ST. LOUIS, MO (AP) -- St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis will join mayors from other cities along the Mississippi River for a meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. The group wants to look for ways to make the river more sustainable.

Thursday's gathering comes amid one of the worst droughts in recent memory. Low water on the Mississippi continues to affect river traffic and recreation.

The meeting is the first for the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative. Member mayors hope to engage state and federal officials in efforts to assure the long-term well-being of the river and the communities that line it.

Participants will include the mayors of more than a dozen cities and towns, including St. Louis; St. Cloud; Memphis, Tennessee; and Vicksburg, Mississippi.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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