Mississippi River Delta

Mississippi River DeltaBrady Seeley

Location

Characteristics• River itself discharges 41% of headwater’s flow from the U.S.• Discharge is 470,000 cfs• 36,000 square kilometers• 40% of coastal wetlands found here• Commercial fisheries, navigable waterways, outdoor tourism

Fauna• Louisiana Black Bear (Ursus americanus luteolus)• Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)• American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

Flora• Jamaica swamp sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense)• Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)• Swamp tupelo (Nyssa biflora)

Threats

• Flow control structures• Agriculture• Old growth forests logged• 24 square miles of wetland loss annually

References• Gosselink, James G., Mitsch William J. 2007. Wetlands. 4th ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The Mississippi River Delta Basin. [Internet]. LDWF. [cited

2012 Sept. 12]. Available from: http://lacoast.gov/new/About/Basin_data/mr/Default.aspx#main• National Geographic. American Alligator. [Internet]. [cited 2012 Sept. 12]. Available from:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/american-alligator/• National Wildlife Federation. Mississippi River Delta. [Internet]. Reston (VA): NWF. [cited 2012 Sept.

2012]. Available from: http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wild-Places/Mississippi-River-Delta.aspx• Natural Resource Conservation Service. Jamaica Swamp Sawgrass. [Internet]. USDA. [cited 2012 Sept. 12]

Available from: http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=CLMAJ• Natural Resource Conservation Service. Seaside Goldenrod. [Internet]. USDA. [cited 2012 Sept. 12]

Available from: http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=SOSE• Natural Resource Conservation Service. Swamp Tupelo. [Internet]. USDA. [cited 2012 Sept. 12] Available

from: http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=NYBI• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Louisiana Black Bear. [Internet]. [cited 2012 Sept. 12]. Available from:

http://www.fws.gov/southeast/pubs/LA_blackbear-fs.pdf• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Piping Plover. [Internet]. [cited 2012 Sept. 12]. Available from:

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/pipingplover/pipingpl.html