There are crow… The polluted water of the Mississippi River has caused the wildlife in the water to deteriorate. It's extremely dangerous to swim in the Mississippi River. The polluted water of the Mississippi River has caused the wildlife in the water to deteriorate. Pacific Ocean … “In Louisiana there are 12 million pounds, and 4.2 million of those pounds are dumped in the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge by Exxon Mobil,” said Emmert. It's also sweeping potentially toxic chemicals into the environment. But increased flows carry much more pollution. The Missouri River is 7th nationally, with nearly 4.9 million pounds dumped along 5 states through which it flows, 104,311 of those pounds are dumped into the Missouri River in Iowa. Climate change poses a grave threat to humankind and the environment. Beaches on Mississippi’s barrier islands, which run parallel to the mainland, are still open, but are being monitored for any signs of harmful algae. Each year we dump about 576 times more toxic pollution into the Mississippi River and hardly any action is being taken. The industrial stretch of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, a region known as “Cancer Alley,” is one of the most highly polluted areas in the country. Copyright © 2021 LSU Law Center: Climate Change Law and Policy Project. In the late 1800's the Industrial Revolution took off in Minnesota with the lumbering industry. "We keep putting waste where we drink," said Steve Johnson who grew up on the Mississippi in Brooklyn Park. We send out the monthly e-newsletter at the beginning of each month. The Mississippi River after its confluence with the Ohio River is known as the Lower Mississippi River. Cancer Alley (French: Allée du Cancer) is an area along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, in the River Parishes of Louisiana, which contains numerous industrial plants.Locations in this area with clusters of cancer patients have been covered by the news media, leading to … The number of the infected decreased when Minneapolis eventually used chlorine to disinfect and clean drinking water that was coming from the river. And the Mississippi River is third worst among the top 50 waterways when it comes to toxic discharges. The massive flow of water headed down the Mississippi River is doing more than just flooding neighborhoods. The sediment is composed of topsoil, sand, dead and decaying plants, and anything else washed away by a strong rainstorm far upstream. Research by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1881 reported that many of the sand bars were filled with sawdust instead of sand. This report focuses on water quality problems in the Mississippi River and the ability of the Clean Water Act to address them. LOUIS • More than 12.7 million pounds of toxic chemicals, such as nitrates, arsenic, benzene and mercury were dumped into the Mississippi River in … Subscribe to our e-newsletter to stay updated on river related news and events: Thank you for signing up! As farming has intensified, nitrates have also tainted wells in a Kansas town near the Missouri River, a key source of pollutants in the Mississippi. The Project provides impartial analysis of adaptation strategies and guidance for policy makers. The upper reaches of the river is clean but as it comes down it gets mixed with pollutants. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it flows generally south for 2,320 miles (3,730 km) to the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system on the North American continent, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. The Mississippi River drains the heart of the North American continent, carrying vast quantities of sediment and depositing it along the shore of Louisiana and into the Gulf of Mexico. Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Executive Director Joe Spraggins blames … Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities, National Research Council (2008). America’s Waterways received 226 Million Pounds of Toxic Chemicals “The Environment America report documents and analyzes the dangerous levels of pollutants discharged to America’s waters by compiling toxic chemical releases reported to the U.S. EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory for 2010, the most recent data available. We respect your privacy and your information will not be shared with third parties. In 1938, the Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant was built to ensure clean drinking water for the public. Authors: Joselyn Whitney Takacs, University of Southern California, USA. Ahreum served with Mississippi Park Connection as an intern through the YWCA's Girls Inc. Eureka! Transcript for Mississippi River Flooding: Toxic Water This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. The zones are toxic to marine life and blossom in Gulf waters each summer as nutrients and fertilizers pour down the Mississippi River. The toxic cyanobacterium can cause rashes, diarrhea and vomiting. Water quality in the Mississippi River and the northern Gulf of Mexico, however, is affected by activities from across the entire river basin. Mississippi Floods: Pollution Fears Grow Water quality in the Mississippi River continues to be an issue in Minnesota. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. Comprehensive Mississippi River water quality management programs therefore must consider the sources of pollutant discharges in all tributary streams, as well as along the river’s mainstem. In 1938, the Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant was built to ensure clean drinking water for the public. And in 2010, more than 125 million pounds of toxics were released into waterways tributary to the Mississippi. In 1886, he told the Chicago Tribune, “Along the Upper Mississippi every hour brings something new. If you get pulled under, the water is incredibly muddy, so you'll disappear from view immediately, and even if people witness you going down, they won't be able to tell where you went. • Roquette America Inc. was the biggest polluter in Iowa, dumping 1.7 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the Mississippi. A New Orleans spillway has been open for a historically long time to relieve pressure on levees from the flooded Mississippi River. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has closed all 21 of the state’s beaches due to the presence of toxic blue-green algae. program—a five-year summer and school year program for girls interested in STEM fields. Data needs and system monitoring, water quality indicators and standards, and policies and implementation are addressed (the full statement of task to this committee is contained in Chapter 1). The number of the infected decreased when Minneapolis eventually used chlorine to disinfect and clean drinking water that was coming from the river. What more can be said about the mighty Mississippi River that hasn’t been said already? Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Executive Director Joe Spraggins blames fresh water entering the Mississippi Sound. Contact UsBrand & MediaAnnual ReportsNewsletterJobsShop, Mississippi Park Connection111 Kellogg Blvd East, Suite 105Saint Paul, MN 55101651.291.8164info@parkconnection.org, Find Your Park, national park service, recreation, Mississippi River, Things To Do, Minneapolis, outdoor adventure, free, date night, date ideas. At least 144 million gallons of sewage and garbage were being tossed into the river every single day by the 1930's. Join Friends of the Mississippi River to volunteer and stay updated on the condition of the river. “In the Upper Mississippi River, it’s hard to see the flow of our river as a form of pollution. • The toxic dumping into the Mississippi river along its course includes over 180,000 pounds of cancer-causing chemicals, 74,000 pounds of developmental toxicants, and over 70,000 pounds of reproductive toxicants. 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