basins.

Following presentation of the agreement, Mayor Constant presided over a signing of the agreement by river basin organizations comprised of more than 70 nations. "One of the greatest climate change threats to the world is a dramatic alteration to our food supply and decrease of freshwater. Louisiana is the gateway state for the Mississippi's agricultural output making possible the United Stats' only trade surplus. Me and my fellow mayors north all the way to Minnesota see the adoption of an international sustainability agreement imperative to saving river basins-including ours-from climate change and major population growth," said Mayor Belinda Constant, Gretna, LA and MRCTI incoming Co-Chair.

"The adoption of this agreement by these four river basin organizations shows real progress from the work lead by St. Paul Mayor, MN, Chris Coleman in Paris this past December."

In addition to Mayor Constant, MRCTI was represented by the Association's Executive Director, Colin Wellenkamp, based in St. Louis. "A significant portion of the world's food is produced by global corporations. The river basins of the world comprise the most intense areas of agricultural production. Thus, since production is conducted by global entities, river basins need to coordinate and pursue their water and food security interests on global scale as well; representing the world's most agriculturally productive river, Mayors of the Mississippi are working toward such global coordination," explained MRCTI Executive Director, Colin Wellenkamp.

The MRCTI agreement was signed today by Mr. Manuel Alejandro Gomez Melchor, President of the North American Network of Basin Organizations; Mr. Normand Cazelais, Secretary General of the North American Network of Basin Organizations; Mr. Lupercio Ziroldo Antonio, Secretary of the Brazilian Network of Basin Organizations; Mr. Ramiro Martinez Costa, President of the Mediterranean Network of Basin Organizations and Tracy Molefi, Chair of the African Network of Basin Organizations.

The agreement seeks to "protect surface and ground waters to ensure food security and access to drinking water" and contains a number of action items around developing a water quantity and quality program. Among these are:

developing a robust water monitoring strategy that tracks flows as well as pollutant and nutrient loading;

renaturing main-stem and tributary river banks throughout intense agricultural zones;

employing sustainable agricultural practices such as installation of cover crops and field rotation techniques, use of low flow irrigation, formation of tiered fields, planting of riparian borders, setting of conservation easements, incorporation of integrated pest management techniques, and restoration of forests, grasslands, and river ecosystems.

More than 35 percent of the world's traditional cropland is located within major global-river basins, producing the vast majority of the world's food supply. Among these, the Mississippi River Basin ranks first in production capacity. In addition, less than 1 percent of the world's stock of freshwater is readily accessible by people; of that less than 1 percent, rivers sustain the most withdraws, and yet only account for 0.006 percent of the world's freshwater. The agreement seeks to mitigate the climate change threat to these basins just as these regions respond to an exploding global population that will require more food production over the next 35 years than in the last ten thousand.

MRCTI is an effort to bring national attention back to the Mississippi River-America's most critical natural asset-and spearhead a new level of regional cooperation to make it more sustainable. As the ecological linchpin to the 31-state Mississippi River Basin, the River is responsible for creating $400 billion worth of U.S. GDP; providing drinking water for more than 20 million; transporting 40 percent of our nation's agricultural output; and directly supporting 1.3 million jobs and millions more indirectly. More information is available at www.mrcti.org.
Contact: Jim Gwinner JGwinner@LS2Group.com, 314-791-2774

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mississippi River Mayors Lead Food and Water Security Effort at World Assembly of River Basins, 2016

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MERIDA, MEXICO (June 2, 2016) - A delegation representing the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) announced new signatories to an international agreement to mitigate climate impact to the world's food and freshwater supply originally developed during COP 21 in Paris.

# data[].attributes.body
The Mississippi River has a substantial energy infrastructure. The state and the other areas of the basin have many natural gas, crude oil, and refined product pipelines. The state's larger ports, located on the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River, handle coal, crude oil, and petroleum coke and other refined petroleum products. All of these energy sources have clear potential to harm the environment and those dependent upon this system. An extreme example of the harm that these energy sources can cause would be the BP Oil Spill that I mentioned above.

