The Mississippi, the most important river in the US, is measured to be around 2,348 miles long and it runs through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Today it stands frozen at some of its most northern points and like many rivers across the US, it’s slowly turning into a solid ice rink. This article aims to explore why the Mississippi River is starting to freeze and provide insight into how this affects the local population.
Climate Change
Experts and scientists are attributing the Mississippi’s earlier freezing dates to climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) signs off on former research that suggests that America’s rivers and lakes freeze later, break up earlier and are more unevenly distributed across the winter season. The Mississippi River receives generally warm water from deep reservoirs at its middle course, which maintains an almost completely liquid status throughout the year, however warming air temperatures have caused the river to freeze earlier.
In the past 10 years, the Mississippi River has been freezing earlier and earlier. This is due to the fact that climate change causes a decrease in ice formation, as well as longer melt periods during the summer season. The combination of these two factors has caused the Mississippi River to freeze at earlier or comparable dates than in previous years.
Impact on Local Population
The earlier freezing of the Mississippi River has had a significant impact on the lives of those that use the river for transport, fishing, and other businesses. The early freezing has resulted in shipping businesses having to rearrange their routes, accounting for the treacherous ice, which often leads to lengthy delays, or even having to cancel orders altogether. Local fishermen are also impacted by the early freezing, as they are unable to access where they would normally get their catches.
The impact is even more serious on the local population that operates farming businesses close to the river. The early freezing has caused them to lose a critical source of income due to the inability to transport their crops on the frozen river. This has been especially difficult for those that don’t have access to strong winter roads and therefore find themselves in a very difficult situation.
Government Intervention
In an effort to help those affected by the earlier freezing of the Mississippi River, the local governments have implemented initiatives and systems to help those in need. Most of these take the form of grant and aid programmes, with one of the most recent ones being aimed towards farmers and fishermen. Tensions are running high in some of the areas close to the Mississippi River since the cost of transporting food and goods via winter roads is significantly higher than by river.
The government has taken a number of measures to help those in need, such as map-based grants and free shipping vouchers. These two measures as well as some tax breaks have eased the burden off the local farmers and fishermen and have helped them continue their activities despite the adverse conditions.
Altering Habits and Behaviour of People
People that live close to the Mississippi River have had to make some drastic changes to the way they live and work in order to survive the harsher conditions created by the earlier freezing of the river. This has had a direct effect on their daily routines as fewer people are relying on the river for their day-to-day needs and instead opt for other methods of transport such as snowmobiles.
Shop owners are also changing the way they operate, stocking more suitable items for more severe weather such as stoves and snow gear. In order to help those that use the river for transport, there has been an increase in the number of ferry companies operating, allowing people to cross the river with ease and safety.
Educating the Population
It has become essential to educate the population on the effects and dangers of climate change. The earlier freezing of the Mississippi River is only one example of how our environment is changing and the long-term impacts of these changes are unknown. Experts around the world are urging people to educate themselves and raise awareness of climate change and its consequences.
Organisations such as the National Weather Service and the Environmental Protection Agency have implemented programmes in order to educate people about climate change, its effects and how to adapt to the changing conditions in order to minimise harm.
Vegetation Impact
The earlier freezing of the Mississippi River has caused the environment to suffer in many ways, one of the most destructive being the degradation of the area’s vegetation. The change in temperature and shorter ice formation periods have caused a massive loss of vegetation and animal life along the river due to freezing and thawing periods.
Some species of plants are unable to handle the changes, leading to vegetation death throughout the region. In turn, this can lead to the death of animal life as well, especially if it cannot adapt to the harsher conditions being created.
Economic Impact
The earlier freezing of the Mississippi River has caused a massive economic downturn in the region, mainly due to the decrease in trade, transportation and fishing. Businesses rely heavily on the river for their success and its earlier freezing has caused a decrease in profits as fewer resources are available and accessing these resources has become much more expensive.
The ripple effects of this can also be felt when it comes to local taxes and the local population’s purchasing power. Since the region relies heavily on resources coming from the Mississippi River and these are increasingly not available, locals are unable to afford goods and goods become more expensive in general.
Consequences For The Future
The consequences of the Mississippi River’s earlier freezing are yet to be seen and the long-term effects remain unknown. The local population is being hit hard by the changes to their way of life, with many businesses forced to retract or downsize in order to survive.
The government is also struggling to find a viable solution for the matter and measures such as grants and tax breaks are only providing temporary relief. Unless people adapt to the harsher conditions and change the way they live and work, this is likely to become a more serious issue in the years to come.
