What happens here in the fields and farms of Iowa and the rest of the Midwest has an effect on the Mississippi River and its watershed all way down to the Gulf of Mexico. But the country needs the crops that Iowa produces. How do we find the right balance?

In many towns and cities along the river, there are clashes over levees, diversion plans. dredging drainage and development. Are we listening to more than just the interests with the loudest voices and most money? Are government decision-makers hearing from enough individuals?

Kerri Miller digs into these questions with two guests: Roger Wolf, director of environment program and services at the Iowa Soybean Association, and Carrie Jennings, research and policy director at the Freshwater Society.

The Mississippi River snakes over 2,000 miles from the United States' northern border to its southern coast. But the waterway's imprint is felt far beyond its shores. As we kick off Flyover: Down the Mississippi River, we discuss the historical and cultural impact of the river — from the towns that were founded on its banks to the businesses that it bolstered and the music that it inspired. Boyce Upholt, a writer and editor, and Winona LaDuke, the director of Honor the Earth, describe how the river has been an inextricable part of America's past and a vital part of our future.

MPR News host Kerri Miller moderated a discussion with a group of mayors who are all faced with the urgency of delivering clean water to their communities in the face of tight city budgets and aging infrastructure and a climate that's changing. The talk was part of the One Water Summit in Minneapolis.

Kerri Miller returns as host of Flyover this summer for a week of call-in shows about what the Mississippi River means to the people who live near it. We aim to connect radio listeners in the middle of America with the stories of this one shared resource. We've never done something like this before, and we need your help to make it work. Tune in for the conversations, then call in with your stories. We want to know how you live, work and play in the vast swath of America that needs -- and feeds -- the Mississippi River. We'll be live in Minnesota, Iowa and New Orleans starting July 16.