1. What are the features long the Mississippi River?
The Mississippi River is approximately 3733.67 kilometers long. It extends all the way from Minnesota to New Orleans, where it becomes its deepest at about 60.9 meters. The flow of the river cuts through ten counties where it significantly influences the economy of the counties. The counties include Minnesota, Wisconsin, Lowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and lastly Louisiana.
The river has eight waterfalls, though small, they are just spectacular to watch. A good example is the Saint Anthony Falls, which is in Minneapolis. Due to its occasional flooding, it has formed many oxbow lakes. These lakes have been utilized for sport fishing, boating, camping and other water related activities. The Mississipi River has approximately 29 locks and dams and Lakes with Lake Itasca being the widest at 1.6km.
Some of the major rivers that feed into the Mississippi include the largest river in the U.S known as the Missouri River. Another major distributary is the Atchafalaya River in the Mississippi. Others are the Arkansas River it the state of Arkansas, Ohio River at Cairo and the Illinois River at Saint Louis.There are many bridges along the Mississippi river, some small, others big. The view of the river from the bridges is breathtaking.
2. How does the agriculture in the lower river basin affect fishing and other wildlife along the river?
The Mississippi River is preceded by the drainage basin of the Congo River and the Amazon River. This basin has been utilized for Agriculture for the last two-hundred years. This has altered the hydrologic cycle of the water. This has also contributed to the pollution of the water. It could be the reason most parts of the river are too muddy to fish. In some areas of the river, it’s indicated that it is not safe to fish due to the pollution of the river. The pesticides and other chemicals used for farming have also contributed adversely to polluting the environment for the fish.
There are many agriculture factories along the river. These factories were also dumping their byproducts and waste into the river. However, the government has taken active steps to stop the pollution of the river. This has helped restore the river for fishing. Due to the continued efforts by the locals and the state governments, some parts of the river have clear waters which are safe for fishing.
3. How many species of fish can be found in the Mississippi river?
There are numerous species of fish in the river approximated to be around 127, 30 of which are freshwater fish. However, the most favorite fish for sports are the largemouth bass, crappie, bream, Bluegill, white bass, blue catfish, bullhead catfish, Flathead catfish amongst others.
4. Does the Mississippi River have any dangerous animals?
The Mississippi River also has the water snake. However, the people who frequently fish in the river are familiar with the parts of the river to avoid. The safest areas for recreational fishing are in the parks and the camping areas.
I have been to various parts of the Mississippi River more times than I can count. It started in my youth with a group of my friends. Today, I take my family to the Mississippi almost every other vacation.