{"id":13675,"date":"2023-12-14T20:55:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T19:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=13675"},"modified":"2023-12-14T20:55:54","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T19:55:54","slug":"what-is-the-prb-on-the-mississippi-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/what-is-the-prb-on-the-mississippi-river\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is The Prb On The Mississippi River"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Mississippi River, the fourth longest river in the world, is a key resource for millions of Americans. Running from north to south and traversing ten states, the Mississippi River is a critical artery for the nation’s industrial, agricultural, and recreational activities. However, this river is now under major pressure from a host of environmental and cultural issues.<\/p>\n

Over the past decade, the Mississippi River has seen a large human population boom, leading to drastic measures being taken for the regulation of water supplies. This has included the construction of dams and levees, which have done much to regulate the river’s flow. Unfortunately, these structures have also damaged the habitats of numerous aquatic species, causing a decline in fish populations. Along with this environmental impact comes the rise in agricultural runoff and nutrient pollution, which leads to massive problems with algal blooms and dead zones.<\/p>\n

An additional complication is the modification to the river itself. The Mississippi has been dredged, straightened, and channelled in recent years to facilitate navigation. This erosion has led to a drastic loss of important habitats, such as wetlands and the banks of the river. The changes have also drastically disturbed the hydrology of the river, leading to increased sedimentation, shallow water levels, and changes in the chemistry of the water.<\/p>\n

The river has also experienced dramatic changes in its flow, as a result of dams and reservoirs constructed upstream. These changes have led to seasonal patterns of high and low flows, which can strongly influence the temperature and oxygen content of the river. Many of these fluctuations are predicted to continue into the future, which could lead to further damage to fish and wildlife populations.<\/p>\n