How about that Mississippi River!?

[deezler]

It's low, some of the pictures are wild. I've only crossed the Mississippi a couple times in my life, so it's hard to remember how huge it is. I really didn't realize that it could drop by 10-15 feet in level, and still be flowing.

But here's the reason why: Nearly every part of the watershed is in severe drought. I bet the Arkansas river is barely flowing at this point also.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Nice map! Yeah one article I read said it was 40 feet lower than some of the historical flood levels of the last couple of years.

 

[MossRoad]

Some interesting observations:

- The Missouri River is longer than the Mississippi by less than 100 miles.
- The Missouri River is more than twice as long as the Ohio River.
- Yet the Ohio River discharges more than 3.25 the amount of water into the Mississippi than the Missouri River.
- The Ohio River accounts for about 47% of the total output of the Mississippi.
- The Missouri River only accounts for about 14.5% of the total output of the Mississippi.

By those numbers and looking at that drought map, you can see that the drought to the west/northwest of the Mississippi is the major cause of low water problems upstream of Cairo, IL. where the Ohio enters into it.

 

[deezler]

Good data there Moss. Have to imagine that a lot of the water that could come down the Missouri is withheld for agriculture instead. Wonder if that is accounted for in your stats.

 

[MossRoad]

Good data there Moss. Have to imagine that a lot of the water that could come down the Missouri is withheld for agriculture instead. Wonder if that is accounted for in your stats.

I'm sure someone somewhere keeps track of that.

https://www.jswconline.org/content/jswc/72/5/105A.full.pdf

 

[caver]

I know of one power plant that is offline due to low water levels. Cooling intakes sucking air is a problem.

 

[MossRoad]

At this point about all anyone can do is hope for a really heavy snow season for a couple years.

 

[tallyho8]

For a few times in the last few years we have had to open spillways when the Mississippi got too high. This low is very unusual but we still have plenty of water in the river here, about 10 miles north of New Orleans.
Photo 1 is downriver a couple miles from my house. #2 is tied up barges waiting for higher water. #3 is area usually underwater. #4 Heavy tow ropes are easily available when the water is low.

 

[tallyho8]

More photos: #1 Low water reveals many objects. #2 All the plastic bottles from up north. #3 A half loaded ship comes downriver. #4 Short movie clip that won't work until after midnight tonight.

.

 

[Oaktree]

For a few times in the last few years we have had to open spillways when the Mississippi got too high. This low is very unusual but we still have plenty of water in the river here, about 10 miles north of New Orleans.

But how much of that water is the Mississippi, and how much is saltwater coming in from the Gulf? I've heard that was becoming a major problem in much of La.