Mississippi River

A towboat pushing nine barge cars passes under the Eads Bridge on its way down the Mississippi River at sunset. This image was taken from the top of the Gateway Arch.

NPS - Barb Michel

 

Visitors to the top of the Gateway Arch can look out the observation deck windows on the west side (over the city) or the east side (over the Mississippi River). Although the river appears more “natural”, it has actually been modified substantially from its original form and has become a vital bloodstream to our nation’s economy.

Barges

Since the 1930s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has maintained a nine-foot channel through the Mississippi River to accommodate commercial barges. North of St. Louis, 29 artificial locks and dams facilitate river traffic. These dams are not intended to prevent floods; if the river level exceeds nine feet, excess water simply passes over the spillway. If the water drops too low, the river is dredged to ensure the channel always remains deep enough for barge traffic. Without these interventions, the upper Mississippi River would only be 3-4 feet deep. South of St. Louis, the river is deep enough that human interventions generally aren’t necessary.

Normal water level in the St. Louis area is approximately 20 feet in the center of the river channel, but that varies greatly since the river has natural shoals and deep spots. Current river stats are always available on the USGS's website.

Several dozen towboats pushing barges may pass by the Arch on any given day. Each barge car carries 60 semi-trailer trucks full of cargo, and each towboat can push 15 barges. Over nine million tons of corn from midwest farms travels down the Mississippi River every year! This mode of transportation is far more cost-effective than trucks or trains, and produces fewer emissions. Since barges do not travel quickly, they are best used for nonperishable goods like building materials, rocks, chemicals, or dried grains.

 

Visitors to the top of the Arch can see four bridges crossing the Mississippi River from the east-facing windows. From left to right, they are the Martin Luther King Bridge, the Eads Bridge, the Congressman William L Clay Sr bridge, and the MacArthur bridge. Additional bridges are visible from the west-facing windows.

NPS - Barb Michel

 

Bridges

Over a dozen bridges cross the Mississippi River in the St. Louis metro area. The first bridge to cross the river here, the Eads Bridge, was completed in 1874 and is still used today.

Wildlife

Although the river is very different than it was when the city was founded in 1764, a wide diversity of wildlife can still be found in and around it. Our friends up at Mississippi National River and Recreation Area have wonderful webpages on Mississippi River fish species. At nearby Riverlands Audubon Center, over 300 bird species have been observed, including Bald Eagles and Trumpeter Swans. Even here at the park in downtown St. Louis, wildlife can be found.

Learn More

Check out some river facts from Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. If you are planning a trip, the Great River Road website has information about attractions along the Mississippi River's length. You can also research activities at Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge, which spans Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.