{"id":10884,"date":"2024-02-15T04:15:10","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T03:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=10884"},"modified":"2024-02-15T04:15:10","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T03:15:10","slug":"how-wide-is-the-mississippi-river-in-tennessee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/how-wide-is-the-mississippi-river-in-tennessee\/","title":{"rendered":"How Wide Is The Mississippi River In Tennessee"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Riverside History<\/h2>\n

The wide Mississippi River acts as the official border between Tennessee and Mississippi. Originally, this border extended from the Cumberland Mountains to the Mississippi River’s source at Lake Itasca. However, In the 1800s, surveyors re-drew the boundary and established the Mississippi River as the full border.<\/p>\n

Additionally, many of the state’s largest cities and towns including Memphis, Nashville, and even Chattanooga developed right along the banks of the Mississippi River. As a result, the river has left its presence in every aspect of Tennessee’s history. Even today, the Mississippi River and its tributaries remain one of the most important transportation networks in the state.<\/p>\n

Environmental Impact<\/h2>\n

The average width of the Mississippi River varies from around 1.6 to 10 miles wide in Tennessee alone. This large area is incredibly important for the majority of the state’s bio-diversity. Due to the abundance of water and the services it provides, mammal, amphibian, and plant species thrive in the area.<\/p>\n

For decades, the western border of Tennessee has been facing the harsh realities of water pollution and deforestation, and the Mississippi River is no exception. Recent studies have shown a decline in the health of the river, with the decline in fish populations and an increase in sediment and nutrient requirements carrying the bulk of the blame.<\/p>\n