Environment
Why Mayors Are Rallying Around the Mississippi River
For communities from Minnesota to Louisiana, the Mississippi is the source of increasing problem flooding, but it’s also the key to a clean water supply and a healthy economy.
The small city of St. Gabriel, Louisiana hugs a narrow bend in the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Dominated by the agriculture and petrochemical industries, St. Gabriel sits 23 feet above sea level and has always been been prone to flooding—although historically, not much action has been taken to address it.
But in the two years since St. Gabriel experienced the 1,000-year rain event that caused catastrophic floods in southern Louisiana, Mayor Lionel Johnson has been hearing from his constituents about adaptation and resilience.