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Mississippi River Fact Sheet

· The Mississippi is the longest river in North America

· The Mississippi River winds its way 2,552 miles as it travels from the headwaters in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.

· The river begins 1,475 feet above sea level.

· The Mississippi passes through ten states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

· The Mississippi--Missouri River system is the world’s fourth longest. Only the Nile, Amazon and Yangtze Rivers are longer.

· The Mississippi River drains approximately 40% of the continental United States-all or part of 31 states, and two Canadian provinces, Ontario and Manitoba.

· The total drainage area of the Mississippi River is approximately 1.25 million square miles.

· The Mississippi releases 2.3 million cubic feet of water per second into the Gulf of Mexico and more than 400-million cubic yards of mud, sand and gravel each year.

· The Mississippi River provides transport for more than 472-million tons of cargo each year, including 46% of the grain exported from the United States.

· More than 12 million people live in the 125 counties and parishes that border the Mississippi River.

· The Mississippi River valley generates over $7 billion in agricultural and forest products and $29 million in manufacturing goods each year.

· The Mississippi is a major flyway for migratory birds. It is used by up to 40% of North America’s duck, goose, swan and eagle populations.

· Waterfowl hunting in the flyway is valued at $58 million per year and sport fishing is valued at over $100 million annually.

· The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge reports 3.5 million visits a year. That’s more than the number of visits to Yellowstone National Park.

· International visitors spend an estimated $2.6 billion each year throughout the ten river states, generating more than 53,000 jobs.

· The Mississippi River is a water source for over 4 million people.

· A system of 29 locks and dams control navigation on the Upper Mississippi between Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Louis, Missouri.