Living, working and playing better on the Lower Mississippi River will form the heart of a study by conservationists and others.

The idea for the study was introduced Tuesday evening in Vicksburg as the river, only blocks away, rose 0.4 feet to 0.6 as it continued its up-and-down dance around the milestone zero level, keeping action on the water precarious at best.

River transport companies have lightened loads on barges in the past month as the river has approached its record low in Vicksburg of minus 7 feet, set in 1940.

The study, dubbed the Lower Mississippi River Resource Assessment, is a federally funded project by a group of river-watchers whose goal is to strike a balance between commercial and outdoor interests