# data[].attributes.body
An article by the Washington Post explains that the Mississippi River Basin has failed several assessments of flood control, water quality, transportation. This is just an overall assessment of the basin that I found pretty interesting to read.
Article link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/16/were-totally-mismanaging-the-mississippi-river-basin-and-its-costing-us/?utm_term=.7b8efd2f114c

# data[].attributes.body
The challenges of the Mississippi River Basin are being managed by several different organizations. One of which being the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They are working with several different organizations locally, such as Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, to assess the resources of the lower Mississippi River and evaluate restoration efforts that could increase the long-term sustainability of the basin.

# data[].attributes.body
The agriculture along the Mississippi River Basin is one of the main challenges that the basin faces. Although it provides a service necessary for survival, it is contributing to the increased pollution of the river and making it almost impossible for marine life to survive in some areas. Some farm-level solutions where people can have a direct impact on the amount of pollution and soil erosion are:

Base fertilizer application rates on soil tests.

Minimize soil tillage.

Use continuous living cover.

Apply fertilizer when it is needed by a growing crop.

Treat gully erosion.

Do not apply chemical fertilizer or animal waste on snow, ice, or frozen ground.

Restrict cattle access to waterways.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
HOW AGRICULTURE AFFECTS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

MRC'S AGRICULTURE GROUP MISSION

To protect Mississippi River basin watersheds from agricultural pollution by developing science-based policies, engaging regulatory agencies and legislators, and educating the public and media on the problems caused by agricultural pollution and the success or failure of current conservation programs to address these problems.

The Situation
The Problems
The Solutions
What is MRC Doing to Reduce Pollution from Agriculture?
Policy Recommendations

THE SITUATION

The waters in the Mississippi River basin - the ones we use every day for swimming, boating, fishing, and even drinking - are being polluted by cropland and livestock operations. Agriculture pollutes more waterways than any other industry. Therefore, this pollution must be significantly abated in order to improve the quality of water throughout the Mississippi River Basin and reduce the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The MRC has made reducing excess nitrogen and phosphorus that comes from farms and livestock operations a priority.

THE PROBLEMS

The scale and impact of agricultural pollution is enormous. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the most common agricultural pollutants found in public waters in the Mississippi River Basin. These chemicals contribute to the growth of harmful algae, fish kills, animal deaths, and the classification of some drinking water sources as unsafe for the public. Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from farms in the Mississippi River Basin also contributes to the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico, an area devoid of life that forms each summer.

The MRC Agriculture Group focuses on reducing the contributions of these major causes of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the Basin's rivers, lakes, and streams:

Fertilizer Runoff from Farms. Farms apply fertilizer to their crops to increase crop yields. Applying fertilizer months ahead of the growing season and over-applying it in general are serious problems, but even when fertilizer is applied at appropriate times and rates, some of it ends up in the water. Some farm fields lose over a third of the fertilizer applied.

Animal Waste from Livestock Operations. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are large industrial operations that raise large numbers of animals for food. Runoff from animal waste that is improperly stored or improperly applied to crop land as fertilizer can wash into waterways.

Erosion. Decades after the Dust Bowl, farmland soil erosion is still a problem for the Mississippi River Basin and the Gulf of Mexico. In the absence of state or federal regulations restricting erosion rates, states in the Basin rely on voluntary efforts to curb the loss of soil. Government agencies offer voluntary cost-share conservation programs to protect farmland from excessive erosion; however, these conservation programs cannot compete with the opportunity for profits to be made from high market prices for crops, especially given the government-supported subsidy and crop insurance programs. The high crop prices and availability of subsidized insurance have enticed many farmers to undertake more risky practices than they might otherwise in an effort to increase short-term productivity, such as farming marginal land that is highly erodible or draining wetlands to increase farmable land acreage.

Insufficient Oversight. The federal Clean Water Act regulates CAFOs as point sources, but delegates responsibility to control soil erosion and runoff from cropland to the states. Unfortunately, enforcement of CAFO regulations is often insufficient and understaffed and most states have not developed regulations or other controls for cropland runoff.

