Mississippi River Research Paper

Words: 503
Pages: 3

The Mississippi River is one of the world’s largest river systems. It is the third largest river in the North America. Flowing 2,350 miles from its source at Lake Itasca, it goes through the center of the United States to Gulf of Mexico. There are three main uses for Mississippi that all Americans should know. There uses are: a fresh water supply, a source of revenue and bartering freeway, and a tourist spot to see the beauty of nature. The first and main use of the Mississippi River is using the river as a water supply source. The communities up and down the river use the Mississippi to obtain fresh water and to discharge their industrial and municipal waste. The Environmental Protection Agency indicates that more than 50 cities rely on the Mississippi for this daily water supply. This is clearly the most important use of the river. This river has given water to Indians, Pilgrims, and now to us. For people to have a reliable source of clean water is a blessing in any time period. …show more content…
This is shown clearly by the farming and shipping industries. Agriculture has been the dominant land use for nearly 200 years in the Mississippi Basin and has altered the hydrologic cycle and energy budget of the region. Many other countries rely on the crops and food produced in the U.S. Also, the Mississippi River is important as a trading route for the U.S. In measure of tonnage, the largest port district in the world is located along the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana. The port of South Louisiana is one of the largest ports in the U.S. The Mississippi River Barge port system is important to national trade and gives us a wonderful trade route as well as a great source of