As Scarcity Worsens, Mississippi River Users Seek Protective Compact

Looking ahead toward the future for one of the country’s most iconic rivers, officials have taken steps to better protect their local source water as climate change seems poised to present increasing challenges.

“At the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative’s (MRCTI) annual meeting … about 30 mayors unanimously voted in favor of pursuing a compact that would span more than 2,300 miles of river,” the MinnPost reported. “MRCTI’s executive director, Colin Wellenkamp, said a compact among the core states bordering the river would be a way to think about river management at watershed-scale, from the headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, and coordinate during events affecting the whole river, like drought and flooding.”

Urgency around Mississippi River management seems to be building as a result of ongoing drought, which is impacting water systems across the country. Similarly, water managers have raised red flags around dwindling levels for major source bodies like the Potomac River and Colorado River in recent weeks.

As water scarcity plagues the Southwestern U.S. in particular, the compact was likely motivated by fears that attempts to divert Mississippi River water to that dry region could soon impact […]

Full article: www.wateronline.com