The Mississippi River is now the “most endangered” waterway in the United States, a major water advocacy group warns, largely due to the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
American Rivers on Wednesday put the 2,350-mile-long waterway, which serves as one of the most important commercial transportation routes, at the top of its annual survey evaluating the nation’s rivers.
The Mississippi River, which crosses 10 states and serves some 20 million individuals, is prone to frequent flooding that can disrupt not only drinking water supplies but agriculture and transportation along the river.
The waterway serves as a major shipping corridor valued at nearly $400 billion, according to the report. The Transportation Department lists soybeans, distillate fuel oil, corn, crude petroleum and coal among the major cargo on the river.
