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The Mississippi River

From Minnesota's Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico, the River with the third largest basin on Earth flows through the American landscape and American life. The Mississippi River is the source of drinking water for 18 million people, a habitat for wildlife, the backbone of our economy and a rich part of our culture. Connecting 31 states via its tributaries, it's easy to feel that the River doesn’t "belong" to anyone, yet, at the same time, its broad reach makes it everyone’s; it unites us as a people and we rely on it as a resource.

We live in many different states, but we are, without a doubt, one nation and
1 Mississippi.

Today, the once mighty Mississippi River is in trouble. Pollution from untreated sewage, farms and factories along with weak enforcement of water laws has caused our great River to decline. Because of its vast tributary system, you don't have to live on the River to have a big impact on the River. The Mississippi River is a part of us and our communities and its poor health impacts us all.

But we can help by making simple changes in our lives and standing up for the River. Become a River Citizen today and learn how.

The 1 Mississippi campaign and the River Citizen program are brought to you by the Mississippi River Network: Headwaters to Gulf and the McKnight Foundation. The Network is a consortium of leading nonprofit organizations who are dedicated to protecting the Mississippi River for the well-being of the land, water and people of America’s largest watershed.

Members of the Mississippi River Network should log in here.