A group of mayors is launching a new call for an overarching legal framework for the Mississippi River. The mayors are collecting signatures from their colleagues along the river on a document calling for a water compact, which would be an agreement between states and tribes that would control the use of the Mississippi. … The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative is an association of more than 100 mayors from the 10 states along the main stem of the waterway and is the organizing force behind this call for a compact. The group’s executive committee approved an agreement in early December that is now circulating among mayors and tribal leaders for signatures. The document calls on Congress to adopt a binding river-wide agreement, while also advocating for steps to reduce pollution and improve water quality on the river.