The Mississppi river it runs through the central part of the United States. It empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It has a length of 3,770 kilometers. One of its tributaries, the Missouri, is the longest river in North America. The Mississippi is used as a thoroughfare for transportation. For people. For merchandise. But the persistent drought is jeopardizing this use and, therefore, also the economic benefits that it entails.
50% of the cereal harvest has been lost
They look gigantic barges stranded at the bottom of the river. The visible sandbars are more numerous than ever. In the region, they had never seen the Mississippi's water level so low before. Climate change strikes a nation where skeptics still abound.
This situation is not surprising. The worst drought in half a century is taking place. The water level of the Mississippi River is about to reach an all-time low. In a few weeks, the authorities will be forced to shut down navigation on the river. Paradoxically, in the spring of 2011 the entire region was flooded by the rising river. Thousands of people had to flee their homes. If there is no rain, the water level of the Mississippi It will hit that terrible record this month, according to the National Weather Service.
The problems of the Mississippi
But the Mississippi river problems They do not only affect the navigation of ships, but also agriculture. The terrible drought of last summer left more than 50% of the cereal farmland dry.
The drought has produced such a low level in the waters that parts of the rocks on the bottom can be seen, a danger for boats. The largest and heaviest barges are the first to stay ashore.
In August, some 93 ships ran aground on the river Mississippi near Greenville. For this reason, the 17-kilometer stretch was closed. The solution to transport is to dredge the river (which means damaging the environment) and place buoys that indicate a path of safe browsing. The solution to climate change is more complicated. The first step is to recognize that it exists and that we have to do something about it.
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