Mississippi River Basin

The Mississippi River Basin, which spans from the Appalachians to the Rockies, Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and covers about 40% of the continental United States, underpins agricultural production, provides drinking water for nearly 20 million people, and supports a diversity of wildlife. A quarter of all fish species in North America live in the Mississippi River and 60% of birds in North America use it as a migratory flyway. 

The watershed is dominated by agriculture, collectively making up more than 90% of all U.S. agricultural exports. The industry, though, is also the top polluter of the Mississippi River, with nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from fertilizers and manure causing algae blooms, and oxygen depletion, and in many areas, contaminating groundwater supplies. The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico caused by nutrient pollution flowing from the Mississippi River results in up to $2.4 billion of damage annually to fisheries and marine habitats. 

Throughout the Spring of 2019, severe flooding in the Mississippi River Basin inflicted billions of dollars in damages to farmers, agribusinesses, and meat companies. Millions of acres of corn, wheat, and soy couldn’t be planted and $1 billion of grain couldn't be shipped from major ports, such as those in southern Louisiana, because of flooding. 

One main driver of land loss and flooding is the engineering of the Mississippi River with channelization, dams, and canals that make urbanization, agriculture, shipping, and transportation possible. Historically, the river carried and deposited sediment in marshes, wetlands, and deltas, creating land, but now infrastructure cuts the river off from these ecosystems. Stakeholders are working to combat land loss and flooding through nature based solutions, such as a plan by The Nature Conservancy in partnership with the Army Corps and Natural Resources Conservation Service to restore and reconnect 750,000 acres of historic floodplains. 

Companies and investors have a unique opportunity to respond to water risks in their operations and supply chains within the Mississippi River Basin, advocate for sustainable and resilient water policies, ensure sustainable management of the basin’s water supplies, and develop watershed protection plans in collaboration with local stakeholders.