MDC: Day on the River set for Sept. 16

Attendees at MDC’s Day on the River can be piloted around the Mississippi by MDC staff. (MDC)

Free event takes place in Cape Girardeau Riverfront Park

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Officials organizing the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Day on the River event are anticipating crowds of people of all ages who are eager to learn more about the Big Muddy, what’s in it, how they can conserve it, and what its future holds.

The annual event showcasing the mighty Mississippi River is set for 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, at Riverfront Park in Cape Girardeau.

All ages and groups are welcome at this free event. No registration is required.

MDC Naturalist Angela Pierce said Day on the River is a “prime opportunity” to learn about the Mississippi River.

Visitors to the Sept. 16 event will also discover informational booths, live aquatic animal displays and kids’ crafts.

“Families can enjoy boat rides guided by MDC staff, practice casting a fishing pole, and see fish right out of the big river,” said Pierce.

Attendees will also discover informational booths, live aquatic animal displays, and kids’ crafts. Staff with the Upper Mississippi River Restoration program will also be available for attendees to ask how MDC partners to manage the rivers’ many uses.

“The Mississippi River and surrounding wetlands are a huge part of Cape Girardeau heritage and they’re important habitat for wildlife,” said Pierce. “This makes for excellent recreational, hunting, and fishing opportunities. We hope lots of people will join us for this unique event to find out what the river has to offer.”

Boat rides will be on a first-come, first-served basis, so early arrival is recommended for those hoping to get a unique experience on the water while getting a unique perspective of historic Cape Girardeau.

More can be learned about MDC’s partnership with Upper Mississippi River Restoration online at https://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental-Stewardship/Upper-Mississippi-River-Restoration.

For more information on Day on the River and other free MDC events in southeast Missouri, visit mdc.mo.gov/southeastevents

According to Wikipedia, when measured from its traditional source at  Lake Itasca, the Mississippi has a length of 2,340 miles. When measured from its longest stream source —most distant source from the sea,  Brower’s Spring  in  Montana, the source of the  Missouri River—it has a length of 3,710 miles, making it the fourth longest river in the world after the  Nile,  Amazon, and  Yangtze. When measured by the largest stream source by water volume, the  Ohio River, by extension the  Allegheny River, would be the source, and the Mississippi would begin in  Pennsylvania.

At its source at  Lake Itasca, the Mississippi River is about 3 feet deep. The average depth of the Mississippi River between Saint Paul and Saint Louis is between 9 and 12 feet deep, the deepest part being  Lake Pepin, which averages 20–32 feet deep and has a maximum depth of 60 feet. Between where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi at Saint Louis, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois, the depth averages 30 feet. Below Cairo, where the Ohio River joins, the depth averages 50–100 feet deep. The deepest part of the river is in New Orleans, where it reaches 200 feet deep.