Conservation group names Mississippi ‘most endangered’ U.S. river

A conservation organization has named the Mississippi River as the most endangered river in the country.

Every year, the advocacy group American Rivers publishes a list of the 10 U.S. rivers it considers most at risk.

Topping this year’s list is the Mississippi, which provides drinking water for 20 million people. It supports agriculture and industry, and is also home to more than 800 species of fish and wildlife. It also has major historical and cultural significance, provides a transportation route for shipping and recreational opportunities for tourists, boaters and anglers.

The group says the Mississippi faces many threats, including increased flooding and inadequate disaster prevention and response. It cites recent cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and earlier calls from President Donald Trump to abolish the agency.

“We cannot turn our back on Mississippi River communities or the health of the river millions depend on at this critical time when they need unified direction instead of uncertainty at the national level,” said Mike Sertle, central region director for American Rivers, in a news release.

Flooding hasn’t been a problem along the Minnesota stretch of the Mississippi this year. But the river faces other challenges, including pollution from agriculture, said Whitney Clark, executive director of Friends of the Mississippi River.

“All that water flowing off of our agricultural landscapes is carrying pollutants,” he said. “It’s carrying sediment. It’s carrying nutrients.”

Clark said farm drainage systems have exacerbated flooding and pollution.

“We have millions and millions of cropland acres that are plumbed to move water off the fields as quickly as possible to keep the plants growing,” he said.

Planting cover crops helps prevent erosion and nutrient runoff that ends up in the Mississippi, Clark said. The University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative is working to develop winter oilseed crops that keep the soil covered year-round and can also be turned into sustainable fuel.

Other potential threats include aging dams and a proposed underground nickel-copper mine in Aitkin County, which Clark said poses risks to the Mississippi and St. Croix River watersheds.

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