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Feb 05

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Ode to the Mighty Mississippi

One massive river—full of scenic wonder, cultural import, and a bounty of positive environmental impacts. Jump in:

A true national treasure! (via USGS)

You wanna talk epic? The Mississippi River, all 2,340 meandering miles of it, is the second longest river in the U.S. and flows through ten states.

If that doesn’t sound splashy enough, consider this: Its watershed is the fourth largest in the world. It includes 31 states and two Canadian provinces, and measures about 1.2 million square miles.

Of course, it’s not just size that matters. For thousands of years, the Mississippi has transported people and goods, and provided essential life-giving water.

Today, more than 50 cities rely on the mighty river for their daily water supply, and it’s also a major migratory path for birds. And that’s just skimming the surface of awesome.

Ol’ man river still going strong!

Get schooled:

The fine print:

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Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/location-profiles/the-mighty-mississippi/