Pollution: Anything but "isolated."

In June, 2008, a story in USA Today asserted that flooding of the Mississippi River would create "isolated risk" of pollution.

Pardon?

Think of the contaminants which find their way into our waterways on any given day... without the added pressure of Mother Nature flushing-out our river basins to absorb anything within reach. Propane and fuel oil tanks. Fertilizers from crop lands. Fecies from feed lots. Isolated? The reporter that calls flooding along the Ol' Miss an "isoliated pollution risk" should volunteer to take a glass from the river and drink it. We'll see how isolated he/she feels within the 24 hours that follow.

There was great tragedy along the Mississippi River during the flood of 2008, just as there was back in 1993. People are losing homes, farms, livelihoods. I feel for their loss (I've experienced the agony of loss as the victim of flooding).

But that having been said, the flood of 2008 serves as a reminder that anything which resides within a flood plain stands to impact the river... and any land, habitat or city that waits downstream.

© 2008, 2009, Mike D. Anderson, Crystal, MN.

[Originally posted June 24, 2008.]