Full Answer
What is the depth of the Mississippi River?
The Mississippi River ranges in depth from 3 feet at its headwaters to 200 feet near New Orleans. The river is dredged to a minimum depth of 9 feet. According to the National Park Service, the Mississippi River is 2,350 miles long and is the fourth-longest river in the world. It ranges in width from 20 feet to 11 miles.
How high does the Mississippi River rise in Iowa?
The Mississippi River borders Iowa for more than 300 miles, entering the state between swift bluffs that rise four to six hundred feet above the river level. Bluffs diminish in size and spectacular appearance from Bellevue southward.
What do you need to know about the Mississippi River?
Mississippi River Pools. Description. The Mississippi is one of the greatest rivers in the world. Drainage of this river and its tributaries embraces nearly one-third of the land surface of the United States. It is more than 4,000 miles long from the headwaters of the Missouri River tributary to its confluence with the Gulf of Mexico.
What is the elevation of the upper Mississippi River at Minneapolis?
The uppermost lock and dam on the Upper Mississippi River is the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis. Above the dam, the river's elevation is 799 feet (244 m). Below the dam, the river's elevation is 750 feet (230 m).
What river flows through the upper Mississippi River?
What is the Mississippi River called?
How far does the Mississippi River go from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico?
What is the Mississippi embayment?
How many sections of the Mississippi River are there?
What states are on the Mississippi River?
When was the Great Raft cleared?
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Where is the deepest part of the Mississippi River?
New OrleansThe deepest point on the Mississippi River is located near Algiers Point in New Orleans and is 200 feet in depth.
How deep is the Mississippi River at the start?
about 18 inches deepAt this point, the river begins as a small 20-30 foot wide river (your average living room is 16 x 20 feet). At the headwaters, the Mississippi River is only about 18 inches deep. The Mississippi River is only 18 inches deep at the headwaters at Lake Itasca in Minnesota.
What is the deepest river in the United States?
the Hudson RiverAt a depth of 216 feet (though some sources argue its 202 ft), the Hudson River is the deepest river in the United States.
How wide is the Mississippi at Davenport Iowa?
Davenport is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. At this point the river has a maximum depth of around 30 to 40 feet (9.1 to 12.2 m) and is 2,217 feet (676 m) wide where the Centennial Bridge crosses it. The river flows from east to west in this area, as opposed to its usual north to south direction.
What is the shallowest part of the Mississippi River?
At its headwaters, Lake Itasca in Minnesota, the river's depth is 18 inches (3 feet). It's the shallowest point of the river.
Are there alligators in the Mississippi River?
Once considered an endangered species in the late 1960s, American Alligators have made a big comeback in the swampy marsh areas surrounding the Mississippi River. It is estimated that there are just over 30,000 alligators in Mississippi, with most centralized in the southern portion of the state.
What's the deepest river in the whole world?
the Congo RiverFrom its tributaries to where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, the massive river includes rapids, wetlands, floodplains, lakes and swamps. In addition, the Congo River is the world's deepest recorded river at 720 feet (220 meters) deep in parts — too deep for light to penetrate, The New York Times reported.
Is the Mississippi River the deepest river in the world?
The Congo River is the deepest in the world, measuring 720ft at one portion of its run. This river starts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and flows through the country to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. The river is famous for being the only major river to pass over the equator twice throughout its run.
Is the Mississippi or Missouri River longer?
The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America, flowing 2,350 miles from its source at Lake Itasca through the center of the continental United States to the Gulf of Mexico. The Missouri River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, is about 100 miles longer.
Can you swim in the Mississippi River?
He said the Mississippi is safe to swim and fish in, as long as people are safe about it. Showering after swimming in the river and wearing a life vest are recommended. "It's safe. In every river you're going to have a little bit of pollution and the Mississippi is no different," said Kean.
How far up the Mississippi can ships go?
Cargo Ship Comparison The change has East Coast and Gulf Coast ports increasing the depth of their terminals to 50 feet to accommodate modern container ships built to the new guidelines. 950 ft.
How deep is the Missouri River?
The depth of the Missouri River varies from point to point. The shallowest parts tend to range between 10 and 20 feet deep. However, the river's deepest point, near New Orleans, is up to 200 feet deep (Journeyz).
Where does the Mississippi river start and end | MyWaterEarth&Sky
What Is The Source Of the Mississippi River The primary source and start of the Mississippi River are Lake Itasca.Lake Itasca is a glacial lake that approximately measures 4.7 km 2.. Lake Itasca is located in the southeastern region of Clearwater County in north-central Minnesota. Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota flows generally south for 2,320 miles (3,730 km) to the Mississippi River Delta ...
Is Davenport Iowa a good place to live?
Davenport has some wonderful areas, but there are many areas I would avoid. There is more crime than I would like and not enough safety. I’ve lived in Davenport , Iowa my entire life. Although the streets need better maintenance and downtown is kind of scary, it’s an overall decent place to be living .
Can you swim in the Mississippi River in Iowa?
All of the fish advisories for Iowa’s impaired rivers are because of mercury levels in the water. He said the Mississippi is safe to swim and fish in, as long as people are safe about it. Showering after swimming in the river and wearing a life vest are recommended. “It’s safe.
What is Davenport Iowa famous for?
Dating back to its founding in 1836, Davenport is nestled next to the mighty Mississippi River and is known for being a green city that has over 50 local parks. As such, biking and walking can be easily enjoyed here, and there are also a number of annual outdoor festivals hosted in Davenport .
What is the most dangerous town in Iowa?
Iowa’s Most Dangerous Cities – 2019 Stephen Maturen, Getty Images. #5 Most Dangerous Iowa Town. Des Moines . Population: 217,277. #4 Most Dangerous Iowa Town. Burlington . Population: 25,227. #3 Most Dangerous Iowa Town. Davenport . Population: 103,063. #2 Most Dangerous Iowa Town. Clinton . Population: 25,532. #1 Most Dangerous Iowa Town. Keokuk .
Are there alligators in the Mississippi River?
PLAQUEMINE – High water is causing some dangerous encounters on the west side of the Mississippi River , where alligators are being found in yards and in driveways.
Why is the Mississippi River so dangerous?
It’s extremely dangerous to swim in the Mississippi River . The river is huge and the currents are strong, even right at water’s edge (whether or not you’re a great swimmer is irrelevant). Also, remember that the water is totally toxic.
Are there sharks in the Mississippi River?
Sharks are no stranger to freshwater sources like the Mississippi River . In fact, one was located just 4 hours south of the Quad Cities! Believe it or not, sharks are no stranger to the freshwaters of the Mississippi River , even as far north as Illinois!
Where did the Mississippi River get its name?
The name Mississippi is derived from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi (“Great River”) or gichi-ziibi (“Big River”) at its headwaters. The Quad Cities is the only bend where the Mississippi River flows East to West instead of North to South.
What is the second longest river in the United States?
Mississippi River. The Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of 2,340 miles (3,770 km) from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. The longest river in the United States is a Mississippi tributary, the Missouri River, measuring 2,540 miles (4,090 km).
Where is the Rock Island bridge?
Rock Island Government Bridge connecting Rock Island, Illinois, to Davenport, Iowa. Located just southwest of the site of the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River, it is one of only two bridges in the world with two sets of railroad tracks above the auto lanes.
How long is the Mississippi River?
While there are different numbers depending on the source, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area lists the length of the Mississippi as 2,350 miles. It’s the second-longest river in North America, beaten only by the Missouri River.
Where is the widest point in the Mississippi River?
The river’s widest point is only about 50 miles east, at Lake Winnibigoshish, where it’s wider than 11 miles. The widest navigatable spot in the river’s shipping channel is about 2 miles — in Lake Pepin, on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Where does the Mississippi end?
Where the Mississippi ends. All that water has to go somewhere. It eventually finds its way to the coast of Louisiana, where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, it passes through the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.; Dubuque, Iowa; St. Louis, Mo.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La.
What fish are in the river?
Those fishing in the river could pull out northern pike, walleye, long-nosed gar, flathead and channel catfish, lake and shovelnose sturgeon, paddlefish, Asian carp, and smallmouth and white bass, just to name a few.
How fast does the Mississippi River flow?
Our part of the river flows about two miles per hour during normal water stages, but current speeds of up to five miles per hour are common during high water times.
Who discovered the Mississippi River?
DeSoto discovered the Mississippi river in 1541. Marquette and Joliet were the second white men to see the river when they reached the mouth of the Wisconsin River in 1673. The Indians warned these voyagers that demons and giant fish lived in the river and that they would most certainly destroy them.
How did the six foot channel affect fishing?
The six-foot channel probably had very little effect on fishing in the rapid chutes between the numerous islands in the Mississippi. Here, too, large groups of foraging game fish were the source of excellent fishing. With establishment of the nine-foot channel dams, most of the wing dams were submerged.
How many launching sites are there on the Mississippi River?
Boat ramps and parking facilities are within a short distance of all Mississippi locks and dams. There are 58 launching sites on the Iowa side of the river.
What is the largest river in the world?
Mississippi River. The Mississippi is one of the greatest rivers in the world. Drainage of this river and its tributaries embraces nearly one-third of the land surface of the United States. It is more than 4,000 miles long from the headwaters of the Missouri River tributary to its confluence with the Gulf of Mexico.
What fish are in the new channel dams?
