GOAL: Support local, state and national economies
Sustain a water use system to efficiently and effectively support agricultural, industrial and energy productivity.
Access to high-quality water in sufficient, reliable quantities is critical for many economic sectors in local, state and national economies. Many businesses rely on water supply for operations and production of goods. The Mississippi River Watershed’s resources are used in power generation, agricultural irrigation, animal husbandry and industrial production. The total amount of water available for use is limited, and allocation decisions become increasingly difficult as demand increases and supplies become less reliable. Diminished water quality adds to this difficulty. Planning for the efficient use of water among a diversity of stakeholders is critical to sustaining the basin’s economies. Along with supporting local economies, the Mississippi River Watershed supports economic development across the nation through the export of water for such things as crops, meat, textiles, bottled water and beverages. As water stresses increase nationally, greater pressures will be placed on local water resources, with potentially harmful effects to the economy of the watershed.
Grades Explained
Entire Mississippi Watershed
The grades for the overall watershed and the five basins reflect general economic conditions nationwide, differing only slightly among the basins. Additional data is needed to better reflect how local economies directly tie to the management of the watershed and its rivers. Such data will be included in future versions of the Report Card.
Upper Mississippi Basin
The Upper Mississippi Basin received a grade C+ for the Economy. The river dependent employment indicator in the Upper Mississippi received a C+ grade. The median Income indicator received a C grade. The GDP by sector indicator received a C grade.
Ohio & Tennessee River Basin
The Ohio River Basin received an overall grade of C for the Economy. The river dependent employment indicator in the Upper Mississippi received a B grade, the highest in the watershed. The median income indicator received a D+ grade. The GDP by sector indicator received a C grade.
Lower Mississippi Basin
The Lower Mississippi Basin received an overall grade of C- for the Economy. The river dependent employment indicator in the Lower Mississippi received a C grade while the median income indicator received a D grade. The GDP by sector indicator received a C grade.
Arkansas River & Red River Basin
The Arkansas River & Red River Basin received an overall grade of C for the Economy. The river dependent employment indicator in the Arkansas & Red River basin received a C grade while the median income indicator received a C- grade. The GDP by sector indicator received a C grade.
Missouri River Basin
The Missouri River Basin received an overall grade of C- for the Economy. The river dependent employment indicator in the Lower Mississippi received a D+ grade while the median income indicator received a C grade. The GDP by sector indicator received a C- grade.
What was measured and how it was evaluated
The Report Card measured employment and productivity in river-related sectors of the economy and per capita income for each basin using information from national economic statistics.
- River Dependent Employment used data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics and compared the number of people in the watershed employed in river dependent sectors (farming, fishing, & forestry; production; transportation and material moving) to average employment in these industries in all states.
- Median Income graded median per capita income in each watershed state for 2013 compared to the average employment in these industries for all states using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
- GDP by Sector measured gross domestic product (GDP) for selected industries in each state for 2013 compared to the average GDP in these industries for all states.
The AWI Report Card was developed over two years with significant amount of information and feedback from hundreds of experts and stakeholders throughout the watershed and nation. View a comprehensive Report Card technical paper that includes data sources, calculations and analysis.