Water Pollution in Mississippi River Essay Example

Introduction

Over the years, the importance and benefits of the Mississippi River continue to thrive. In estimated that about 20 million people and 50 cities get drinking water from Mississippi River. Also, farmers along Mississippi River depends on its water for agriculture. According to reports, Mississippi River has contributed to a significant growth of agriculture (Mcdonald, 2007). Today, most farm exports originate from farms along Mississippi River. Additionally, Mississippi River is the home for aquatic animals. Therefore, River has become a source of revenue to America's economy from agriculture and fishing. Despite its numerous benefits, the Mississippi River is facing problems which makes it "A river at risk." The research aims at analyzing the problems facing the Mississippi River and also the solutions being implemented to protect the river.

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Problems facing Mississippi River

Dealing with Dead Zones

One of the major problems facing the Mississippi River is the numerous dead zones. The problem is being attributed by the ongoing agricultural activities in the banks of Mississippi River. According to Mcdonald (2017), the increase of agricultural activities along the banks of Mississippi River is gradually becoming a threat to clean water. For instance, maize is one of the favorites crops in the U.S. To increase the yield of the crop farmers usually apply fertilizers. However, there has risen a tendency of farmers over fertilizing the crops without considering the side effects it poses to the Mississippi River. The excess nutrients and phosphorus find they way to the water system of Mississippi. The water runways carrying the nutrients from the farms eventually joins the Mississippi River. On reaching the river, nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen cause eutrophication (Gupta, 2016).

Eutrophication refers to excessive rich in nutrients in the water system. Eutrophication boosts the rapid growth of algae in some parts of the Mississippi River. Once the algae die, their decay consumes a lot of oxygen thus limiting the amount of Oxygen in the water. Due to limited oxygen in some parts of Mississippi River, the aquatic animals such as fish, crabs, and shrimp start dying or forced to migrate. As a result, Mississippi River has developed dead zones where animal life is limited (Mcdonald, 2017). The dead zones usually begin in the springs and continue until summer. Additionally, due to eutrophication fishing and swimming in Mississippi river has been undermined. Today, along the Mississippi River there are exists numerous warning signs limiting the public from fishing and swimming. Another factor which is contributing to the dead zones in Mississippi River is the waste from industries. For instance, sewage wastes carry nutrients which spurs the growth of algae in the water. The rapid growth of algae eventually depletes oxygen from the river thus creating dead zones.

Inconsistent monitoring of the Mississippi River

Another problem facing the Mississippi River is the inconsistency of monitoring the River ("Mississippi", 2007). The Mississippi River usually passes through many States before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The different States have different management which differs in how they protect the Mississippi River. For instance, in the north region of the Mississippi River, an association of protecting the water quality has been formed to monitor the Mississippi River. The association is formed by several States including Tennessee, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, Lowa, and Illinois ("Mississippi", 2007). However, in the lower-river States, there is no such organization to monitor the Mississippi River. Due to the lack of a single entity in managing the quality of water of the Mississippi River, the quality of water is degrading each day because different States differ on how they control pollution. As a result, the control of water pollution in the Mississippi River have been undermined. The inconsistency of management of the Mississippi River from one State to another is a problem which is limiting the importance of the river to supply quality water and becoming an aquatic hub.

Solutions

Reducing Nutrient content

To re-awaken the dead zones along the Mississippi River, measures to reduce nutrient load in the river should be enacted. One of the ways to reduce nutrient run-off is by implementing conservation solutions along the banks of the river. The conservation measures include encouraging farmers to plant cover crops along the banks of the Mississippi River (Mcdonald, 2017). Cover crops are important because they help improve the health of the soil. Also, cover crops prevent soil erosion thus improving water quality. Additionally, cover crops improve the ability of the soil to hold water hence the amount of nutrients washed to Mississippi River is reduced.

Another solution to reduce the amount of nutrient flowing to the river is by encouraging farmers to use the correct amount of fertilizers. Farmers have a tendency of applying excess fertilizer in the aim of increasing the crops yield. However, the unutilized fertilizer flows back to Mississippi River causing eutrophication. To avoid the problem, farmers should be educated on the importance of applying the correct amount of fertilizer to their crops (Gupta, 2016). Additionally, the farmers should replace the use fertilizers with organic manure. Organic manure is environmentally friendly and will play a great role in reducing eutrophication thereby reawakening the dead zones.

Monitoring the Mississippi River using a single system

According to ("Mississippi", 2007), the quality of water from Mississippi River has been undermined by the way different States control the river. It is recommended that greater efforts to monitor the Mississippi River as a single system are put in place. Managing Mississippi River using a single management association will play a great role in reducing nutrient flow to the river thus improving its quality. The States in which Mississippi River flows, together with its stream rivers, should come together and form an independent association to manage and improve the quality of water.

Enacting Laws protecting Mississippi River

The problems facing the Mississippi River can be avoided by implementing laws that protect the river. The government and the private sector should play a significant role in protecting the environment, especially the Mississippi River which is the most remarkable river in the United States. Currently, a collaborative organization consisting of 20 nationals and other non-governmental organizations has been formed to enforce environmental policies protecting Mississippi River and other water bodies from pollution ("Mississippi", 2007). The Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) is working on various policies which aim at improving the quality of water in Mississippi. For example, the organization has enacted an Anti- Degradation Standard act which focuses on improving public participation in making decisions involving keeping the water clean.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Mississippi River is the major source of clean water in the U.S. Its importance extends to agriculture, and being the home for most aquatic animals. Its contribution to U.S. economy is also remarkable. However, the benefits of the river are gradually reducing due to the problems resulting from water pollution. The problems facing Mississippi River include the dealing with dead zones and inconsistent monitoring of the river. The recommended solutions to the problems include putting the necessary measures that reduce the nutrient content in the river such as cover cropping. Also, the river should be monitored and evaluated by a single entity in order to manage the problems collaboratively. It is also recommended that policies and laws protecting water bodies be enacted.

References

Mcdonald, M. (2017). River at risk: The Mississippi. Walton family foundation.org. Retrieved From https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/stories/k-12-education/river-at-risk-the-mississippi

Mississippi River a watery mess, experts warn. (2007). Nbcnews.com. Available at http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21321821/ns/us_news-environment/t/mississippi-river-watery-mess-experts-warn/#.W-kj_5MzaM8

Gupta, A. (2016). Water Pollution-Sources, Effects, and Control. Researchgate.net. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321289637