Lower Mississippi River

70,000,000 BCE - present

The Mississippi River watershed is the fourth largest in the world, including parts of 31 U.S. states and 2 Canadian Provinces. Agriculture has been the dominant form of land use in the Mississippi basin for almost two centuries, and has significantly altered the region's hydrology.

BIRDS: 2 species are regionally extinct
FISH: 5 species are endangered
MAMMALS: 3 species are endangered
REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS: 45 reptile species are endangered
BIVALVES: 297 freshwater mussel species are threatened with extinction

The territory of the Lower Mississippi River watershed falls within the ancestral homelands of the Chahta Yakni, Chitimacha, Houma, Kaskaskia, Kiikaapoi, Myaamia, Natchez, O-ga-xpa Ma-zhoⁿ, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ peoples.

Territorial recognition: https://native-land.ca/

Most Pressing Issues

703 Dams Along the River

channeling, damming, and levee systems have killed the river’s natural flow.

Pollution

2/3 of all pesticides & herbicides used in U.S. agriculture, are applied in the Mississippi River basin, causing algae blooms and the Gulf of Mexico’s “deadzone”.

Losing Silt

Without natural flooding the river is losing it’s silt, overall reduction has been more than 60% & the mouth of the Mississippi in Louisiana is disappearing.

Habitat Loss

Major losses due to agriculture & development.

Water Flow

After dams were constructed, the velocity & flow regime of the river changed. In 1878 flows were much higher in the spring & lower in winter before the dams.

How You Can Help

Healthy Gulf

Healthy Gulf (formally the Gulf Restoration Network) is committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the natural resources of the Gulf Region

Restore the Mississippi River Delta

Restore the Mississippi River Delta is working to reconnect the Mississippi River to its delta to protect people, wildlife and jobs.

Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee

The Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee is a coalition of 12 state natural resource conservation & environmental quality agencies & is a forum dedicated to conserving the natural resources of the floodplain.

1 Mississippi

1 Mississippi organizes people dedicated to protecting the Mississippi River into a national constituency of River Citizens.

Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana works to reverse the pattern of land loss in coastal LA & to reestablish a sustainable balance to its geologic processes and communities.