Background
The Missouri and the Mississippi Rivers are two of the largest bodies of water in America, spanning thousands of miles and forming the two longest rivers in the United States. Both rivers are tributaries of the Gulf of Mexico, but the question remains: does the Missouri River connect to the Mississippi River?
Connected?
The Mississippi River begins as a small stream in Minnesota and extends over 2,335 miles, eventually emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. The Missouri River originates in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, running 2,341 miles before merging with the Mississippi in St. Louis, Missouri. While the two rivers run close in proximity and even briefly share waters near their joint point in St. Louis, their chemistry is completely different.
The Difference
The Missouri river carries nine times less sediment volumetric suspended load than the Mississippi river. This occurs due to the fact that the Missouri has less land underneath it, which creates a weaker erosional power. While the two rivers meet up and join up in St. Louis, Missouri, they never really blend with each other?the Missouri River’s water is green and often stagnant, whereas the Mississippi has brown, murky water with a powerful current.
The Human Impact
Humans have had a profound impact on the two rivers. Major engineering projects such as dams and locks have been constructed in an effort to regulate navigation and water levels. Due to these projects, the discharge rate of the Missouri River has been decreased by 80%, dramatically altering the river’s ecology and toxifying the water. This has had a devastating impact on the creatures that inhabit the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, decreasing the populations of animals like the pallid sturgeon, an endangered species.
The Future
Environmentalists and conservationists continue to fight for the protection of these river systems. Unfortunately, man-made projects have already done a great amount of damage through erosion and pollution, prompting the creation of numerous environmental regulations to protect both rivers. Many of these regulations now require that any construction performed near either of the rivers must abide by certain preservation standards.
Pollution Problem
The Missouri River remains one of the most polluted rivers in the United States. Each year, agricultural and industrial runoff, as well as untreated sewage, makes its way down the Missouri, into the Mississippi River and finally into the Gulf of Mexico. This leads to the death of many of the river’s aquatic life, along with the dangerous increase in dead zones. Currently, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to clean up the Missouri, aiming to reduce the amount of toxic waste and pollutants entering the Mississippi.
Climate Change
Climate change has also had a big impact on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Rising temperatures lead to increased evaporation, resulting in a decrease in the rivers’ flows. In the future, the number of large floods and droughts is expected to increase, making it important that the ecosystems of both rivers remain resilient and healthy enough to handle this disruption. In addition, with an expected rise in sea levels, both rivers are at danger of being flooded.
Sand Mining
An underreported environmental hazard along the Missouri River is sand mining. The banks of the river serve as a source of sand and gravel that is mined and used in various man-made projects such as infrastructure, construction, and agriculture. This can cause devastating erosion along the Missouri’s banks and a decrease in the river’s width and depth.
Agriculture
The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are two of the most important sources of freshwater in the Midwest. With increasing demand for food and the diversion of river water for crop irrigation, the two rivers are constantly under strain. Farmers and farmlands in the area rely on the fresh water to grow their crops, exacerbating the environmental damage done by chemical runoff and sedimentation.
Home to Many Species
Though human activity has put a lot of strain on the two rivers, they still remain homes to a number of different species. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Missouri and Mississippi River systems house over 300 species of fish, 170 species of birds, 57 species of reptiles, and 64 species of mammals.
