Mississippi River

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Along the Mississippi, a 'Serious Situation'

Saltwater intrusion could mean salt water for close to 1M people in Louisiana

(Newser) - A summer of high heat and low rainfall has created a serious risk to New Orleans' drinking water. In the coming weeks, water levels on the Mississippi River are expected to reach historic lows for the second year in a row . That means salt water flowing north from the Gulf...

Iowa Braces for Flooding, and Yosemite Closes Down

Warmer temperatures are causing flood threats across the US after a strong winter

(Newser) - Parts of the US endured a fierce winter with heavy snow. Now that temperatures are warming up and snowpacks are melting, the second part of that double whammy is here—flooding.
  • Yosemite: NPR reports that Yosemite National Park will close from Friday through at least May 3 because of flooding.
...

Century-Old Wreck's Latest Woe: Thieves

4 pieces stolen from Brookhill Ferry in Baton Rouge, La., with 2 still missing

(Newser) - Four pieces of a century-old shipwreck visible for the first time in decades as a result of low water levels along the Mississippi River have been stolen. Louisiana state archaeologist Charles McGimsey says he caught one man carrying away a piece of the Brookhill Ferry, located near downtown Baton Rouge,...

No, That's Not a Desert— That's the Mississippi River

Drought, record-low water levels are mucking up ship routes and commerce along trade super-route

(Newser) - Every year, 589 million tons of freight moves up and down the Mississippi River, which CNN deems "America's most important trade waterway." But you may need to take "water" out of that description along many sections of the route, as a historic drought has caused the...

Low Water Revealing History in Mississippi River

Remains of a 95-foot vessel emerged near Baton Rouge

(Newser) - A shipwreck has emerged along the banks of the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as water levels threaten to reach record lows in some areas. The ship, which archaeologists believe to be a ferry that sunk in the late 1800s to early 1900s, was spotted by a Baton Rouge...

Miss. River Barges Are Getting Stuck at 'Worst Possible Time'

River is nearing record lows in some areas, snarling corn, soybean shipping

(Newser) - The unusually low water level in the lower Mississippi River is causing barges to get stuck in mud and sand, disrupting river travel for shippers, recreational boaters, and even passengers on a cruise line. Lack of rainfall in recent weeks has left the Mississippi River approaching record low levels in...

Big Plan in the Works to Reengineer Mississippi River

The project is ambitious and highly controversial, but something must be done

(Newser) - Work could soon begin on the great Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, considered the "largest ecosystem restoration project in US history," writes Boyce Upholt for Hakai Magazine. Aspects of the $2 billion engineering scheme have been in the works for decades, ever since people began noticing the alarming pace of...

Woman Charged With Murder in 'Babies in the Water' Case

Authorities say Minnesota mother left 2 infants near Mississippi River

(Newser) - Decades after the bodies of two infants were found in the Mississippi River in what locals call the "babies in the water" case, authorities say they've found the babies' mother and charged her with murder. Jennifer Matter, 50, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the...

Kayaker's Photo Shows Bridge Was Cracked Years Ago

Though officials won't confirm that

(Newser) - Photos taken by a Mississippi River kayaker about five years before a crack was found in the Interstate 40 bridge linking Tennessee and Arkansas appear to show the fracture that led transportation officials to close the span indefinitely last week, the AP reports. Arkansas transportation officials said they cannot confirm...

Crack in Major Bridge Could Lead to Monthslong Shutdown

Closure of Memphis' Hernando DeSoto Bridge connecting Tenn. to Ark. is causing a big headache

(Newser) - A big crack in the steel framework of a bridge over the Mississippi River has led to the bridge's closure, throwing traffic and shipping into disarray for the indefinite future. On Tuesday, the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, which connects Memphis, Tenn., and West Memphis, Ark., was shut down for emergency...

