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Down below one can see that the Mississippi have numerous tributaries that are feeding water to the river, two of them are the Missouri River and the Ohio river. The Mississippi River also acts as the country's East and West boundary. The magnificent river starts at Lake Itasca and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Its watershed is the fourth largest in the world covering most or some of 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces. The average speed of the river is 1.2 miles per hour. As for wildlife, the Mississippi River is home to over 200 species of fish.The elevation of the Mississippi at its starting point in Lake Itasca is 1,475 feet above sea level. It becomes 0 feet above sea level at the Gulf of Mexico. A little more than half of that 1,476 ft drop in elevation occurs within the state of Minnesota. The St. Louis Gateway Arch was built on the west bank of the Mississippi, you can see this symbolic monument as you float on by. The Mississippi river is referred to as the "Father of Waters" by Native Americans in the U.S.
Fun Facts: Martin Strel, a swimmer, swam the entire Mississippi River in 68 days. Many of Mark Twain's stories take place at or around the Mississippi, including ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’. |