The Mississippi river is the central artery of the United States. From it’s source, Lake Itasca Minnesota, it flows through 10 of the 50 states. When combined with the Missouri river, it forms the longest system in North America and the fourth longest in the world. The combination of the two rivers drains 40% of the continental US. The basin of 1.2 million square miles (3.2 million square Km) includes parts of 32 states and two Canadian provinces. It also supplies drinking water to 18 million people in more than 60 cities. More than 90% of US agricultural exports come from the basin and the vast majority of them use the river to reach their markets.
Not the longest US river
While the Missouri river is a tributary of the Mississippi, it’s actually about 100 miles (160 Km) longer. Why not an exact number? Well to be fair, measuring the length of a river depends on when you take your measure. Each year the meandering Mississippi gathers sediments along its route. These come from both the erosive power of the flow and the meandering nature of water. Both factors act to change the length of the river. Thus you can find varying lengths for both rivers. Reasonably accurate lengths for the Mississippi vary from 2,320 miles (3730 Km) to 2,340 miles (3765 Km). Its narrowest point near Lake Itasca ranges from 20 to 30 feet (6-9 meters). Near Bena, MN, it widens to almost 11 miles (17.8 Km). At its deepest point, near New Orleans, the river reaches 200 feet (61 meters).
Interesting (?) Facts
On average it takes 90 days for a rain drop flowing out of Lake Itasca to travel the length of the Mississippi and enter the Gulf of Mexico.
Like all rivers it flows downhill. Over its entire length the Mississippi drops 1,475 feet (450 meters).
No highway or railroad tunnels cross under the Mississippi River.
The first railroad bridge across the Mississippi between Rock Island, IL and Davenport, IA was destroyed when it was rammed by the steamboat Effie Afton. Abraham Lincoln represented the railroad in the ensuing court case. He won.
In 2002 Slovenian swimmer, Martin Strel, swam the entire length of the Mississippi. It took him 68 days.
On average 4,435,970 gallons (16,791,975 liters) of water per second flows from the river into the gulf. This ranks the Mississippi as the 15th largest river. The Amazon’s water flow is more than 12 times greater.
In 1922, Ralph Samuelson, created the sport of water-skiing at Lake Pepin on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.
Last, but not least, the Mississippi supports an abundant amount of wildlife. More than 300 species of fish and birds as well as nearly 150 species of amphibians and 50 mammals live in and around the river system.
Having established how magnificent the Mississippi is, here’s our featured map courtesy of Wikipedia.
As always thanks for reading.
Armen
Note to pay the bills: Rivers play only a peripheral role in the Warder series, but if a James Bond-like thriller in a fantasy setting interests you, check out a summary of the series here or find links to purchase books here. Additionally, please consider signing up for my FREE newsletter. It will contain previews, announcements, and contests. It will not overwhelm your inbox – I’m thinking once a month or less depending on news.