Body of LSU Freshman Found in Mississippi River
Body of Missing LSU
Student Is Found
Apr 15, 2021 11:15 AM CDT

Body of Missing LSU Student Is Found

Freshman Kori Gauthier found in Mississippi River; no foul play suspected

(Newser) - The body of a missing Louisiana State University student has been found in the Mississippi River, ending a dayslong search involving hundreds of people. "We have concluded that there was no criminal activity or foul play involved" in the death of Kori Gauthier, an 18-year-old freshman, LSU Police Chief...

Mississippi River Could 'Overtop' New Orleans Levees in Coming Storm

City braces for expected hurricane

(Newser) - Louisiana declared a state of emergency Wednesday as a severe storm swamped New Orleans and a possible hurricane was on its way. NOLA.com 's headline for its photo story: "New Orleans underwater." In a separate piece, NOLA.com reports the Mississippi River is expected to rise...

Rare Winter Flood Kills at Least 18 in Missouri, Illinois

It's shaping up to be the second-worst flood on record

(Newser) - A rare winter flood pushed swollen rivers and streams to virtually unheard-of heights Tuesday, sparking widespread evacuations. Inmates were transferred from an Illinois state prison, and Missouri's governor activated the National Guard to help divert traffic away from submerged roads. The US Army Corps of Engineers said water from...

Study May Solve Riddle of Ancient City's Downfall
 Study: What May 
 Have Doomed 
 America's 'First City' 
in case you missed it
May 23, 2015 7:00 PM CDT

Study: What May Have Doomed America's 'First City'

Massive floods may have led to demise of Cahokia, site of modern St. Louis

(Newser) - For Native Americans living in the 12th century, Cahokia was the place to be. Now researchers think they've uncovered a major reason why the hub located near what is now St. Louis disappeared—massive flooding of the Mississippi River. Researchers dug up soil samples from two local lakes and...

Explorers to Canoe for 9 Months— Upstream

Gulf-to-Arctic canoe journey has never been undertaken before

(Newser) - Paddling a canoe for up to 12 hours a day, sometimes while covered in ice, may not be every person's idea of a good time, but for six outdoor adventurers, that's exactly what they'll be doing until September. Iowans Luke Kimmes and Jarrad Moore, along with four...

Mississippi Sees 3rd Gator Record in a Week

Latest alligator caught weighs in at 741.5 pounds

(Newser) - Last week, Mississippi saw its state record for heaviest alligator broken—twice on the same day . And yesterday, a third hunter broke the record yet again. The gator caught by Dalco Turner weighed in at 741.5 pounds, breaking the previous record of 727 pounds, the Clarion-Ledger reports. The beast...

Flooding Rivers Imperil the Heartland

Mississippi River projected to peak 11 feet above flood stage

(Newser) - The Heartland is under water, with today's expected rain and snow adding to the woes of already-flooded parts of the Midwest, CNN reports. Rising river waters have caused four deaths, forced evacuations in Illinois, and are threatening Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, North Dakota, Mississippi, and Michigan as well. The Mississippi...

Mississippi River Shut Down After Oil Barge Crash

Investigators not sure how large spill is

(Newser) - Oil spilled into the Mississippi River yesterday when a barge carrying 80,000 gallons of it hit a railroad bridge in Vicksburg, Miss., the AP reports. Investigators don't know how much oil spilled, but a sheen was reported as far as three miles downriver. A second barge owned by...

Salt Water Oozes Into Not-So-Mighty Mississippi

New Orleans' water supply at risk

(Newser) - The drought isn't just stranding boats on the Mississippi , it's turning the river salty. The low outflow is allowing saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to creep upstream at a rate of around a mile day, NPR reports. Some Louisiana cities have already been forced to buy water...

97 Boats Stranded on Sluggish Mississippi

Drought causing ships to run aground in vital artery

(Newser) - The drought is drying up the mighty Mississippi as well as farmers' fields. An 11-mile stretch of the river has been closed due to low water levels, stranding 97 boats while dredging is carried out, and navigation markers are replaced, CBS reports. Officials say it's not clear when the...

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