The Washington (DC) Post has reported on a first-of-its-kind study by the American Watershed Initiative that has given the Mississippi River basin, the fourth largest in the world, a poor grade.

After five years of research, meetings, and symposiums — which brought together 700 people representing 400 organizations to analyze the basin’s water supply, transportation, flood control, economy, recreation, and ecosystem health – the Initiative gave the Mississippi River watershed an overall grade of D+.

One of those people included Larry Weber, Edwin B. Green Chair in Hydraulics, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and director of IIHR--Hydroscience & Engineering.

Responding to the study's results, Weber warned, "“Unless we as a population get behind supporting improvements behind the Mississippi River system, we’ll never get the political support for it and we’ll never be able to make changes."

To read the complete Washington Post article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/10/16/were-totally-mismanaging-the-mississippi-river-basin-and-its-costing-us/.

To read the study's results, go to http://americaswater.wpengine.com/reportcard/.