Alternating extremes of heavy rainfall and drought are making it harder for the Army Corps of Engineers — which must by law maintain the Mississippi River for commerce, including the transportation of grain — to predict and plan a multi-million-dollar practice of constant dredging. In the upper reac
The Fifth National Climate Assessment, released earlier this month, warns of wide-ranging climate impacts throughout the United States. The implications for people and the environment in the Mississippi River basin are extreme, but experts stress that it is not too late to slow the worsening effects
Lack of rain brought drought to much of the Mississippi River basin early this summer, and it’s likely going to linger into winter, Army Corps of Engineers leadership said during a press conference on Nov. 8 in Memphis, while a dredge was working nonstop to keep the river channel open a few miles so
New research gives a rare look at climate attitudes of Mississippi River basin residents and the relationship they have — or don't have — with one of the world's most important rivers.
The river has reached near-historic lows amid extreme drought in much of the basin for the second year in a row, which is slowing down shipping and driving up costs for everyone from barge companies to grain elevators. The whole industry is grappling with how to adapt to an increasingly chronic prob
A very wet winter is bringing major spring flooding along the upper Mississippi River. In some communities, the floodwaters are among the top three on record. Though the water is expected to crest and start receding in most places by next week, its impacts will linger.
A new report from the Environmental Working Group found targeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's conservation funding to the Mississippi River region would have huge benefits to water quality and the climate.