At Riverview Heights Park in Fridley, the height of the Mississippi is shrinking.
“It’s definitely lower than we’d like to see it,” said Pete Boulay, a Minnesota state climatologist.
The mighty Mississippi is more like the rocky Mississippi, with boulders and stones visible because of sinking water levels.
Said Boulay: “We’re getting concerned about it.”
The Mississippi’s current is usually powerful as it flows with fury to the Gulf, but now the water goes by at much slower speeds.
“Right here in the Twin Cities we’re in a severe drought,” Boulay said. “Farther north where the water comes from the Mississippi is in an extreme drought, like in Aitkin County. All the way upstream it’s really low and that’s where our water comes from.”
According to Boulay it’s been an unusual summer when it comes to weather.
“In the Twin Cities alone from this summer, June through August, were basically the fifth warmest and seventh driest on record,” Boulay said. “The Mississippi is well below the average level for this time of year all the way up to Aitkin County.”
Mississippi is “really low”
Gilberto Montejo, his wife Sonja and their dog Pablo come to Riverview Heights Park often.
“We just come and look for rocks,” said Montejo, who is from Brooklyn Center. “River rocks.”
The shallow river means the Montejo’s can wade into the Mississippi a lot farther than normal.
“It’s really low,” Montejo said. “Look at it. Maybe 10 inches. It’s not that deep.”
Montejo strolled into the Mississippi to illustrate how shallow the river is. He could practically walk from Anoka to Hennepin County.
“If it’s really high I wouldn’t be able to stand over here and look for rocks,” Montejo said. “They’ve got beautiful rocks. That’s why I’m here.”
The rocks are good for collecting, but not for boats.
“Be cautious,” Boulay said. “Because those rocks you used to go over, they’re sitting there right now.”
Sand bars, rocks and a vanishing riverfront
For the Mississippi to replenish and get back to normal, it’s going to require a lot of liquid from the sky. Until then get used to sand bars, rocks and a vanishing riverfront that is shrinking by the day.
“It’s getting lower,” Montejo said. “I think we need rain.”
“If we don’t get any rain it’s going to keep going down,” Boulay said. “So we worry about that. We don’t like to see that going into winter.”
Up river from Fridley near the Minnesota 610 bridge , aerial video shows just how dramatic the drought’s impact is on the Mississippi.
The river is not nearly as wide and where there is usually a strong current, there is now grass, sand and debris.
“It’s going to take a lot of rain to get us out of this drought,” Boulay said. “The Twin Cities is 6 1/2 inches short for the year. It would take a lot to make that up.”
