The Mississippi River is Drying Up, and That's The Least of It
The Mississippi River is drying up for the second year in a row. It's a problem.
The Mississippi River is drying up, again. After months of drought, it's sinking down to record lows. It's so low in places, you can walk out into the middle of the river bed and search for fossils and artifacts.
Tourists are loving it.
Farmers aren't.
The agriculture sector relies on the Mississippi to transport crops harvested in the fall. Since September, dozens of barges have run aground. Civil engineers are working overtime to dredge the river.
This same problem happened last year. It was the first time in decades the river had gotten so dry that ships couldn't pass. Farmers wound up having to lighten the loads and supplement with trucking. It drove shipping costs up. See, sailing crops downriver uses far less energy. In the end, the drought led to billions in losses. Now it's looking like an annual event.
Saltwater intrusion threatens more than 800,000 residents in Louisiana, including New Orleans. This happens when the river flow weakens to the point that the current …