Culture
Bringing Back Mississippi Riverfront Towns Through Bike Trails
Organizations like River Action in Davenport, Iowa, work with governments and businesses to rebuild waterfront communities.
The Mississippi River has come a long way since Huck Finn went rafting down the banks of the waterway that flows from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.
In that time, the Great River has transitioned from steamboat commerce to broader agricultural and industrial development. But time hasn't been a friend to the communities that sit on the shores of the second-longest river in the country: Pollution levels rose steadily and development destroyed much of the natural wildlife that used to grace its shores.