What is wrong with the Mississippi river?

The Mississippi River and its tributaries have been plagued by nutrient runoff, specifically excess nitrogen and phosphorous. These nutrients are essential to growing soybeans and corn but are often unintentionally lost to rivers and streams, where they become a pollutant and waste farmers' money.

Is it OK to swim in the Mississippi river?

He said the Mississippi is safe to swim and fish in, as long as people are safe about it. Showering after swimming in the river and wearing a life vest are recommended. "It's safe. In every river you're going to have a little bit of pollution and the Mississippi is no different," said Kean.

Is the Mississippi river contaminated?

More than 12.7 million pounds of toxic chemicals such as nitrates, arsenic, benzene and mercury were dumped into the Mississippi River in 2010, according to a report released today by the advocacy group Environment Missouri.

Why is the Mississippi river contaminated?

The Mississippi River receives a lot of runoff from agricultural lands and effluent from many waste water treatment plants, so it was not a surprise when several contaminants were detected in Mississippi River samples collected in 2013.

Why is the Mississippi river so toxic?

Now: Industrial chemicals are heavily regulated, but the Mississippi is still polluted. While plenty of fish live in the river, they are contaminated with mercury, PCBs and other chemicals, prompting the Minnesota Department of Health to recommend people limit their consumption.

Why is the Mississippi River so dangerous?

What is the nastiest river in the United States?

Which river is most polluted in the world?

Citarum River, Indonesia - The Citarum River is known as the most polluted river in the world and is located in West Java, Indonesia.

Why is the Mississippi river so dirty looking?

The Mississippi River carries roughly 500 million tons of sediment into the Gulf of Mexico each year. The Mississippi River is not the only river with the brownish hue. The color is due to the sediments like, fine particles of sand, silt, clay, along with other materials found in the water.

Is the Mississippi river safe to drink?

Stretches of the Mississippi River within the park corridor exceed water quality standards for mercury, bacteria, sediment, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), and nutrients. Unfortunately, these "impairments" can make the water unsuitable for fishing, swimming, and drinking.

Why does the Mississippi river not mix with the ocean?

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, as “nutrient-laden water from the Mississippi flows into the Gulf, this freshwater is less dense and remains above the denser saline seawater”. The freshwater is also warmer than the deeper ocean water, “further contributing to the stratification”.

Is the Mississippi river being cleaned?

To date, we've helped coordinate 125 cleanups and, with the help of more than 10,230 volunteers, removed 610,024 pounds of debris from the Mississippi River!

Are there alligators in the Mississippi river?

Once considered an endangered species in the late 1960s, American Alligators have made a big comeback in the swampy marsh areas surrounding the Mississippi River. It is estimated that there are just over 30,000 alligators in Mississippi, with most centralized in the southern portion of the state.

Are sharks in the Mississippi river?

(WMC) - Two bull sharks, which are native to the Gulf of Mexico, separately made their way up to St. Louis in 1937 and 1995 by swimming up the Mississippi River, a recent study confirmed.

Can you survive falling in the Mississippi river?

With a current fueled by melting ice from the north, large debris that have traveled from as far away as Minnesota and freezing cold temperatures, chances of survival are minimal for anyone who falls into the Mighty Mississippi without a life jacket.

Has anybody ever swam across the Mississippi river?

Our founder, Martin Strel ,was the first person who swam the entire length of the Mississippi. Martin swam for 68 days in a row from 4th July – 9th September, 2002 . He started from northern Minnesota and swam to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. The project was named Eye to Eye.

Is the Mississippi river saltwater or freshwater?

Normally, the strong outward flow of the Mississippi keeps saltwater at bay. But Davis says the lower river bottom is below sea level, so when there's less flow coming downstream, the Gulf wedges its way in. "Saltwater hugs the bottom of the river because it's heavier, denser than the freshwater.

Who gets their drinking water from the Mississippi river?

The cities of Minneapolis, New Hope, Crystal, Golden Valley, Columbia Heights, St. Paul and St. Cloud all draw from the Mississippi River. Across the country, 18 million people get their drinking water from the Mississippi.

What would happen if the Mississippi river dried up?

America's main aquatic artery may soon be too shallow for barge shipping -- that may choke trade but benefit wildlife. The Mississippi River soon may be too shallow for barge shipping, which could hurt international trade and cause increases in domestic energy and food costs.

Does sewage go into the Mississippi river?

ST. LOUIS • Raw sewage is running directly into the Mississippi River from a treatment plant because two large lift pumps have failed. The untreated runoff is from the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District treatment plant at Bissell Point in north St.

Do fish live in the Mississippi river?

Commercial fishing on the Mississippi River is for common carp and buffalo. Non-targeted species, such as this catfish, are released. The river contains large numbers of fish species as well as individual fish.

What is the dirtiest body of water in the world?

What is the least polluted river in the world?

The Thames is the world's least polluted river.