A.4.3X IBDM (Mississipi Basin) Flashcards
Mississipi Drainage Basin background
Largest drainage basin in the United States, second-longest river in North America, covering more than 1,245,000 square miles.
In the USA, the Mississippi drainage basin produces $54 billion of agricultural products and 92% of the country’s farm exports.
Over half the goods and services consumed by the US are produced with water from the Mississippi drainage basin.
America’s Great Watershed Initiative (AGWI)
However, there are threats to the Mississippi and its tributaries.
A project to increase water availability, improve its quality and safeguard its use for future generations.
Mississipi Basin as commercial route
One of the USA’s most important commercial routes.
The river carries most of the country’s farm exports and over 60 per cent of the USA’s grain products for global consumption.
However, many of the locks and dams are in relatively poor condition, and there has been a lack of investment in infrastructure.
As facilities deteriorate, delays will become longer, and some carriers may seek alternative forms of transport/alternative routes
Mississipi ground water and surface water demand
Demand for groundwater and surface water will increase as the population increases and standards of living improve.
The growing demand, along with an ageing infrastructure, will increase the pressure on water resources.
Water from the basin provides drinking water for millions of people, and helps to produce some 25 percent of the nation’s hydroelectric power.
Demand for water is increasing but the supplies are becoming less reliable or in some cases contaminated.
Mississipi recreation-based economies
Quality of life for people and recreation-based economies by maintaining and enhancing rivers
Every year, millions of people fish, boat, hike, jog or cycle along rivers.
Coastal wetlands in Louisiana enjoy a varied biodiversity and provide important storm protection from hurricanes and sea surges.
Mississipi quality of life
However, Louisiana’s wetlands account for about 40 percent of the USA’s wetlands but 80 percent of the lost wetlands.
Some 75 square kilometres of Louisiana’s 12,000 square kilometres of wetlands are lost annually. However, some wetlands are growing.
Construction of dams on the Mississippi river and its tributaries, and raising the levels of the levees, has reduced the amount of sediment that reaches coastal wetlands
Mississipi ecosystems
One goal is to support and enhance healthy and productive ecosystems, as they provide large amounts of fish, wildlife and vegetation, providing many ecosystem services.
The industrialised eastern part of the basin and the Lower Mississippi river are the greatest threats to natural areas.
Poor water quality is the result of high nutrient run-off from agriculture and industry and is a major cause of hypoxia in fish in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mississipi flood risk
The AGWI also attempts to reduce flooding and flood risk.
The threat from flooding increases dramatically when basins lose their natural capacity to store water and when communities or businesses are located in the floodplain.
The risk of flooding in the basin is increasing as developments on the flood plain increase.
Nevertheless, investment in flood control reduced the losses from the 2011 Mississippi floods.
