{"id":10560,"date":"2024-01-06T02:25:10","date_gmt":"2024-01-06T01:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=10560"},"modified":"2024-01-06T02:25:10","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T01:25:10","slug":"does-the-mississippi-river-flow-into-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/does-the-mississippi-river-flow-into-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"Does The Mississippi River Flow Into Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Does the Mississippi River Flow Into Canada?<\/h2>\n

The Mississippi River is one of the most iconic rivers in North America, and with its 2,320 mile length, it is the fourth longest river in America behind the Missouri, the Yellowstone and the Ohio. Originating in northern Minnesota, the river cuts through the United States, flowing south and then turning east. But, many are wondering if the Mississippi River ever crosses the border and flows into Canada.
\nThe answer to the question is ‘no’. The Mississippi River has never had a natural channel to enter Canada. Instead, the river bends and turns to form a large delta near Louisiana and eventually enters the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n

It is often confused how the Mississippi River does not flow into Canada because of the large number of other rivers that do, including the Saint Lawrence and the Susquehanna River. The reason is geographical. Essentially, the Great Lakes are situated to the north of the Mississippi River’s delta and there is no natural waterway path or connection between them. However, while the Mississippi itself does not flow into Canada, portions of the watershed which flows into it do.<\/p>\n

The watershed of the Mississippi River is one of the widest and most comprehensive in the United States and extends all the way north to the Canadian border. As the river flows south and east into the Gulf of Mexico, many of the tributaries in the watershed could extend all the way up to the Canadian border. In fact, some of the major tributaries, such as the Missouri and the Ohio Rivers, do indeed flow into Canada.<\/p>\n

Changes to the geography of the Mississippi’s watershed could potentially create a connection between the river and Canada. But, massive, man-made engineering projects would need to be in place to safely allow for this to happen. Plus, the land includes swamps and bayous, making the entire area difficult to navigate through. The area also experiences hurricanes and flooding so any project would require months to study the conditions and made recommendations to prevent disasters from occurring.<\/p>\n