Our Mississippi's watershed (an area of land where all the water that falls in and drains to a common outlet) drains over 1.2 million acres, ferrying water from all or part of 32 states down to the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, by the time the River reaches the Gulf, it is sick, overburdened with pollution, and feeds the Gulf 'Dead Zone' - an area where oxygen conditions are so low little to nothing can survive. Fortunately, there are solutions, but we need your help. Please take action today to help heal our Gulf and restore our River.

Like you, I am committed to helping create a healthier world now and for our future generations. Thank you for being a part of our community and caring for the people, land, water, and wildlife of our River. Together, we are making a difference.

-Michael Anderson, Outreach and Engagement Manager, Mississippi River Network

The 2022 Gulf of Mexico 'Dead Zone' measured at nearly 3,300 square miles large—the size equivalent to over 1.5 million football fields—and is almost two times larger than the ecological goal set by the Gulf Hypoxia Task Force. This has devastating consequences for marine wildlife and people.
It’s time we do something different. It’s time for an ambitious, basinwide strategy to decrease the size of the Dead Zone. Fortunately, we have solutions, and you can make a difference today.

While this year’s Dead Zone was smaller than last year’s measurement, scientists attribute the size reduction to environmental conditions like droughts and low Mississippi River water flow and not necessarily the coordinated actions of our Hypoxia Task Force states. While we celebrate many recent successes by states to reduce pollution, much work is needed. We believe the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative (the MRRRI Act) is another critical tool that will increase funding and opportunity to implement proven on-the-ground (and on-the-water) solutions. More information on this year's measurement can be found from NOAA here.

Participate in the Planter Box Design Competition!

The Water Collaborative is back with their planter box competition! You are invited to participate in the only design competition that merges climate adaptation, environmental justice, food sovereignty, and resilience together to support communities suffering the impacts of climate change.

Learn about the fundamentals of creating a Floating Planter Box and get more information on how to design the perfect planter for this year’s client, the Grand Bayou Tribe, on August 9th, 2022, at 12pm CT via Zoom.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administratino (NOAA) and its partners' new pilot project, “Building Knowledge to Support Equitable Climate Resilience,” including a $150,000 NOAA investment, has two objectives:

• Better understand the upper Mississippi River flow patterns to provide data on how the river will likely respond to changing climate conditions. This data is crucial for communities to plan for both flood and low flow conditions. 
• Engage vulnerable communities to enhance their climate resilience. Customized community engagement strategies for key sets of stakeholders allows NOAA and partners to collaboratively build long-term, respectful partnerships and relationships with underserved communities

Vankita Brown, NOAA senior advisor for equity said, “often, communities know what they need to be resilient — what they need is our help getting there. NOAA is proud to strengthen these meaningful connections with communities along the Mississippi River, and develop climate products that benefit all users."

Please join us in welcoming Lily Zander (she/her) to our team and the River Citizen community! As the Mississippi River Sustainable Agriculture Fellow for both the Mississippi River Network (MRN) and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL), Lily recognizes the urgent need to heal and build reciprocal relationships between people and the River to preserve the continuous gifts the land and water provide us. Learn more about Lily, like how growing up on her family's 200-acre organic farm in South Central Wisconsin cultivated her passions, in her staff bio.