The Mississippi River is a prominent and well-known river in North America that, at its largest and most expansive, serves as a double-border for 10 U.S. states. Spanning a length of 2,340 miles, the river is the fourth-longest river in the world and the longest river in the United States. The Mississippi River begins in the northern portion of the U.S., in Lake Itasca in Minnesota and winds down from the continental divide, taking a southerly course until it reaches its conclusion in the iconic Gulf of Mexico.
This livable body of water contains a lot of history and culture as it winds through the midwestern and southern sections of the United States. Due to its economic and cultural significance, historians and geologists point to the Mississippi and its watershed as the birthplace of a truly unique American experience.
The Mississippi River further reaches its fingers out by connecting several of the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Due to this connectivity of the Great Lakes to the Ocean, the Mississippi River serves as a major trading route, providing a quick and easy way to move goods from place to place. Recognized as part of the Transcontinental Waterway, the river includes nine reservoirs, over 2,000 lock and dam systems, and over 10,000 miles of natural and man-made channels and ponds all for navigation.
The different stages of the river are all extremely vital to the lifecycle of the river ecosystem. The different stages of this massive river all represent the different ecological systems that rely on the Mississippi to continue in its habitability. These different stages of the Mississippi can be broken down into three distinct zones: the Upper Mississippi river, the Middle Mississippi river, and the Lower Mississippi river.
The upper Mississippi runs 920 miles from the Upper Dam of Lake Itasca to the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. This section is made up of sand, gravel, rock and silt and includes mostly flat flood plains and heavily wooded areas. This section of the Mississippi is characterized by its wide twists and turns, and by its numerous islands in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
The Middle Mississippi River extends from the mouth of the Missouri river to the Ohio river. This stretch of the Mississippi is defined by its narrower channel and a much more sandy bottom than the Upper Mississippi. This section is also characterized by a large number of artificial straight channels, dams, locks, and wider rivers.
The Lower Mississippi River is the stretch from the Ohio river to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the largest and most powerful section of the Mississippi. The Lower Mississippi is characterized by its muddy bottoms, its slower pace, and the presence of so many larger ports. Its bottom is made up of one solid sheet of mud which helps the river transport its large cargo ships to their destinations.
The Upper Mississippi
The Upper Mississippi is known for its stream velocity and its many tributaries of the river. This upper section is host to a number of large islands and numerous backwaters. It is the home of the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, which encompasses the floodplain of the Mississippi and its adjacent waters. This refuge is estimated to be approximately 4.3 million acres in size and includes over 900 islands, 12 states and over 250 fish species.
The Upper Mississippi is composed of both slow-moving and fast-moving waters. The slow-moving waters are both wide and narrow in nature, angling and curving through backwaters and tributaries. The fast-moving waters are more narrow and are characterized by their immense force and power. The Upper Mississippi is a popular destination for recreational activity.
The Upper Mississippi River also provides an important habitat for a variety of fish species and other aquatic life. River reclamation projects have also been implemented in this part of the river to help bring back spawning fish beds, encouraging growth and diversity of aquatic life. This section of the river is also home to the endangered paddlefish, an important resource to local anglers.
The Upper Mississippi is also the site of a number of man-made structures, such as dams and locks, which help to control the water level and flow of the river. These structures are important for navigation, as they help vessels to travel from one end of the river to the other. The locks and dams of the Upper Mississippi can be found every 30 to 40 miles, creating a network of channels that can be used to navigate the river.
The Middle Mississippi
The Middle Mississippi from the Missouri River to the Ohio River has a narrower channel, sandy bottom and is broken up by various artificial straight channels, dams, locks and wider rivers further downstream. This is the third stage of the river, before it reaches the open ocean, and it commonly carries more cargo traffic than most of the other stages. The channel bed upstream is composed of one single sheet of mud and sand, while in the Middle and Lower Mississippi, sandbars, silt, and filaments of vegetation line the beds of the river.
This section of the river also has its share of wildlife, including fish, mussel species, freshwater shrimp, and even freshwater crabs. The fish in the Middle Mississippi are a variety of different species. Some of the most commonly seen are bass, sunfish, catfish, carp, suckers, and sturgeon.
This region of the Mississippi is an important breeding and feeding ground for a number of bird species. Bald eagles and osprey, for example, can often be seen in this stretch of the river, feeding on fish and small animals. This region of the Mississippi is also essential for the numerous migratory birds that use the river as a waypoint during their long-distance migrations.
Navigation in this section of the river is a bit more challenging due to the sandbars, silt, and vegetation. Therefore, the locks and dams of the Middle Mississippi River are spread even further apart than in the Upper Mississippi, with the locks and dams occurring about twice as far apart from each other.
