What is the present condition of the Mississippi River?
In many respects, the Upper Mississippi River is cleaner today than it was 30 years ago. Increased awareness of how pollution can negatively impact humans and the environment prompted passage of laws, such as the Clean Water Act, to protect our natural resources, however, the ecological condition of the Mississippi River and its tributaries is still rapidly being altered. Navigation, dredging, construction, wetland development, agricultural practices, urbanization, industrial waste discharges, invasive exotics, and increased recreational use continue to take their toll.