Fast-flowing water fish species, such as smallmouth bass, declined in abundance, and fish that preferred more pond-like habitat, such as crappie, bluegill, walleye, carp and freshwater drum increased in abundance. The new channel dams also changed favorite fishing spots.
What river flows through the upper Mississippi River?
The Upper Mississippi River at its confluence with the Missouri River north of St. Louis.
What is the Mississippi River called?
The Mississippi River is called the Lower Mississippi River from its confluence with the Ohio River to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of about 1,000 miles (1,600 km). At the confluence of the Ohio and the Middle Mississippi, the long-term mean discharge of the Ohio at Cairo, Illinois is 281,500 cubic feet per second (7,970 cubic meters per second), while the long-term mean discharge of the Mississippi at Thebes, Illinois (just upriver from Cairo) is 208,200 cu ft/s (5,900 m 3 /s). Thus, by volume, the main branch of the Mississippi River system at Cairo can be considered to be the Ohio River (and the Allegheny River further upstream), rather than the Middle Mississippi.
How far does the Mississippi River go from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico?
The Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico about 100 miles (160 km) downstream from New Orleans. Measurements of the length of the Mississippi from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico vary somewhat, but the United States Geological Survey 's number is 2,320 miles (3,730 km).
What is the Mississippi embayment?
Formed from thick layers of the river's silt deposits, the Mississippi embayment is one of the most fertile regions of the United States; steamboats were widely used in the 19th and early 20th centuries to ship agricultural and industrial goods.
How many sections of the Mississippi River are there?
Divisions. The Mississippi River can be divided into three sections: the Upper Mississippi, the river from its headwaters to the confluence with the Missouri River; the Middle Mississippi, which is downriver from the Missouri to the Ohio River; and the Lower Mississippi, which flows from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico.
What states are on the Mississippi River?
The river either borders or passes through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Native Americans have lived along the Mississippi River and its tributaries for thousands of years.
When was the Great Raft cleared?
1833 to November 1873: The Great Raft (a huge logjam in the Atchafalaya River) was cleared. The Atchafalaya started to capture the Mississippi and to become its new main lower course. 1963: The Old River Control Structure was completed, controlling how much Mississippi water entered the Atchafalaya.
Overview
Divisions
The Mississippi River can be divided into three sections: the Upper Mississippi, the river from its headwaters to the confluence with the Missouri River; the Middle Mississippi, which is downriver from the Missouri to the Ohio River; and the Lower Mississippi, which flows from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Upper Mississippi runs from its headwaters to its confluence with the Mis…
Name and significance
The word Mississippi itself comes from Misi zipi, the French rendering of the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe or Algonquin) name for the river, Misi-ziibi (Great River).
In the 18th century, the river was the primary western boundary of the young United States, and since the country's expansion westward, the Mississippi River has been widely considered a convenient, if approximate, dividing line between the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United …
Watershed
The Mississippi River has the world's fourth-largest drainage basin ("watershed" or "catchment"). The basin covers more than 1,245,000 square miles (3,220,000 km ), including all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The drainage basin empties into the Gulf of Mexico, part of the Atlantic Ocean. The total catchment of the Mississippi River covers nearly 40% of the landmass of …
Outflow
The Mississippi River discharges at an annual average rate of between 200 and 700 thousand cubic feet per second (6,000 and 20,000 m /s). Although it is the fourteenth-largest river in the world by volume, this flow is a small fraction of the output of the Amazon, which moves nearly 7 million cubic feet per second (200,000 m /s) during wet seasons. On average, the Mississippi has only 8% the flow of the Amazon River.
Course changes
Over geologic time, the Mississippi River has experienced numerous large and small changes to its main course, as well as additions, deletions, and other changes among its numerous tributaries, and the lower Mississippi River has used different pathways as its main channel to the Gulf of Mexico across the delta region.
Length
When measured from its traditional source at Lake Itasca, the Mississippi has a length of 2,340 miles (3,770 km). When measured from its longest stream source (most distant source from the sea), Brower's Spring in Montana, the source of the Missouri River, it has a length of 3,710 miles (5,970 km), making it the fourth longest river in the world after the Nile, Amazon, and Yangtze. When measured by the largest stream source (by water volume), the Ohio River, by extension the Allegheny …
Depth
At its source at Lake Itasca, the Mississippi River is about 3 feet (0.91 m) deep. The average depth of the Mississippi River between Saint Paul and Saint Louis is between 9 and 12 feet (2.7–3.7 m) deep, the deepest part being Lake Pepin, which averages 20–32 feet (6–10 m) deep and has a maximum depth of 60 feet (18 m). Between where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi at Saint Louis, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois, the depth averages 30 feet (9 m). Below Cairo, where the Ohi…