The Mississippi River Basin begins in a little lake in northern Minnesota. But its many branches and tributaries sprawl across nearly half of the continental U.S., stretching from the sandstone cliffs of Montana to the shale fields of Western Pennsylvania, sustaining the lives and livelihoods of millions in between. Yet even this doesn’t fully capture how large the Mississippi looms. According to the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, the region it spans produces more than 90 percent of America’s agricultural exports and a majority of its livestock. It’s also one of the most important transportation corridors on the planet, supporting a $400 billion shipping industry that ferries countless goods across the continent, from fertilizer to car parts. So many people rely on the Mississippi River Basin for their water supply that an exact count doesn’t even exist.  All of this usage sits in uneasy parallel with a vast and vital natural world: The rivers and their floodplains are home to over half of the continent’s migratory bird routes and one out of every four of its fish species. The Mississippi River Basin nurtures all of this wildlife despite being beset by a steady stream of industrial pollution, sewage discharge and agricultural runoff.  The fact that one of America’s most iconic natural features is also one of its most threatened makes it an ideal case study. Age-old questions of commerce versus conservation are integral to the Mississippi’s identity. So is the diversity of people and places the river touches, from Rust Belt cities to soybean farms. Its grandeur and its disrepair make it an irresistible metaphor.  This 12-story project, a special subset of our ongoing Waterline series, will explore the many challenges and the collaborative, forward-thinking solutions transforming the Mississippi River Basin today. We’ll examine efforts to eradicate invasive species, convert grazing land into wildlife habitat, and make the region’s farms more welcoming to migratory birds. We’ll hear from the people whose cities, economies and identities are inseparable from the river basin. And we’ll immerse ourselves in the region through vibrant imagery, interactive storytelling and a Mississippi River music playlist curated by RTBC founder David Byrne. To follow along, subscribe to our newsletter. This series is sponsored by the Walton Family Foundation. To learn more about our funder-supported content, read our Editorial Independence Policy. The post 12 Stories About America’s Most Iconic River System appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.