Current Status
Stretches of the Mississippi River within the park corridor exceed water quality standards for mercury, bacteria, sediment, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), and nutrients. Unfortunately, these “impairments” can make the water unsuitable for fishing, swimming, and drinking.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is working with a number of partners to get the water to “fishable” and “swimmable” conditions. (Thanks to the great work of public utilities, treated drinking water from the Mississippi is safe and delicious!) The National Park Service is participating in the process to identify sources of bacterial contamination in the river and develop a plan to reduce that contamination.

The pollution that has led to these conditions cannot be cleaned up overnight—it will take years and widespread coordination to develop and implement effective pollution-reduction plans, and possibly many more years until they are successful.

As work to make the river “fishable” and “swimmable” advances, so will our website. The goal is to offer up-to-date information regarding the status of the river, while providing features and information that can be employed in your daily life.

Events

Mississippi River Forum

Join others whose work influences the Mississippi River in Minnesota on Friday, April 24, 2009. Learn about issues impacting the Mississippi, and make sure other decision makers understand your perspective!  This half-day workshop is a kick-off event for the Mississippi River Forum—a monthly series of informational and networking sessions over a light breakfast. more...

Features

Water Quality Tips

The water quality of the Mississippi River affects all of us in one way or another and we all can make changes in our lives to reduce our impact. Find out what you can do to reduce the amount of pollutants entering the river. more...