THE SOLUTIONS

Ending farm runoff's exemption from the Clean Water Act would provide necessary legal leverage to tackle the agricultural pollution problem. Unfortunately, ending the decades-old exemption is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future, if ever. Therefore, a more likely solution scenario is for states to act individually. The least desirable and effective path is the status quo, whereby farmers voluntarily choose to take actions that result in less polluted runoff from their farms.

There is no single silver bullet that will solve the agricultural pollution problem. However, there is a huge toolbox that individual farmers and states can access to come up with solutions. Tools that should be considered include the following.
State-Level Solutions:

Develop and implement Nutrient Reduction Strategies designed to meet clean water goals for local rivers and lakes and reduce the size of the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

Adopt state laws that limit pollution in stormwater runoff from farm fields.

Improve enforcement of state and federal CAFO regulations.

Support expanding Conservation Compliance provisions of the federal Farm Bill to more farms and outcomes.

Target the limited available public funding for conservation activities to priority watersheds in order to have the greatest impact.

Farm-Level Solutions:

Base fertilizer application rates on soil tests.

Minimize soil tillage.

Use continuous living cover.

Apply fertilizer when it is needed by a growing crop.

Treat gully erosion.

Do not apply chemical fertilizer or animal waste on snow, ice, or frozen ground.

Restrict cattle access to waterways.

WHAT IS MRC DOING TO REDUCE POLLUTION FROM AGRICULTURE?

The MRC Agriculture Group closely monitors the causes and effects of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the waters of the Mississippi River basin as well as the programs designed by states and the federal government to combat the problem, and does the following:

Advocates for strong and effective conservation compliance policies, stormwater management programs, and livestock operation regulations,

Educates the public, media, and decision-makers about the need for cleaner water,

Participates in the US Department of Agriculture's State Technical Committees, and

Serves as experts representing environmental interests in multi-stakeholder policy processes.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

"MRC Principles for State Agricultural Water Quality Certification Programs", MRC Agriculture Group, 2012
Background: In 2012, Minnesota announced its new Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program. The program seeks to accelerate the adoption of recommended management practices on Minnesota's agricultural lands. If farmers adopt practices that benefit water quality, they will be provided with regulatory certainty. While we support state efforts to increase agricultural conservation, we are concerned that this latest voluntary program will not succeed in achieving significant reductions in nutrient pollution. But knowing that other states will probably follow Minnesota's lead, members of the MRC Agriculture Group came up with these 11 principles for successful state agricultural certification programs.

"MRC Recommendations for Cropland in State Nutrient Reduction Strategies", MRC Agriculture Group, 2014 and
"MRC Recommendations for Livestock in State Nutrient Reduction Strategies", MRC Agriculture Group, 2014
Background: The EPA has asked states along the Mississippi River to develop Nutrient Reduction Strategies. These strategies should set goals for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus loading to surface waters and describe plans to achieve these goals. It is important that strategies contain new initiatives and funding streams, instead of just describing existing policies and programs. Members of the MRC Agriculture Group developed recommendations for how states can reduce nutrient pollution from cropland and livestock operations.

"Cultivating Clean Water: State-Based Regulation of Agricultural Runoff Pollution", Environmental Law & Policy Center, 2010
Background: Some US states have passed laws that address agricultural pollution. These laws and associated regulations and programs may serve as models for Mississippi River Basin states wanting to take action. This report summarizes state agricultural non-point source programs. The report also highlights five agricultural conservation practices that the MRC Agriculture Group considers important to implement at much larger scales. For each practice, there is discussion of what individual states are doing and what the MRC Agriculture Group considers necessary elements of an effective program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

The Dead Zone

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution

Nutrient Reduction Strategies

"Soil Matters: How the Federal Crop Insurance Program Should Be Reformed to Encourage Low-Risk Farming Methods with High-Reward Environmental Outcomes," Natural Resources Defense Council, 2013

