Miss. River watershed report card

The 2020 Mississippi River Watershed Report Card marks progress toward restoring the health and condition of the Mississippi River Watershed and its basin, according to America’s Watershed Initiative. AWI’s report card grades the overall watershed with a C-. It’s a modest improvement over the D+ earned in AWI’s 2015 report card. Among the report’s takeaways: Modest improvements in hunting and fishing licenses, floodplain population, and infrastructure maintenance and condition; remains threatened by frequent and extreme flooding, aging infrastructure, chemical pollution, nutrient runoff, and continued urbanization and agricultural intensification. The river’s water quality was rated very poor, with concerns for the nation’s drinking water supply, resulting in the grade for water supply and ecosystems dropping to a D compared to 2015; and flood control and risk reduction remains a major concern, with the grade of D unchanged from 2015. (Source: America’s Watershed Initiative 12/21/20) Watershed Report Card | America's Watershed Initiative