Mississippi River

The transportation sector accounts for about 28% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Barge shipping could help reduce that output, but there’s not a full picture of how carbon efficient that transportation mode really is.

The long-delayed project at Illinois' southern tip is now moving forward under new leadership.

If not repaired, the aging bridge, the only connection to Choteau Island for vehicles, could be further shuttered to the dismay of farmers, utility providers and government agencies.

Severe storms and winds kept racers in the MR340, a river race from Kansas City to St. Charles, from finishing the endurance race. But, they still plan to celebrate on Friday night.

Changing rainfall amounts, soil conditions and river levels all complicate the situation, which kicked off with a stretch of dryness this spring.

It’s a newer consideration for environmentalists, who previously thought that river systems were relatively benign and don’t contribute many greenhouse gas emissions.

Hundreds of black carp have been reported in the Mississippi River basin, and the invasive fish harm the local ecosystem by threatening important native species.

The existential threat from flooding is also an economic one for the cities and towns that hug the country's major rivers. In total, flooding in 2019 along the Mississippi and its tributaries caused an estimated $6.2 billion in damage, including millions in the St. Louis region.

A growing legal movement to grant natural entities like rivers and forests legal rights is gaining traction in the U.S., and environmentalists are now setting their sights on the Mississippi River.

Funded through Illinois’ Competitive Freight Program, the two biggest projects include freight yard expansion in both Madison and St. Clair counties and lane improvements on Interstate 55 and 70 between Collinsville and Troy.