How does the USGS track the Mississippi River?
The USGS has created a database of this area which indicates the direction of waterflow at each point. By assembling these directions into streamflows, it is possible to trace the path of water from every point of the area to the mouth of the Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico.
Where is the delta of the Mississippi River?
The Mississippi River Delta Basin is defined as all of the land and shallow estuarine area between the two northernmost passes of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The basin is located in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, south of the city of Venice.
How long does it take a drop of water to travel the Mississippi River?
It takes 90 days for a single drop of water to travel the Mississippi River’s entire length. From its source, Lake Itasca, to its end, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River drops 1,475 feet.
Where is the deepest point on the Mississippi River?
It takes 90 days for a single drop of water to travel the Mississippi River’s entire length. From its source, Lake Itasca, to its end, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River drops 1,475 feet. The deepest point on the Mississippi River is located near Algiers Point in New Orleans and is 200 feet in depth.
How many species of mussels are in the Mississippi River?
From Cairo, IL upstream to Lake Itasca there are 38 documented species of mussel. On the Lower Mississippi, there may be as many as 60 separate species of mussel; The Upper Mississippi is host to more than 50 mammal species; At least 145 species of amphibians and reptiles inhabit the Upper Mississippi River environs.
What is the mean discharge of the Mississippi River?
Since the freak conditions of 1927, the mean discharge of water into the lower Mississippi by its major tributaries has been carefully monitored. The mean discharge of the main river at Vicksburg, Mississippi, is calculated at 570,000 cubic feet (16,140 cubic metres) per second.
How long is the main stem of the Mississippi River?
As a result, different lengths may be reported depending upon the year or measurement method. The staff of Itasca State Park at the Mississippi’s headwaters suggest the main stem of the river is 2,552 miles long. The US Geologic Survey has published a number of 2,300 miles, the EPA says it is 2,320 miles long,…
Where does the Mississippi River start and end?
Lake Itasca, Itasca State Park, northwestern Minnesota. Where does the Mississippi River start and end? The Mississippi River rises in Lake Itasca in Minnesota and ends in the Gulf of Mexico. It covers a total distance of 2,340 miles (3,766 km) from its source. The Mississippi River is the longest river of North America.
How big is the Mississippi River in square miles?
Mississippi River. Written By: Mississippi River, the longest river of North America, draining with its major tributaries an area of approximately 1.2 million square miles (3.1 million square km), or about one-eighth of the entire continent. The Mississippi River lies entirely within the United States.