Mighty Miss Facts

Mighty Miss Fun Facts

Here’s a list of interesting facts compiled by Terry:

National Park Service – “A raindrop falling at Lake Itasea (at the Mississippi headwaters) would arrive at the Gulf of Mexico in about 90 days.”

Named by Ojibwa Indians of Northern Minnesota, who called it Messippi meaning “Big River.” They also used “mee-zee-see-bee” meaning “Father of Waters.”

Length – 2352 miles (4100 km)

Touches 10 states, through 2 and borders eight

Drains watershed from 32 states (41% of USA)

29 locks and dams from Minneapolis to St. Louis

Elevation = 1475 feet at Lake Itasea, drops 800 feet in first 260 miles before Minneapolis, another 120 feet by St. Paul (13 miles away)

Flow = 600,000 cubic feet per second at New Orleans at 300 mph

Wildlife = 260 species of fish, 60% of all bird species in North America use the river basin as their migratory flyway

1 barge = 15 jumbo rail hoppers

= 58 semi truck trailers

= Wheat for 2.25 million loaves of bread

Commerce – sport fishing $100 million per year; waterfowl hunting $58 million per year