Page 22 - "Mississippi in the 1st Person" - Michael James Stone (Demo/Free)

Mississippi River Run

The Mississippi River rises in northern Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for 2,320
miles (3,730 km)to the Gulf of Mexico. The river either borders or passes through the states of
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi,
and Louisiana.

In recent times the Mississippi has seen its share of pollution and environmental problems –
mostly large volumes of agricultural runoff, which has led to the Gulf of Mexico dead zone at the

mouth of the river. The river has also shown a shift towards the Atchafalaya River; an alternative
route also for paddlers.

The source of the Upper Mississippi is traditionally accepted as Lake Itasca, 1,475 feet (450 m)

above sea level in Itasca State Park in Clearwater County, Minnesota. The name "Itasca" was
chosen to designate the "true head" of the Mississippi River as a combination of the last four let-
ters of the Latin word for truth (veritas) and the first two letters of the Latin word for head

(caput). However, the lake is in turn fed by a number of smaller streams. (Please note that

“acceptable source” is not the actual source and so those purist who say Source to Sea and ac-
cept Lake Itasca as starting are wrong. Lake Itasca is simply a popular starting place.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia