The journey of the Mississippi is quite long and passes through about 10 states and has many protected areas and also has different segments. The Mississippi flows through ten states, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. 466 miles of the Mississippi River are protected from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the longest stretch of protected river in the United States. Tourists are drawn to this area because of the pristine water quality and mix of southern and northern vegetation as well as the variety of species that live along the Mississippi River. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay There are different segments of the Mississippi, such as the headwaters zone, which extends 500 miles through a swampy area that gradually widens into a rockier area. The only gorge is a passage in the Twin Cities downstream of St. Anthony Falls. Then there's the upper Mississippi, which stretches 950 miles with large limestone cliffs carved out by melting glaciers. The valley along the river extends 1 ¼ miles to Prescott, WI and 6 miles to Trempealeau, WI. Then there is the Middle Mississippi and Lower Mississippi which begin in Cairo, Illinois and end in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a 1,000-mile segment of subtropical swamps and forests with a gulf-side delta built over 7,000 years. The Mississippi is a very polluted river and contains many toxins. This poses many problems for people and animals living near the Mississippi River. In 2010, 12.7 million pounds of trash were recorded in the river. Mississippi is heavily polluted with many chemicals and toxins such as nitrates, arsenic, benzene and mercury. This was recorded in 2010. Some toxins in Mississippi cause cancer, reproductive harm and sometimes even developmental delays and destroy the environment. The Mississippi is the second most polluted waterway in the United States, after the Ohio River. The Mississippi River is home to a variety of fish species. It is also home to a variety of plants as well as mammals, amphibians and reptiles. There are many trees around the Mississippi region, such as silver maple, which is the most common, birch, bur oak, green ash, hackberry, cottonwood, and swamp white oak. There are also many species of fish and the most common are walleye, sauger, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, white bass, catfish, northern pike, bluegill , crappie and perch. There are so many mammals like Louisiana black bears, mink, muskrats, beavers, and near the Mississippi Delta there are armadillos, foxes, bobcats, coyotes and wild hogs. Vegetation around the Mississippi River varies from trees to shrubs to berries as well as invasive species in and around the river. There are many trees around the Mississippi region, such as silver maple, which is the most common, birch, bur oak, green ash, huckleberry, cottonwood, and swamp white oak . There are invasive species of trees and other vegetation such as black locust, Canada thistle, buckthorn, exotic honeysuckle, garlic mustard, purple loosestrife, reed canary grass, elm Siberia, smooth brome and spotted knapweed. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document now.