"Murky Waters: Farm Pollution Stalls Cleanup of Iowa Streams," EWG, 2012

"Losing Ground," EWG, 2011

"Seizing a Watershed Moment: Making EQIP Work for Water Quality in 10 Mississippi River Border States," EWG, 2009

"Trouble Downstream: Upgrading Conservation Compliance," EWG, 2007

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MRC'S AGRICULTURE GROUP MISSION To protect Mississippi River basin watersheds from agricultural pollution by developing science-based policies, engaging regulatory agencies and legislators, and educating the public and media on the problems caused by agricultural pollution and the success or failure of current conservation programs to address these problems. The Situation The Problems The Solutions What is MRC Doing to Reduce Pollution from Agriculture?

# data[].attributes.headline
How does Ready Player One connect to these challenges? 

# data[].attributes.subject
How does Ready Player One connect to these challenges? 

# data[].attributes.body
For my theme analysis of RPO, I chose the theme of the alternate versions of reality and their impact on their environment. How this connects to the Mississippi River Basin is that with all of the benefits that we gain from the basin, we forget about the potential consequences. As I discussed previously, the Mississippi River generates about $496 billion in revenue for the US economy. This profit can distract us from what we are doing to the environment. When weighing the pros and cons of polluting the river for profit, the money almost always will take precedent over the environment. This relates to the theme I mentioned above because virtual reality can distract us from our lives and give us an escape from reality. The money and potential economic growth is our virtual reality and it distracts us from the reality of what we are doing to the environment.

# data[].attributes.body
-Turbines Could Tap the Mississippi's Power

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/421558/turbines-could-tap-the-mississippis-power/

-Mississippi River Mayors Lead Food and Water Security Effort at World Assembly of River Basins, 2016
https://www.mrcti.org/newsblog/2016/12/21/mississippi-river-mayors-lead-food-and-water-security-effort-at-world-assembly-of-river-basins-2016

-How Agriculture Affects the Mississippi River
http://www.msrivercollab.org/focus-areas/agriculture/#C

-Mississippi State Energy Profile
https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=MS

-Mississippi River Facts
https://www.nps.gov/miss/riverfacts.htm

-We're totally mismanaging the Mississippi River basin--and it's costing us
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/16/were-totally-mismanaging-the-mississippi-river-basin-and-its-costing-us/?utm_term=.7b8efd2f114c

-State studies confirm: 40 percent of MN lakes and rivers are polluted
https://www.fmr.org/news/2017/11/20/state-confirms-40-percent-mn-lakes-and-rivers-polluted

-Managing the Mississippi River for ecosystem restoration, navigation and flood protection: A win-win-win
http://mississippiriverdelta.org/managing-the-mississippi-river-for-ecosystem-restoration-navigation-and-flood-protection-a-win-win-win/

-The Scale of Nature: Modeling the Mississippi River
https://placesjournal.org/article/the-scale-of-nature-modeling-the-mississippi-river/?cn-reloaded=1

-Gulf Oil Spill
https://ocean.si.edu/conservation/pollution/gulf-oil-spill

-Trends in the Water Budget of the Mississippi River Basin, 1949-1997
https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3020/

-Climate Impacts Along the Mississippi River Corridor
https://climatenexus.org/climate-change-us/climate-impacts-along-the-mississippi-river-corridor/

-Mississippi Basin Water Quality Declining Despite Conservation
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140411-water-quality-nutrients-pesticides-dead-zones-science/

-Electoral currents along the Mississippi
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/5603458#.XAQiRehKjIU

-David, Mark, et al. “Biophysical and Social Barriers Restrict Water Quality Improvements in the

Mississippi River Basin.” Environmental Science Technology, vol. 47, no. 21, 2013, pp. 11928-11929. American Chemical Society Journals, ACS, 10.1021/es403939n

-Secchi, Silvia, et al. “Potential Water Quality Changes Due to Corn Expansion in the Upper

Mississippi River Basin.” Ecological Applications, vol. 21, no. 4, 2011, pp. 1068–1084. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23022980.