what problems are caused by dredging out wetlands

This has caused a loss of habitat for native plants and animals and has reduced the biological productivity of the entire river basin. Many of the original freshwater wetlands, riparian zones and adjacent streams and tributaries along the Mississippi have been disconnected from the river by levees and other engineering modifications. Over time, the character of the old river meanders and floodplains have been modified for millions of acres of agriculture and urbanization.

The Mississippi is one of the most heavily engineered rivers in the United States. The natural capacity of the MARB to remove nutrients has been diminished by a range of human activities. Image courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection Accession No. These nutrients have contributed to hypoxia. Productivity from these areas resulted in large amounts of nutrients being discharged from the river system into the Gulf of Mexico.

The convenience of a trustworthy mode of transportation and a constant water supply encouraged agriculture, industries, and cities to spread to areas along the river. However, this system made it more difficult for water to be absorbed and made flooding even more detrimental. Manmade locks and dams were created to control flooding and create deeper waters for steamboats. Once steamboats were invented, the Mississippi River became an important mode of transportation that revolutionized river commerce. The water way was first used for trade with Indian tribes when fur pelts were floated down the river from Ohio. Prior to the Louisiana Purchase, the Mississippi River acted as the western border for the United States. Census data, nearly 30% of Americans live in the MARB. The Mississippi River provides necessary resources to the United States and the world and has helped to shape American history and commerce, including tourism and the fishing industry. drainage basin, the Mississippi also creates borders for 10 states. Parts or all of 31 states plus two Canadian provinces drain into the Mississippi River, totaling 41% of the contiguous United States and 15% of North America. The Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB), which encompasses both the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya River Basins, is the third largest in the world, after the Amazon and Congo basins.

This map of the MARB shows major tributaries to the Mississippi River and the general area of the hypoxic zone at its mouth.

What problems are caused by dredging out wetlands