Mississippi River Rates a D for Water Quality and Flood Control

IOWA - A new report shows flood control is an urgent concern on the Mississippi River that runs the entire eastern border of Iowa.

The 2020 Mississippi River Watershed Report Card gives flood control and risk reduction on the river the grade of D.

The river’s water supply and ecosystems also gets a D, as its water quality is rated as very poor with concerns for the nation’s drinking water supply.

The report says the Mississippi remains threatened by more frequent and extreme flooding, aging infrastructure and chemical pollution.

The 2020 report card saw modest improvements in hunting and fishing licenses, floodplain population, and infrastructure maintenance and condition.

The overall grade for the Mississippi River watershed was a C-, which is a slight improvement from a grade of D+ in 2015.

The Mississippi River Watershed Report Card is compiled by America’s Watershed Initiative. The grading was based on conditions in six categories - water supply, economy, transportation, recreation, water quality and ecosystems and flood control and risk management.

The report looks at three sections of the Mississippi River as well as three tributary waterways that feed into it - Ohio-Tennessee Rivers Basin, Arkansas-Red Rivers Basin and Missouri River Basin.

Find the full report here.

(Image from America’s Watershed Initiative)


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