Report reveals concerns for Mississippi River

A report released this week by the Friends of the Mississippi River and the National Park Service found several causes for concern regarding the health of the Mississippi River. According to the scientific advisors compiling the report, several indicators of concern include:

• Flows increasing dramatically, destabilizing the watershed and flushing large amounts of pollution in the river.

• Nitrate concentrations quickly increasing, resulting in serious impacts to the Gulf of Mexico.

• Asian carp moving upstream and having disastrous effects on aquatic life and recreation throughout the state.

“The solutions to these problems will require new tools and decisive public action before they move beyond our reach,” said Paul Labovitz, superintendent of the National Park Service, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. “We hope this report will help people better understand the challenges our community faces in trying to preserve and improve the river, and we also want to provide strategies for doing so.”

In addition to the negative findings, the report also highlighted some positive trends. For example, the bald eagle, mussel and fish populations are increasing. Those are signs of a restored river that is home to healthy and abundant wildlife.

Tags: environment, news, minnesota