The Lower Mississippi
The Lower Mississippi River extends from the Ohio River to the Gulf of Mexico and is the largest and most powerful section of the river. In this area, the water is slow moving, with muddy bottoms, higher salinity levels, and fewer backwaters and tributaries. This section contains some of the most important ports and industrial harbors in the United States, including the ports of St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans.
The Lower Mississippi is also home to a variety of aquatic life, including several endangered species of fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. In the region, the endangered pallid sturgeon and the critically endangered Gulf sturgeon are two species that are particularly vulnerable to population decline. The Gulf sturgeon is especially at risk, with only around 1,500 left in the wild.
The Lower Mississippi is unique in that it is one of the few rivers in the world that flows at a rate of 500,000 cubic feet per second. This immense flow rate is due to the powerful currents of the river and its evolving shape and size over time. This section of the Mississippi River is also home to one of the largest floodplains in the United States.
Navigation in the Lower Mississippi is made easier with the presence of the many man-made structures and ports, but it is still challenging due to the powerful currents of the river. The locks and dams of this section are also spread even further apart than in the Upper and Middle Mississippi.
The Economy of the Mississippi River
The economy of the Mississippi River is immense. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the river supports two of the most important transportation hubs in the United States—New Orleans and the Mississippi River Delta. These areas account for over three-quarters of the country’s waterborne commerce—over 95 percent of which is accounted for by the Lower Mississippi. Much of this commerce is made up of coal, petroleum, chemicals, and construction supplies.
The Mississippi River is home to a number of industries, including agriculture, energy, timber, chemical manufacturing, and even tourism. While the river supports a number of industries, it is also a critical habitat for many different species of wildlife, providing fish and other aquatic life with important spawning and rearing grounds.
The ports of the Mississippi River are some of the most important ports in the world, as they allow for large ships to transport cargo to and from the United States. This cargo consists mainly of petroleum, grain, coal, and chemicals, and the ports generate a large variety of jobs and economic growth for the many towns located along the Mississippi River.
Environmental Impact of the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River has been subjected to a great amount of human development in its history. Its once expansive banks have been dramatically reduced in an attempt to accommodate the various industries and businesses along the river. In addition to this, riverbanks have been mined for commercial purposes and canals have been built throughout the area.
The industrial and commercial activities along the Mississippi have had a number of negative impacts on the environment. Pollution from various sources has taken its toll on the river, and species of fish, birds, and other wildlife have been adversely affected by the increased levels of toxicity and changing river dynamics.
The Mississippi River is also threatened by climate change. As the atmosphere is warming, sea levels are rising, and the phenomenon of extreme weather is becoming more and more commonplace. This has a direct effect on the Mississippi River, as flooding is becoming more frequent and more severe. This flooding has a direct and profound effect on the environment, as numerous species of animals and plants are threatened with extinction due to the overwhelming water levels.
The Mississippi River is an important part of the North American environment and economy. It is important to understand the different stages of the river and the various ecosystems and industries it supports in order to adequately manage and protect this river system for generations to come.
Conservation Efforts
The conservation of the Mississippi River has been an ongoing effort for many decades. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are the primary agency in charge of conserving this vital resource. They have implemented a variety of different conservation efforts, including the promotion of habitat restoration, conservation of endangered species, and the promotion of sustainable practices along the river.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has worked to create a network of protected areas along the Mississippi. These protected areas are monitored and managed to ensure that they remain healthy ecosystems, allowing for species to thrive and to also provide recreational opportunities to people. The Fish and Wildlife Service also promotes the use of sustainable and responsible practices that help reduce pollution, conserve resources, and promote healthy and flourishing ecosystems along the Mississippi River.
The Mississippi River is also the beneficiary of a number of restoration projects initiated by local, state, and federal governments. These projects strive to restore the river’s natural habitat and health, and to also improve the overall quality of life in communities that depend on the river for their livelihood.
The conservation of the Mississippi River is an important task, as the river plays a major role in the economic and social life of millions of people along its shores. This immense river is an integral part of the American landscape, providing a foundation for a host of industries, a habitat for many species of wildlife, and a source of recreational and spiritual renewal for the many people who call it home.
Conclusion
The Mississippi River is an immense and powerful body of water that plays a vital role in the lives of countless people. Spanning a length of 2,340 miles, the river includes nine reservoirs, over 2,000 lock and dam systems, and over 10,000 miles of channels, ponds and tributaries. The Mississippi River is composed of three distinct stages: the Upper Mississippi, the Middle Mississippi, and the Lower Mississippi.
Each of these stages of the Mississippi River is an important habitat for a variety of fish species and other aquatic life. These different stages of the river also play an important role in the economy, servicing a number of industries and providing a habitat for species of birds and other wildlife.
Conservation efforts for the Mississippi River have been ongoing for many decades, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the primary agency in charge of such efforts. In order to ensure the health and longevity of the Mississippi River, it is important to understand the different stages of the river and the different ecosystems that rely on it. By doing
