MISSISSIPPI RIVER POLLUTION

So as a group we will be making a site on water pollution and as I am researching information I keep coming across sites with great information. This one is about the Mississippi River. Anyone who lives in the U.S. should maybe know that it is a major economic and natural resource for America, and in my book that means it is pretty important.


I found this at:
http://greennature.com/article620.html
Starting in Minnesota and winding its way to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River is a major economic and natural resource for the heartland of the United States.
Its importance in American life is reflected in the consistent amount of research about various aspects of the river that is published on an annual basis. This review examines research on Mississippi River pollution in terms of four major water pollution topics: toxic pollution; sediment pollution; nutrient pollution; and bacterial pollution.
From an historical perspective, pollution along the Mississippi River can be traced to population growth along its boundaries. I would like to say really quickly- that population growth has been know to cause various problems, but how often to people consider the damage it does to our rivers??
The United States Geological Survey released a report in the 1990s that provided comprehensive coverage of the organic and inorganic toxins in the Mississippi River. Referring to the heavy metals, they stated,
as the valleys of the Mississippi River and its tributaries were settled and industrialized, the metals added by human activities have affected the water quality of the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. Some of these metals are essential for proper metabolism in all living organisms yet toxic at high concentrations; other metals currently thought of as non-essential are toxic even at relatively low concentrations."
The most recent reviews of pollution problems link current agricultural practices with the most severe problems. Nutrient pollution caused by agricultural runoff is cited as the most pressing pollution problem. The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force consisting of five federal agencies and ten state agencies, was created in 1997 to deal with the problem.
After ten years of work, much work still needs to be undertaken. In July 2008, NOAA released a report saying that the size of the Gulf of Mexico dead zone (caused by agricultural runoff) averaged 6,600 square miles between 2003-2008. Additionally, since 1993, downward trends in nutrient overloading are basically absent.
Bacterial pollution, especially the presence of E. coli, which is linked to both current sewage treatment facilities and the runoff that contains livestock manure, also makes large stretches of the Mississippi River a no swim zone.
The National Academy of Science also recently released a report covering Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act that outlined water pollution problems associated with agriculture practices. They suggest the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take a lead role to coordinate more effective clean up action among the primary stakeholders, specifically the border states.
Finally, another recent report entitled Review of Sedimentation Issues on the Mississippi River states,"
"Problems like upland erosion, chemical leaks and spills, and other types of pollution have been prevalent throughout the basin and have been amplified by pollutant/sediment transport, creating environmental problems for humans, wildlife, and especially aquatic life. Several revetments have been implemented with the intent of mitigating these problems. The success of the revetments has generally been initially successful; however, subsequent processes, like aggradation and degradation, have been resultants of these revetments over time."
Note: The report for UNESCO was an active link a week back. Since then, Google reports that the site has safety issues so the link was removed.
© 2009. Patricia A. Michaels

It seems as though there are many issues but lets try to keep things on a positive note. If younger generations are informed of the dangers of water pollution and know the steps to prevent and minimize it then the future will hold good things.